[nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]

[Mo-Tamim]

Hello there, I'm using UERANSIM with Free5GC, installed by helm. It seems NAS is unable to establish session. I keep getting [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]

Here is the error I'm getting from the UE

kubectl -n free5gc logs ueransim-ue-597b8dcf4-5wk6b 
[2024-01-24 07:25:20.883] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/PLMN-SEARCH]
[2024-01-24 07:25:23.084] [nas] [error] PLMN selection failure, no cells in coverage
[2024-01-24 07:25:23.890] [rrc] [debug] New signal detected for cell[1], total [1] cells in coverage
[2024-01-24 07:25:25.286] [nas] [error] PLMN selection failure, no cells in coverage
[2024-01-24 07:25:25.884] [rrc] [warning] Acceptable cell selection failed in [1] cells. [1] no SI, [0] reserved, [0] barred, ftai [0]
[2024-01-24 07:25:25.884] [rrc] [error] Cell selection failure, no suitable or acceptable cell found
[2024-01-24 07:25:26.387] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/NO-CELL-AVAILABLE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [info] Selected plmn[208/93]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [rrc] [info] Selected cell plmn[208/93] tac[1] category[SUITABLE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/PS]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/NORMAL-SERVICE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [debug] Initial registration required due to [MM-DEREG-NORMAL-SERVICE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [debug] UAC access attempt is allowed for identity[0], category[MO_sig]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.946] [nas] [debug] Sending Initial Registration
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.947] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-REGISTER-INITIATED]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.947] [rrc] [debug] Sending RRC Setup Request
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.947] [rrc] [info] RRC connection established
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.947] [rrc] [info] UE switches to state [RRC-CONNECTED]
[2024-01-24 07:25:31.947] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [CM-CONNECTED]
[2024-01-24 07:25:32.065] [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:32.065] [nas] [debug] Handling Registration Reject abnormal case
[2024-01-24 07:25:32.065] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/ATTEMPTING-REGISTRATION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:32.172] [nas] [warning] Registration Reject ignored since the MM state is not MM_REGISTERED_INITIATED
[2024-01-24 07:25:32.172] [nas] [warning] Sending MM Status with cause [MESSAGE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_PROTOCOL_STATE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:42.904] [nas] [debug] NAS timer[3511] expired [1]
[2024-01-24 07:25:42.904] [nas] [debug] Initial registration required due to [T3511-EXPIRY-IN-ATT-REG]
[2024-01-24 07:25:42.904] [nas] [debug] Sending Initial Registration
[2024-01-24 07:25:42.904] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-REGISTER-INITIATED]
[2024-01-24 07:25:43.028] [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:43.028] [nas] [debug] Handling Registration Reject abnormal case
[2024-01-24 07:25:43.028] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/ATTEMPTING-REGISTRATION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:43.132] [nas] [warning] Registration Reject ignored since the MM state is not MM_REGISTERED_INITIATED
[2024-01-24 07:25:43.132] [nas] [warning] Sending MM Status with cause [MESSAGE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_PROTOCOL_STATE]
[2024-01-24 07:25:53.915] [nas] [debug] NAS timer[3511] expired [1]
[2024-01-24 07:25:53.915] [nas] [debug] Initial registration required due to [T3511-EXPIRY-IN-ATT-REG]
[2024-01-24 07:25:53.915] [nas] [debug] Sending Initial Registration
[2024-01-24 07:25:53.915] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-REGISTER-INITIATED]
[2024-01-24 07:25:54.033] [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:54.033] [nas] [debug] Handling Registration Reject abnormal case
[2024-01-24 07:25:54.033] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/ATTEMPTING-REGISTRATION]
[2024-01-24 07:25:54.140] [nas] [warning] Registration Reject ignored since the MM state is not MM_REGISTERED_INITIATED
[2024-01-24 07:25:54.140] [nas] [warning] Sending MM Status with cause [MESSAGE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_PROTOCOL_STATE]
[2024-01-24 07:26:04.926] [nas] [debug] NAS timer[3511] expired [1]
[2024-01-24 07:26:04.926] [nas] [debug] Initial registration required due to [T3511-EXPIRY-IN-ATT-REG]
[2024-01-24 07:26:04.926] [nas] [debug] Sending Initial Registration
[2024-01-24 07:26:04.926] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-REGISTER-INITIATED]
[2024-01-24 07:26:05.041] [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]
[2024-01-24 07:26:05.041] [nas] [debug] Handling Registration Reject abnormal case
[2024-01-24 07:26:05.041] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/ATTEMPTING-REGISTRATION]
[2024-01-24 07:26:05.148] [nas] [warning] Registration Reject ignored since the MM state is not MM_REGISTERED_INITIATED
[2024-01-24 07:26:05.148] [nas] [warning] Sending MM Status with cause [MESSAGE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_PROTOCOL_STATE]
[2024-01-24 07:26:15.937] [nas] [debug] NAS timer[3511] expired [1]
[2024-01-24 07:26:15.937] [nas] [debug] Initial registration required due to [T3511-EXPIRY-IN-ATT-REG]
[2024-01-24 07:26:15.937] [nas] [debug] Sending Initial Registration
[2024-01-24 07:26:15.937] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-REGISTER-INITIATED]
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.054] [nas] [error] Initial Registration failed [CONGESTION]
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.054] [nas] [debug] Handling Registration Reject abnormal case
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.054] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [5U2-NOT-UPDATED]
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.054] [nas] [info] UE switches to state [MM-DEREGISTERED/ATTEMPTING-REGISTRATION]
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.156] [nas] [warning] Registration Reject ignored since the MM state is not MM_REGISTERED_INITIATED
[2024-01-24 07:26:16.156] [nas] [warning] Sending MM Status with cause [MESSAGE_NOT_COMPATIBLE_WITH_PROTOCOL_STATE]

