Connecting to AP with strongest signal - how ?

[Kris Paul]

I have the following set up
Router - 68U
3 APs - AC 3100 (one on each floor of the townhouse). All APs are connected by ethernet to the router.
Router and APs all use the same SSIDs.

My issue is if I am using the computer on the top floor, and move the the basement (total vertical of ~27 ft across 3 flights of stairs), my computer still keeps the connection to the top AP (I can check the mac address of the AP connected by pressing the option key on my MPB. )

Is there a setting on my router or my AP where I can force a disconnect of any client (computer / phone/ camera etc) below a certain connection strength ?

Apologies if this is covered earlier - i am not sure what roaming or smart connect is. I am not running AIMESH - that had worse performance than regular AP.
I have also checked all channels, and there are not a lot of conflicts with other wifis in the neighborhood. The issue is primarily which AP my devices connect to.

 

[adampk17]

Do the APs use different SSISs or the same? I use APs all with the same SSID and my devices seem to move to the strongest AP pretty well.

 

[Kris Paul]

Do the APs use different SSISs or the same?

Same SSIDs.

 

[Ronald Schwerer]

Set the Roaming Assist Threshold higher (less negative) for each band.

 

[OzarkEdge]

Apologies if this is covered earlier - i am not sure what roaming or smart connect is. I am not running AIMESH - that had worse performance than regular AP.

Roaming Assistant node steering encourages a wireless client to connect to the stronger/faster node/AP signal. The previous suggestion to adjust/raise band RSSI/power thresholds to assist roaming sooner may help. Another approach might be to lower Tx power to decrease WiFi overlap (and/or move APs farther apart).

Smart Connect node band steering encourages a wireless client to connect to the stronger/faster node band/SSID when using the same SSID for both bands. AC1900/AC68/AC66 B1 routers do not support Smart Connect. Since you already have a 3100 on each level, you may not be using WiFi on the 68U router, so no SC support with same SSIDs would not matter.

If you try AiMesh again, omit the 68U and use the three 3100s for the router and two nodes with same SSIDs and Smart Connect all around. Three 3100s ought to cover three levels easily enough. And be sure to factory default reset before configuration. I gather AiMesh roaming with same SSIDs is better than AP roaming.

Have you used a WiFi Analyzer app to get a rough idea of signal power around the area? Who knows... maybe the upper level AP signal beats the lower level AP signal at some point for some reason... interference, obstacles, sick AP...

OE

 

[SheikhSheikha]

You say you check it with your MBPro so I assume the roaming of your MBPro demonstrates this behavior. If that is the case you may start terminal on your MBPro and modify the WiFi Roaming Aggressiveness of your Mac. In terminal set joinMode=Strongest by the command:
sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport prefs joinMode=Strongest

I suggest that after that command you reboot (it reboots your wifi, flushes your DNS etc ) your MBPro and see what that does.
I encountered the same behavior as you describe with the MBPro's here in the house (the iPhones and iPads had no problem) and this tweak did the trick. (All routers in the house have roaming assistant switched off.) I hope this works for you too.

 

[Kris Paul]

Thanks everyone. Doing the roaming assistant trigger helped. I will stay with that for a little bit.

I will try the AIMESH with smart connect in a couple of weeks after I am back from my travels to see if that works better.

Just to confirm- for the AIMIESH / Smart connect- use of othe AC3100 as the router and the other 2 as access points only ?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thanks everyone. Doing the roaming assistant trigger helped. I will stay with that for a little bit.

I will try the AIMESH with smart connect in a couple of weeks after I am back from my travels to see if that works better.

Just to confirm- for the AIMIESH / Smart connect- use of othe AC3100 as the router and the other 2 as access points only ?

As I suggested above... one 3100 configured as AiMesh router, the other two added (not configured) as wired or wireless nodes. This is not the same as AP mode usage that must be wired and configured and is not of an AiMesh system.

OE