Wired APs - Handoff problem. Should I try a mesh setup or are there better alternatives?

[superczar]

I have been struggling with seamless wireless coverage in my house for the last 3+ years and have gone through enough and more routers/APs - enough to get one rack in my electronics cupboard at the spillover point

The house has two floors with approx 1000-1200 sqft on each floor + another 1000 sq feet in the front yard
My current usable solution has the main router (Netgear R7000) is on one corner of the ground floor with a wired backhaul to the second floor where a 2nd device is connected as an AP (DIR-850L) while a third TP-Link Access point (outdoor EAP-110) mounted on the first floor balcony to beam coverage to the frontyard

While the setup works, there are couple of issues
1) Each AP has a separate SSID - a single SSID cause major issues because there is a significant overlap between the three APs and the clients don't switch over to the closer AP

2) Multiple SSIDs is an obvious pain because no one remembers to/wants to flip their phone/laptop to the appropriate SSID as they move around the house

3) Throughput varies considerably at different locations - I could be getting 300mbps in one room in the morning and then get major packet drops in the evening at the same location

4) With a recent upgrade to 100mbps Internet, I really want to create a seamless SSID with access points that allow a proper handover

I looked at various mesh offerings and am unsure how they will perform if I use them in wired backhaul mode..
Alternatively, are there any traditional Access Point based solutions that allow for a proper handover of a client to the closest AP (vs the current setup where the last connected AP will stick on even when the signal is unusable)

 

[degrub]

If you can, switch over to 5GHz band only. Reduce power help force the user device to switch.
Same thing on 2.4 GHz if you have to.
You might be able to change the orientation of the APs (wall instead of ceiling mount) or place the upstairs on the floor and the downstairs on the ceiling to help minimize the overlap in the coverage.

 

[thiggins]

Alternatively, are there any traditional Access Point based solutions that allow for a proper handover of a client to the closest AP (vs the current setup where the last connected AP will stick on even when the signal is unusable)

There is no magic in APs that will help roaming if you have significant AP overlap.
Connecting mesh nodes via Ethernet backhaul improves overall performance by ensuring a high bandwidth backhaul connection. It doesn't affect roaming behavior.

 

[superczar]

If you can, switch over to 5GHz band only. Reduce power help force the user device to switch.
Same thing on 2.4 GHz if you have to.
You might be able to change the orientation of the APs (wall instead of ceiling mount) or place the upstairs on the floor and the downstairs on the ceiling to help minimize the overlap in the coverage.

Indian houses use plenty of brick/reinforced concrete
In my experience over the years, 5 ghz is no good here unless you are in LoS /minimal obstruction from the AP

There is no magic in APs that will help roaming if you have significant AP overlap.
Connecting mesh nodes via Ethernet backhaul improves overall performance by ensuring a high bandwidth backhaul connection. It doesn't affect roaming behavior.

Aren't the newer mesh systems supposed to use AP steering to handle better handoff?
Or perhaps cheap business APs that use software controllers?

 

[thiggins]

Aren't the newer mesh systems supposed to use AP steering to handle better handoff?

What is "AP steering"?

 

[superczar]

What is "AP steering"?

Haha..I guess all the marketing spiel finally got me...

What I meant was that I remember reading somewhere that mesh wifi APs use some sort of internal voodoo to kick a stubborn client off the distant AP so that it can reattach to the close one ..
Kind of similar to band steering on regular dual band routers
Not sure if it really works in practice but I was hoping to hear from someone who has had an experience with this

 

[thiggins]

Any AP or router can use deauthentication to disconnect a device. However the DEVICE DECIDES where it connects. It could be back to the same AP.

There is no magic.

 

[superczar]

Any AP or router can use deauthentication to disconnect a device. However the DEVICE DECIDES where it connects. It could be back to the same AP.

There is no magic.

Not very sure if that is entirely true
Here is an excerpt from a recent article on SNB itself

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...grade-dilemma-router-extender-or-wi-fi-system
While similar in concept, Wi-Fi Systems enjoy a key advantage over Wi-Fi Router-Plus-Extender solutions. Because they are designed as systems, they can use up-to-date techniques that solve the "sticky device" problem. This requires coordination among system nodes (radios) that isn't likely to be present when adding an Extender to an older Router.

Problem is that technical (or practical/real-life) info on how mesh systems get around the sticky client problem at the AP level (without relying entirely on the client) is hard to find.
Given mesh systems aren't exactly cheap (and I find buyer remorse returns unethical), I don't want to go down the rabbithole of picking 'em up for trial & error testing

 

[thiggins]

That's a sponsored (paid) post. "Solve" is optimistic.

I am writing an article on roaming that has no vendor/advertising spin. Should be up next week.

Devices are in charge when it comes to roaming.