How to Set up Seamless Wireless Roaming on Nebula?

Zyxel_Jay
Zyxel_Jay Posts: 227  Zyxel Employee
Second Anniversary Zyxel Certified Network Engineer Level 2 - Switch Zyxel Certified Network Engineer Level 1 - Switch Zyxel Certified Network Administrator - Switch
edited May 3 in Other Topics

Introduction:
Seamless wireless roaming is a valuable feature in wireless networking that allows users to move effortlessly between Access Points (APs) without any disruption to their connection. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up seamless wireless roaming on Nebula, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted wireless experience for users in large environments with multiple APs.

Topology and Scenario:
In a typical seamless roaming network setup, you'll have a gateway connected to a switch, which then connects to multiple APs. Clients (users) connect wirelessly to these APs, and it's important to have overlapping signals to facilitate seamless roaming. The network structure will resemble the following:

image.png

Configuration:
To achieve seamless roaming on Nebula, follow these steps:

  1. Create SSID and set security:

Verification:
After completing the configuration, it's important to verify that seamless roaming is working as expected. Perform the following checks:

  1. User Connection:
    • Connect a device to the SSID you set up and ensure that the device can access the Internet without any issues.
  2. Roaming:
    • As the device moves from the coverage area of one AP to another (e.g., from AP1 to AP2), the connection should remain uninterrupted. Test this by physically moving the device between APs and observing the connection stability.

Noted:
While setting up seamless wireless roaming, keep the following factors in mind:

  1. Signal Overlap:
    • If the signals of adjacent APs (e.g., AP1 and AP2) do not overlap sufficiently, users may experience disconnections when transitioning between APs. To mitigate this, either move the APs closer together or increase the output power.
  2. Signal Interference:
    • Excessive signal overlap between APs can lead to interference, causing connectivity issues. To resolve this, either increase the physical distance between APs or decrease the output power.
  3. Smart Steering Threshold Settings:
    • Enabling threshold settings in the radio configuration might result in disconnections between the AP and the device when the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) in the overlapping area falls below the set threshold. Ensure that the Station Signal Threshold and Disassociation Station Threshold are lower than the RSSI in the overlapping area.
    • More details:
      [NEBULA] How to configure smart steering to optimize the wireless network?
  4. Band Select:
    • Disabling band select is recommended, as it may cause interruptions for time-sensitive applications due to roaming delays.

Roaming Features:
Nebula supports the following roaming features, which enhance the overall wireless experience:

  1. 802.11k (Radio Resource Management):
    • This feature helps your device (e.g., smartphone or laptop) intelligently select the best available Wi-Fi network, improving connection speed and overall performance.
  2. 802.11v (Wireless Network Management):
    • Nebula's implementation of this standard allows your Wi-Fi network to efficiently manage its resources, balancing the load among multiple devices and facilitating seamless switching between different APs.
  3. 802.11r (Fast Basic Service Set Transition):
    • By enabling this standard, Nebula ensures faster and smoother transitions between Wi-Fi access points, minimizing interruptions during activities like video calling or streaming.

      To enable these roaming features on Nebula, navigate to Configure > Access Point > SSID Advanced setting.
      More details: What Nebula Features Are Used to Optimize Roaming?

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