Passpoint Fails After a CLI/UI Configuration Mismatch

What's happening

Passpoint was working, but stops functioning across some or all sites/access points — often after a configuration change was made either through the controller's command-line interface (CLI) or its web UI, but not consistently applied through both.

Why this happens

Some wireless platforms allow Passpoint-related settings to be configured two ways: through a "supplemental" CLI script/profile, or through the standard web UI. If these two configuration paths get out of sync — for example, a CLI script is overwritten or a manual edit introduces a typo — the platform can end up with a mismatch that prevents the intended configuration from actually applying to access points.

Common specific causes:

• A CLI-based configuration was overwritten or lost, reverting APs to an outdated or incomplete config.

• A small text mismatch between CLI and UI configuration — for example, an SSID name using an underscore in one place and a dash in the other. Even a single-character mismatch like this can prevent the configuration from being recognized as matching, so it silently fails to apply.

   

Troubleshooting steps (for your network/IT team)

1. Compare the SSID name and key configuration values exactly, character-for-character, between your CLI-based config and your UI-based config (if your platform supports both). Pay close attention to easily-missed differences like underscores vs. dashes, capitalization, or trailing spaces.
2. Check whether a recent firmware update, config push, or backup restore may have overwritten a CLI-based configuration. If your Passpoint setup depends on a supplemental CLI script, confirm it's still present and correct after any platform-level changes.
3. Where possible, migrate from a CLI-based/supplemental configuration to the platform's standard UI-based profile. UI-managed configuration is generally more stable across firmware updates and less prone to silent mismatches than supplemental CLI scripts.
4. After correcting the mismatch, push the configuration and verify it applies to all intended access points — not just one — since a mismatch can sometimes affect only a subset of APs depending on how configuration was distributed.

5. Test with a live device to confirm authentication and successful calls before considering the issue resolved.

    

If the issue continues

If you've verified your CLI and UI configurations match and the issue persists, contact support with:

• Your controller platform
• Whether the issue affects all sites/APs or only some

Our team can help review the full configuration for discrepancies.