Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


MichaelNZ

1388 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted
Integrity Tech Solutions

#247919 2-Mar-2019 19:48
Send private message

I want to be able to seamlessly roam between access points. Looking at Mikrotik CAP AC and Ubiquiti Unfi AP AC (Lite?)

 

Comments?





WFH Linux Systems and Networks Engineer in the Internet industry | Specialising in Mikrotik | APNIC member | Open to job offers


Create new topic
chevrolux
4962 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user


  #2190031 2-Mar-2019 20:26
Send private message

Depends on the device, and getting the deployment just nice.

 

I personally find, my android phone and tablet will roam nicely around Unifi AP's, but windows laptop will hold on to an AP as long as possible - that's when "Advanced features" is enabled.

 

One for @sbiddle or @Crowdie to answer... but it's something about 802.11r and 802.11k.

 

 

 

Never used the Mikrotik CAPsMAN thing, Unifi is just easy all round and allows managing multiple sites sooo much easier.




  #2190039 2-Mar-2019 20:48
Send private message

I use Unifi at home with (two APs) and I find roaming seems to work well most of the time with most devices (not the absence of the word 'all'). I found that roaming wasn't always automatic/seamless with the default settings. I find setting up setting a Minimum RSSI to force APs off when the signal gets too low works well to encourage devices to associate with a suitable AP. I also disable CCK rates (i.e. 1.5~11mbps speeds) to prevent devices associating when they are too far from an AP (note that this breaks compatibility with some very old 802.11b only devices which is an non-issue in my case). While not roaming related, I also enable Airtime Fairness. Turning on these three non-default settings has helped improved overall WiFi performance (including roaming).

 

The worst issue I've had has been my SO's PlayStation. It always seemed to associate with the worst AP when it starts up, only to associate with the best AP if he went into network settings and forced a reconfiguration. This was despite the best AP being in the same room as the PS, and the other AP in the house across to other side of the section. Very annoying. I ended up just running Ethernet to the PlayStation to keep my SO happy. You should be running Ethernet to as many fixed devices as possible in any case and only using WiFi if absolutely necessary.

 

YMMV of course. Do report back on what you end up going with. :)


noroad
949 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

  #2190042 2-Mar-2019 20:59
Send private message

I sue these - https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NAPGSM11110/Grandstream-GWN7610-Dual-Band-3x33-AC1750-4501300M

 

They are cheap and work nicely. They also have the distinct advantage that you can select one as the master so you don't need a separate controller for effective roaming. Also, guest wireless and rate limiting per ssid is also built in.

 

 




sbiddle
30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod
Trusted
Biddle Corp
Lifetime subscriber

  #2190051 2-Mar-2019 21:18
Send private message

MichaelNZ:

 

I want to be able to seamlessly roam between access points. Looking at Mikrotik CAP AC and Ubiquiti Unfi AP AC (Lite?)

 

Comments?

 

 

I'll answer a simple question with a simple answer - you can't. Neither support full 802.11kvr for true seamless roaming.

 

Of course depending on exactly what your requirements are and what devices you're using the complex answer could be anything from kind of to maybe. UniFi supports 802.11r for fast BSS transitions but support will depend on the device(s) you are using - Windows for example only supports 802.11r using 802.1X authentication. 

 

Enabling 802.11r on a SSID will break WiFi for some devices that don't understand 802.11r if you attempt to use them on the same network.

 

If true roaming is required for a critical network such as warehouse with roaming devices or for voice you need to look at better quality wireless hardware.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


jonathan18
7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

  #2190075 2-Mar-2019 22:33
Send private message

noroad:

I sue these - https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NAPGSM11110/Grandstream-GWN7610-Dual-Band-3x33-AC1750-4501300M


They are cheap and work nicely. They also have the distinct advantage that you can select one as the master so you don't need a separate controller for effective roaming. Also, guest wireless and rate limiting per ssid is also built in.


 



I’ve had, and continue to have, various issues with these that firmware updates haven’t resolved. The earlier issues are covered in this thread.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=232195

Personally, I wish I’d gone with a more tried and tested brand/model.

That said, handover between the two APs is pretty good!

cyril7
9058 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted
Subscriber

  #2190142 3-Mar-2019 09:44
Send private message

Yep as Steve says above neither of these two products supports an extended ssid control plane and encumbent controller, they simply have network deployment and monitoring ability. If you want decent roaming think, Aruba, Ruckus, Cisco etc. I believe the grandstream product may have this ability

Other than that, as a general cost vs performance aspect, I find Unifi adequate for most domestic and SME needs.

Cyril

Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.