The above warning keeps repeating.

Here is the logs from the test pod:

kubectl -n free5gc  logs -f ueransim-test-connection
Get ue pod name
ueransim-ue-597b8dcf4-5wk6b
***********************************************************************

Get ip address table for ueransim-ue-597b8dcf4-5wk6b
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
3: eth0@if2139: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1450 qdisc noqueue state UP group default 
    link/ether d2:fe:77:c3:03:6f brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff link-netnsid 0
    inet 10.100.104.14/32 scope global eth0
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 fe80::d0fe:77ff:fec3:36f/64 scope link 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

uesimtun0 interface not found

This is my cluster

f get pods 
NAME                                                 READY   STATUS    RESTARTS       AGE
free5gc-free5gc-upf-upf-7d5ddff55-9bdkg              1/1     Running   4 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
mongodb-0                                            1/1     Running   4 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-nrf-nrf-6b78fbcfbc-q8xw8             1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-pcf-pcf-55b74bcb77-cvsdk             1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-udr-udr-96556dd64-qdfdj              1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-ausf-ausf-64949dbfc8-pcqqq           1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-smf-smf-5d5657f95d-zsh25             1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-udm-udm-d4ccd7957-7lqnh              1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-dbpython-dbpython-796555989d-lnz8x   1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-amf-amf-569c6b977c-t6r4x             1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-nssf-nssf-8b8b8b765-2hj7l            1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
free5gc-free5gc-webui-webui-5b8c448c5f-sth4s         1/1     Running   3 (3d7h ago)   3d8h
ueransim-ue-597b8dcf4-5wk6b                          1/1     Running   0              73s
ueransim-gnb-6c4f67dc4c-g5fjk                        1/1     Running   0              73s
ueransim-test-connection                             0/1     Error     0              29s

I've already added the default subscriber in the webui.

Thanks a lot for your help :)

[pragyasharmaa]

Following this because I have the same issue

[romoreira]

what is the solution?

[Noufel17]

and like always no budy respondes

[romoreira]

This usually happens when NRF or Upf are not working well.