Are most devices smart enough to connect to the strongest AP w/ multiple APs, same SSID?

[hungarianhc]

Hi there,

I'm going to be overhauling a home network in a couple weeks, and one problem that I'll be remedying is a bedroom TCL Roku TV, which only has Roku. I'm going to put a powerline -> wifi range extender right below it, so it'll have full signal now, but can I be sure it will stay connected to that node, rather than attempt to connect to the weaker signal from a more distant AP? Similarly, with 3 APs in the house, same SSID, will the smartphones know to move from AP to AP as someone moves through the house? Thanks!

 

[htismaqe]

For the most part, your smartphones and other devices will move from AP to AP when the signal drops below a certain level. See also this thread:

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/is...ure-enough-to-switch-between-2-4-5-ghz.25315/

As for your Roku, the only way to GUARANTEE it is connected to the AP you want is to give that AP a separate SSID and manually connect the Roku. My suggestion would be to hook all of the APs up with the same SSID and see how the Roku works. If the signal is strong, leave it alone.

 

[sfx2000]

I'm just wondering why folks are so very worried about this - given free access, most clients will chose the right AP to join, as long as they're a common SSID across dual band/mulitple AP's...

It's mobility that is the challenge in the SNB space, and there... it's up to client/AP implementation, some do it better than others...

 

[stevech]

My experience is that most clients stay with a weak signal until the error rate is super high, or they lose the beacons all together, or the user gets frustrated with lousy response time/speeds and manually chooses the known/closer AP.

Some clients do better.

 

[htismaqe]

What kind of clients do you have? Of the ones I've tested here, I haven't yet had a problem with them switching bands prior to having performance impact. That includes:

iPhone 6
iPad 2
iPhone 5c
Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Nintendo 3DS
HP Laptop (Intel 6200AGN)
Acer Laptop (can't recall off the top of my head)

All of them roam quite well.

 

[stevech]

I have

• iPad
• iPhone
• HTC One Android phone
• Acer Android tablet

Mine "roam". Example: some will start out on 5GHz, then when moved to another room, will switch to 2.4GHz. When moved back to room where the 5GHz access is, they say on 2.4GHz (the "good enough" syndrome). I can't expect better, without having any directed-association support in consumer products.

And with handhelds, it's no matter - handhelds don't need super speeds.

It's just a reminder than one can easily over-spend on WiFi routers and APs for 11AC 5GHz, etc. that don't matter to handhelds.

 

[azazel1024]

iDevices will roam "back up" to 5GHz, but they are kind of lazy about it. They'll sometimes take 2-5 minutes. However, I've never experienced them sticking with a band or STA that was significantly weaker than another one.

1/3rd of the reason why I have 3 access points between indoors and outdoors. My 2.4GHz coverage can be passable through-out with just one if I located it a little better. However, my 5GHz with 2 indoor and the 1 outdoor means that whatever wants 5GHz has it everywhere. I almost never notice my iDevices picking 2.4GHz, because the 5GHz signal is strong enough through nearly the entire house. The rare time I am somewhere, where the 5GHz signal is just isn't strong enough, they'll hop to 2.4GHz and then take a couple of minutes to move back to 5GHz when I move to a stronger signal strength area.

However, if I move far enough from the 2.4GHz connected STA, it'll pop over to 5GHz on the next STA that it is closer to.

Really I can't complain. Even my lowly iPhone 5 never drops below 30Mbps anywhere in my house on either band and typically spends most of its time on 5GHz with 50Mbps performance.

 

[azazel1024]

Check that, I can. My wife's iPhone 6 typically hangs out with about 120+Mbps performance with it's 1:1 11ac chipset. That pretty much never sees 2.4GHz (not that I pay close attention since she gets angry for some reason when I take her phone aware from her and start walking around the house :-S)

 

[sfx2000]

And with handhelds, it's no matter - handhelds don't need super speeds.

It's just a reminder than one can easily over-spend on WiFi routers and APs for 11AC 5GHz, etc. that don't matter to handhelds.

Handsets/tablets can benefit from 11ac - I've got a Samsung GS4, which supports 11ac as a 1T1R client, and it's about blipping the data over as fast as possible, and then shutting down the radio, saving battery

 

[htismaqe]

Mine "roam". Example: some will start out on 5GHz, then when moved to another room, will switch to 2.4GHz. When moved back to room where the 5GHz access is, they say on 2.4GHz (the "good enough" syndrome).

Yeah, I generally don't see this, especially with iOS devices. When 5Ghz is available and of sufficient connection quality, they use it.

 

[stevech]

Check that, I can. My wife's iPhone 6 typically hangs out with about 120+Mbps performance with it's 1:1 11ac chipset. That pretty much never sees 2.4GHz (not that I pay close attention since she gets angry for some reason when I take her phone aware from her and start walking around the house :-S)

to use my wife's iPad, I have to leave a deposit, sign an oath and have it notarized.

 

[azazel1024]

to use my wife's iPad, I have to leave a deposit, sign an oath and have it notarized.

You are luckier than I am. If I want to use my wife's iPhone or iPad I have to TAKE my first born. And probably the second and third born. Then promise to not give them back for at least 30 minutes while she takes a bath and reads a book.

Then I might be permitted to "put hands" upon her iDevices.

It is rarely worth the sacrifice on my part.

 

[TonyH]

You are luckier than I am. If I want to use my wife's iPhone or iPad I have to TAKE my first born. And probably the second and third born. Then promise to not give them back for at least 30 minutes while she takes a bath and reads a book.

Then I might be permitted to "put hands" upon her iDevices.

It is rarely worth the sacrifice on my part.

In my house, never had AP, I just set up the devices with preferred SSID. All i devices connect to 5Ghz and stay there.
No device experiences lost/too weak signal causing dropped connection. Maybe we're lucky?

 

[stevech]

Maybe we're lucky?

2+ story homes or large sq. ft. homes or older homes with lath/plaster walls - basements - all are not RF friendly.

 

[htismaqe]

You are luckier than I am. If I want to use my wife's iPhone or iPad I have to TAKE my first born. And probably the second and third born. Then promise to not give them back for at least 30 minutes while she takes a bath and reads a book.

Then I might be permitted to "put hands" upon her iDevices.

It is rarely worth the sacrifice on my part.

ROFL, my wife has a Samsung phone AND a Samsung tablet. I don't have to give her anything because I wouldn't use them if she paid me.

 

[stevech]

Samsung phones sell by the zillions! They must be doing something right!

 

[htismaqe]

They're loaded with features. Unfortunately for me, OCD forces me into the "simpler is better" camp.

The first time she opened her photo gallery on the phone and her pictures showed up on the screen of my smart TV, IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SHOW, I about had a freaking cow.

 

[sfx2000]

Samsung phones sell by the zillions! They must be doing something right!

Samsung is a decent HW developer - their handset design side, and SW embellishments on Android, well they tend to ask very good questions, and crib the answer sheets...

They've got a pretty good Xerox machine running into the idea-space - I haven't really seen them take the initiative on handsets...

Other product - yes, handsets, no...

 

[stevech]

Samsung is a decent HW developer - their handset design side, and SW embellishments on Android, well they tend to ask very good questions, and crib the answer sheets...

They've got a pretty good Xerox machine running into the idea-space - I haven't really seen them take the initiative on handsets...

Other product - yes, handsets, no...

say what?

 

[sfx2000]

say what?

Samsung is a fast follower - they're great at developing something that someone else has already done, and then they iterate over and over again. I've never personally observed a good original product from them, not saying that their products are bad. On the contrary, they're pretty good, and very good copies of other companies' original ideas, IMHO...