ConfigMgr Task Sequence failing on device rebuilds

I’ve been looking into an issue where devices were failing on a rebuild. The error greeting me on screen during OSD was 0x800705b4.

Looking at the smsts.log file, the TS was failing when applying the Install Software Updates step and the 0x800705b4 error relates to that step timing out.

The strange thing was that the software updates were successfully applying to new devices but always failing on rebuilds. So it was time to dig deeper.

The locationservices.log sprung the first clue. The WSUS details had not populated, nothing had been set on the device. The only WSUS entries were as follows:

Attempting to persist WSUS location request for ContentID='{3767B81D-00B2-4D68-A3F4-0CD9C0FB4B34}’ and ContentVersion=’45’ LocationServices 30/11/2018 13:53:52 5660 (0x161C)
Attempting to create WSUS Location Request for ContentID='{3767B81D-00B2-4D68-A3F4-0CD9C0FB4B34}’ and Version=’45’ LocationServices 30/11/2018 13:53:52 5660 (0x161C)
Successfully created Location Request LocationServices 30/11/2018 13:53:52 5660 (0x161C)
Persisted WSUS location request LocationServices 30/11/2018 13:53:52 5660 (0x161C)
Attempting to send WSUS Location Request for ContentID='{3767B81D-00B2-4D68-A3F4-0CD9C0FB4B34}’ LocationServices 30/11/2018 13:53:52 5660 (0x161C)

Also a repeated failure in the log.

Failed to send management point list Location Request Message to <management point server>

OK so some real issues here but again why only on a rebuild of a device?

The ccmmessaging.log assisted me further with my troubleshooting. The ccmmessaging log is your go to log when investigating communication between devices and management points. The log was filled with a nice sea of yellow and red with the repeated error.

Request to http://<management point server>/ccm_system/request cannot be fulfilled since use of metered network is not allowed. CcmMessaging 30/11/2018 14:04:00 6844 (0x1ABC)
Post to http://<management point server>/ccm_system/request failed with 0x87d00231. CcmMessaging 30/11/2018 14:04:00 6844 (0x1ABC)

So the rebuild thinks it is on a metered network, why?

A quick ipconfig check showed that a Mobile Broadband adapter was present in the device and it had an IP address and was connected. After pulling the SIM card from the device, the build was able to run and apply software updates.  Another option would have been to set the Default Client Setting to Allow client communications on metered Internet connections and then adjust this setting post build to the required level with a custom client setting.