hello,
i have main wifi ap, and few dumb wifi (same network ESSID). The problem is the clients doesnt roam/ change networks based on the signal strength correctly. As you can see samsung s10 device is connected to OpenWrt_5GHz network with almost zero signal, and even there is dumb ap with 100% signal of OpenWrt_5GHz client still doesnt switch.
Is that a client issue or issue with setup of my dumb ap?
Thanks!
Any of those, or both, based on the (insufficient) info provided...
But generally, clients do not roam spontaneously by themselves.
Just a quick starting point -- but critical: have you tuned your APs properly?
@frollic what more info can I provide? well i thought once they see same ESSID with better signal coverage they roam... or do i miss something? in that case... whats the purpose of dumb aps? Is the mesh solution?
@psherman question is what do u mean by tuned? i will check the link you provided. from the photo i provided (imgur) u can see the signal coverage on client .. which doesn roam by itself.
And they never will, they don't see it that way.
You can try to force them to, configure 802.11r, batman, or deauth clients with weak radio signal, to make them (perhaps) (re)connect to a better AP.
But it won't happen just because there's a stronger signal, using the same SSID and pass.
Roaming is a client side process. You need to set your APs (power levels and channels) correctly to ensure that you don't have overlap and you encourage the client devices to roam based on the tuning.
Most people will simply turn their AP power up to max, but that actually makes roaming less likely and not as smooth.
See the video I posted in that other link.
got your point, is there some howto/doc etc regardin the configure 802.11r, batman, or deauth clients with weak radio signal ? thank!
the thread is pretty long, i have to go thru it tomorrow. thx
Just watch this video which talks about all the concepts of how you should plan your wifi setup and the tuning to make it work well.
Although it can be really helpful in some situations, you don't necessarily need any of the other standards like 802.11r or other potentially heavy handed approaches to de-auth clients and such... you just need a properly tuned network to encourage client roaming. The roaming related protocols (like 802.11r) are designed to improve the roaming process, but are not universally compatible with all devices and still need proper planning/tuning of your physical setup.