Roaming Multiple AP's with 1 SSID

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Cocopop

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Wannabe Geek

# 181288 9-Oct-2015 08:59

Hi

so i'm trying to set this up in my home so i can roam the house and get full bar wifi coverage

using 3 routers

vodafone HG659, the default VDSL router they give you , set as gateway, dhcp on , 192.168.1.1

Linksys E2000 , set to 192.168.1.2 , DHCP off , NAT off , RIP on
Linksys WRT610nv3 , set to 192.168.1.3 , DHCP off , Nat off , RIP on

running all on b/g/n using just 20mhz

ive read everywhere to just use the same SSID and passhrase , set nics roaming aggresiveness to high , run channels 1-6-11, but devices just dont switch , it will hang onto 1 bar reception rather than switch to a full strength signal , if i disable then reconnect it grabs the closest AP

intel tools confirm there are 3 AP's detectable under the one SSID
am i missing something ,every webpage i read says this should work ? but it doesnt....

Dynamic

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# 1402866 9-Oct-2015 09:01

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It's my understanding that roaming 'aggressiveness' is controlled by the wireless client. Have a look in the advanced settings for your wireless network card.

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sbiddle

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# 1402867 9-Oct-2015 09:09

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Unless you're using hardware and devices that support 802.11r or WiFI controllers that can control roaming by sending deauth frames there is nothing in your network setup that will control roaming. It's simply up to the client radio to decide what it wants to do, and there is very little you can do. Your setup is working, and working as it should - the issue is just that it's not working how you (or most people for that matter) would expect it to work.

Cocopop

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Wannabe Geek

# 1402877 9-Oct-2015 09:41

ok so id need to buy like a unifi AP or wifi extender ?

was just trying to do it at $0 cost with the spare parts i have at home

Jase2985

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# 1402879 9-Oct-2015 09:47

on android you can get an app that will drop an access point if the signal level gets below x value if there is a stronger one there, thats what i use for my mobile devices at home, as for laptops etc, i dont roam to much with them so its not a big thing.

n4

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Ultimate Geek

# 1402931 9-Oct-2015 11:12

Jase2985: on android you can get an app that will drop an access point if the signal level gets below x value if there is a stronger one there, thats what i use for my mobile devices at home, as for laptops etc, i dont roam to much with them so its not a big thing.

Android app details?

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Jase2985

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# 1402938 9-Oct-2015 11:22

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heleron.wifiroamingfix&hl=en

have mine set at -55dB but depends on your house/setup

sbiddle

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# 1402960 9-Oct-2015 11:40

Cocopop: ok so id need to buy like a unifi AP or wifi extender ?

was just trying to do it at $0 cost with the spare parts i have at home

A WiFi extender won't do anything.

UniFi kinda supports roaming with the use of it's zero handoff roaming which runs every AP on the same SSID and channel and MAC address so to a device it only appears as though there is a single AP. This is very problematic for many people and you will need to replace all AP's with Unifi's to use this.

chevrolux

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# 1403057 9-Oct-2015 13:40

The problem I found with Unifi zero handoff was getting the threshold for dropping a client dialled in properly.
To make it consistently work you had to over saturate the area and have the threshold set really high (up around 55-60dB). Never took the time to properly test it but I feel like it would of killed performance by having all the radios on the same channel.

sbiddle

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# 1403071 9-Oct-2015 14:08

chevrolux: The problem I found with Unifi zero handoff was getting the threshold for dropping a client dialled in properly.
To make it consistently work you had to over saturate the area and have the threshold set really high (up around 55-60dB). Never took the time to properly test it but I feel like it would of killed performance by having all the radios on the same channel.

ZH was an interesting concept but IMHO should never be used unless you fully understand all the downsides.

None of the new UniFi kit incl the just released AC kit supports it anyway.

richms

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# 1403075 9-Oct-2015 14:19

Cocopop: ok so id need to buy like a unifi AP or wifi extender ?

was just trying to do it at $0 cost with the spare parts i have at home

Its not that great on unifi. I have had a lot of issues with roaming when the hardware was different. Even tho it looks the same, if there are differences between WPA TKIP or AES etc between them then IME it will not roam, it will disconnect, revert to 4G, and then reconnect to the new one when forced by pulling power to the AP it was connected on.

Richard rich.ms