Android 4: choosing between access points with the same SSID

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timmmay

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Topic # 114943 8-Mar-2013 08:15

I work in a large corporate, there's a network with dozens of APs in the building I work in. I'm having intermittent problems getting onto the network with my Asus Transformer TF101 on Android 4.0.3. I can usually see 7-9 APs with the same SSID.

When I try to log on it shows low signal strength and says "obtaining IP address". It times out after 5-10 seconds, then repeats. When I can log on the signal strength is usually full. Login success is about 50/50, sometimes I get onto the network, sometimes I don't.

My theory is it sometimes it grabs the lowest signal strength WAP from many floors away instead of the one right beside me. Is there any way to force which channel/AP Android uses?

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sbiddle

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Reply # 776629 8-Mar-2013 08:24

Sounds like a dead AP somewhere.

The only way to force an AP is by using some WiFi testing software and force a connection to a specific MAC address.

hairy1

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Reply # 776634 8-Mar-2013 08:31

Something like wifi analyser might help out a bit.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5mYXJwcm9jLndpZmkuYW5hbHl6ZXIiXQ..

It might help pinpoint which AP you are connecting to.

My views (except when I am looking out their windows) are not those of my employer.

timmmay

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Reply # 776636 8-Mar-2013 08:35

It's a reasonably complex cisco system, and I'm talking with the network team to try to get things working. They have a network analyser in with us. However I don't think it's purely an Android problem, as a windows laptop does a similar thing.

I have WiFi analyzer, but it doesn't work when the WiFi is off or when it's trying to get an IP address. It doesn't let you choose which AP to use either.

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eXDee

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Reply # 776895 8-Mar-2013 13:30

Most devices will automatically roam when the signal drops below a certain threshold to a stronger AP, and will connect to the strongest signal.
There's no way in android atm, even using wifi analyzer and its "wifi connector" library, as far as i can see, to prefer one AP over another with the same SSID.

I reckon it could be an issue with the network.

timmmay

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Reply # 776899 8-Mar-2013 13:35

Thanks exdee. Yeah it seems like a network problem, but the guys here can't work out what it is or fix it. Most people have no problems with the network.

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Reply # 777093 8-Mar-2013 21:07

This might be totally unrelated but i've found with my iPad and Galaxy S3 that if i'm trying to connect to a particular network that's only broadcasting on either a,b,g, or n (not a combination of any of them) that I have to be pretty much right next to the AP to get a connection.

timmmay

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Reply # 777114 8-Mar-2013 21:09

I don't know what the work network is, not even sure how to check. My network at home is B+G and it works fine. It works perfectly on every other wireless network.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 777138 8-Mar-2013 21:55

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WiFi Analyser lets you connect to a specific AP based on MAC address but you need a 3rd party addon to do this.

eXDee

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Reply # 777205 9-Mar-2013 01:34

sbiddle: WiFi Analyser lets you connect to a specific AP based on MAC address but you need a 3rd party addon to do this.

Ah, i tried this with my own network, but it seems once you're already connected to the SSID i cant use it to make it swap to the other. I didnt try "forgetting" my network and then selecting a particular AP.