Can 802.11r be configured to work correctly if I have two APs, one running OpenWRT and the other running the native Unifi firmware?
It's not entirely clear to me where the handoff, if any, happens.
Technically, yes - but it's getting more difficult to get the settings in sync.
Most of all the encryption settings must be a 100% match, then you need to set up NAS ID, mobility domain, R0 Key and R1 key settings identically - syntax and semantics may vary between different devices.
Disclaimer: I have no practical experience with Ubiquiti hardware and don't know the abilities of their firmware.
OK, at least it's not a hard no. Has anyone successfully tried this?
I don't know the answer either, but I'm curious why you're trying to do a mixed firmware environment. Why not use both on Unifi firmware, or both on OpenWrt? If both use the same firmware, the 802.11r configuration and behaviors should be more straighforward and predcitable.
Meanwhile, I'll also add that 802.11r doesn't always work well -- some client (sta mode) devices just don't play well with this standard, even if they theoretically support it. In some cases, performance can be markedly worse than a well tuned non-802.11r wifi configuration.
And... that brings me to my second commnet about roaming... make sure you optimize the standard configuration elements for high performance roaming without 802.11r. Remember, roaming is a client side operation, and you want to encourage the clients to roam as efficiently as possbile. Tuning starts by running an RF scan to find andselect the least utilized channels, then configuring the radios such that neighboring access points do not use the same channels as each other. Finally, adjusting power levels (reducing them) is important to minimize the overlap region and encourage clients to roam. Obviously if AP placement is flexible, you can further tune by adjusting the placement of each of the APs (and/or adding more in strategic places). Done well, standard roaming (without any of the supplimental methods) can be nearly seamless. Here's a video I like that describes how to achieve good roaming performance -- it's done on Unifi, but the concepts apply regardless of the brand/firmware.
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I don't have a great reason to be honest. I wanted to buy a single additional device, rather than two. The Unifi device I like has no OpenWRT support at the moment. I have changed my mind about this and will instead buy one with support.
Thanks for the tips on general WiFi performance improvements. I was vaguely aware of some, but I will know to tune before 802.11r. Decreasing signal power is certainly counter-intuitive.