How to make fast Wi-Fi roaming in the apartment?

Good afternoon!

Advise how to make automatic switching to the best wi-fi signal within the apartment. There is a router at one end of the apartment and a repeater at the other end. When moving around the apartment with a smartphone, there is no switching to another point (the SSID for the router and repeater are the same).

Do all smartphones have this switching problem?

Are there any ways to automate this process without third-party programs?

Answer

Good afternoon. Good question. But why didn't you write a model of the router, repeater and devices that connect to the Wi-Fi network, and on which you observe problems with "inadequate" switching between the router and repeater?

I will try to explain. When we have a Wi-Fi router and a Wi-Fi signal amplifier (or one more in the router in amplifier mode) installed in our house or apartment, then these are two different access points. They broadcast two Wi-Fi networks. Even if they have the same name and the devices in the settings display one network, these are all exactly two wireless networks. As if there are two routers installed. It is common for devices between these two access points to switch very inadequately. They can hold on to a network with a weak signal for a long time, switch at an inopportune moment, etc. Moreover, at the time of switching, there is a rather long gap in the Internet connection. The so-called aggressiveness settings for Wi-Fi roaming (which tell the device when to switch to another network based on different parameters) are set in the device firmware. On a computer, for example, with the properties of a Wi-Fi adapter, you can sometimes change the aggressiveness of roaming in wireless networks.

There are three protocols: 802.11r, 802.11k, 802.11v. They allow you to organize fast roaming in a Wi-Fi network (create a seamless Wi-Fi network) from multiple access points. Several routers, routers + repeaters, modules of Wi-Fi Mesh systems. Devices on such a seamless network will switch very quickly and seamlessly from one access point to another. Invisible to the user.

As you probably already understood, to make fast roaming in a Wi-Fi network in an apartment, house, office, you need equipment that supports these protocols. If you have a regular router and amplifier (without support for Mesh technology), then this will not work. Programs, settings will not help here. At the moment, there are two types of devices that allow you to organize a Wi-Fi network with fast roaming:

1. Wi-Fi Mesh systems. Today there are already available models. Read the article at the link I left. But even on Mesh systems, fast roaming is usually disabled by default in the settings. This is done for the reason that after enabling this function, various problems may arise with the connection of old devices. How it all works, I wrote in the article seamless Wi-Fi. Fast roaming (802.11r) in Wi-Fi Mesh system settings.
2. Routers and amplifiers (repeaters) with mesh technology support. With the help of such devices, you can create a seamless Wi-Fi network in which the devices will normally switch between the router and repeater. TP-Link, for example, has a line of such devices called OneMesh. I wrote about them in a separate article: what is TP-Link OneMesh? Setting up a seamless Wi-Fi network using the example of a TP-Link Archer A7 v5 router and a TP-Link RE300 amplifier.

I now have a Wi-Fi Mesh system of two modules. Fast roaming is enabled in the settings. I don't notice any problems at all. It's like one network (one router). But with a long range of Wi-Fi networks.

Here are some more related articles:

• For example: connecting and configuring TP-Link Deco E3: Mesh Wi-Fi module + Mesh Wi-Fi signal booster.
• Choosing a router for an apartment or house in 2020. Which is the best and what to choose? - also talked about Mesh systems.

Hope I was able to answer your question.

Watch the video: Ubiquiti Unifi AP AC PRO wireless access point, unboxed and reviewed - worth the money? (May 2024).