How to attached to strongest signal?

[username0475]

I have an Asus 86U (SSID1) running on Merlin @ one part of the house as the base router feeding switch to 2 TP-Link EAP225 access points for the upstairs (SSID2) & garage (SSID3).
When I traverse throughout the house with my cell phones or tablets I would like them to be able to latch onto the strongest signals on any 1 of the 3 above signals.

Not having any real trouble with the signals but at certain locations I would like to use the strongest signal & I have to do the switch manually on the mobile devices.

Is there anything I can set in the admin screen of these devices (router/APs/mobile) to automatically affectuate this habit?

 

[eibgrad]

That's what AiMesh is supposed to solve. How well does it works? Can't say, I don't use it. But of course, it assumes you're only using ASUS devices w/ that feature. Once you mix manufacturers, things get tougher.

With some clients (e.g., Windows), you can adjust the sensitivity of the wireless adapter (specifically, in Device Manager) so it jumps sooner and more readily to a stronger signal. BUT, even so, unlike a mesh network, the transition typically leads to a loss of context, so long running transactions (e.g., a large download) could fail during the transition. Whether other devices offer that kind of "tweaking" will vary from device to device.

 

[OzarkEdge]

I have an Asus 86U (SSID1) running on Merlin @ one part of the house as the base router feeding switch to 2 TP-Link EAP225 access points for the upstairs (SSID2) & garage (SSID3).
When I traverse throughout the house with my cell phones or tablets I would like them to be able to latch onto the strongest signals on any 1 of the 3 above signals.

Not having any real trouble with the signals but at certain locations I would like to use the strongest signal & I have to do the switch manually on the mobile devices.

Is there anything I can set in the admin screen of these devices (router/APs/mobile) to automatically affectuate this habit?

You could try different SSIDs per band, but same band SSIDs across APs. Without a WiFi mesh system to help, it will be strictly up to your clients to decide... some have settings that might help, like keep searching for a better signal.

OE

 

[KsWoodsMan]

The strongest signal might not be the "best" signal.

Consider it to be similar to 7th row center stage at a concert versus 1st row far right/left next to the speakers.
To much signal could be degrading the "signal quality" at the receiver.

And then there are the "nose bleed" seats where the signal is reflected and comes in from different paths with various timing differences (echos).
Its still strong but picking out what is direct signal and what isn't is left up to the receiver.

Ultimately, (unless forced) the decision of which source to connect to - by default - is decided by the client.
Unless it actually causes a connectivity/usabilty problem, I let the client decide which source to connect to and go make coffee.

 

[thiggins]

As others have pointed out, the client is in control of when and where to roam to.

But I want to point out a misconception I see here about mesh networks. There is nothing inherent in mesh technology that helps roaming. Devices (STAs) still decide where to connect.

There are techniques an AP (aka mesh node) can use to influence STA decisions, such as delaying responses to association requests, deauthing (disconnecting) a device if it connects to an AP that doesn't want it to connect. But this is not part of mesh technology.

How To Fix Wi-Fi Roaming - SmallNetBuilder

We reveal the secrets of why your devices don't always connect where you want them to and what you can do to fix it.

www.smallnetbuilder.com

 

[OzarkEdge]

As others have pointed out, the client is in control of when and where to roam to.

But I want to point out a misconception I see here about mesh networks. There is nothing inherent in mesh technology that helps roaming. Devices (STAs) still decide where to connect.

There are techniques an AP (aka mesh node) can use to influence STA decisions, such as delaying responses to association requests, deauthing (disconnecting) a device if it connects to an AP that doesn't want it to connect. But this is not part of mesh technology.

How To Fix Wi-Fi Roaming - SmallNetBuilder

We reveal the secrets of why your devices don't always connect where you want them to and what you can do to fix it.

www.smallnetbuilder.com

Noted. Thanks!

OE