A Setting to get a Station to move to a stronger AP while Roaming?

jef

Is there a way to coax a station to move onto a different AP when roaming.

Example: Laptop joins the wifi as a station on AP "Sales" while in the Sales department.
The owner takes the laptop to a meeting down the hall in the conference room, where there is another AP, part of the same AP group configured for "roaming".
Problem is the laptop stays connected to the "sales" AP with a strength of -70dBm and will not move to the "conference" room AP which is feet away.

How can I get the station (wifi user client) to "roam" to the better AP when they are near it?

Zyxel_Kay

Hi @jef

To optimize the roaming experience, there are several factors to keep 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: (as @jpblanch75 mentioned)
   • 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.
4. Band Select:
   • Disabling band select is recommended, as it may cause interruptions for time-sensitive applications due to roaming delays.

Roaming Features:

Besides, Zyxel access point 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. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > SSID List > Add/Edit SSID Profile.
2. 802.11v (Wireless Network Management):
   • The 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. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > SSID List > Add/Edit SSID Profile.
3. 802.11r (Fast Basic Service Set Transition):
   • By enabling this standard, it ensures faster and smoother transitions between Wi-Fi access points, minimizing interruptions during activities like video calling or streaming. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > Security Profile > Add/Edit Security Profile > Security Mode: wpa2/ wpa2-mix.

jpblanch75

enable set smart steering threshold to -65

jef

Thanks you, what is the non nebula equivalent to "smart steering threshold", I wonder.
I am using a USG Flex 700 as the AP controller through the webgui.

jpblanch75

https://community.zyxel.com/en/discussion/comment/61937#Comment_61937

I've never used one though I tried to get one during the Beta.

Does this align with the settings you have?

https://community.zyxel.com/en/discussion/527/how-to-prevent-the-client-always-connecting-to-the-ssid-with-the-weakest-signal

Zyxel_Kay

Hi @jef

To optimize the roaming experience, there are several factors to keep 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: (as @jpblanch75 mentioned)
   • 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.
4. Band Select:
   • Disabling band select is recommended, as it may cause interruptions for time-sensitive applications due to roaming delays.

Roaming Features:

Besides, Zyxel access point 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. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > SSID List > Add/Edit SSID Profile.
2. 802.11v (Wireless Network Management):
   • The 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. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > SSID List > Add/Edit SSID Profile.
3. 802.11r (Fast Basic Service Set Transition):
   • By enabling this standard, it ensures faster and smoother transitions between Wi-Fi access points, minimizing interruptions during activities like video calling or streaming. To enable this roaming feature on the Controller, navigate to Configuration > Object > AP Profile > SSID > Security Profile > Add/Edit Security Profile > Security Mode: wpa2/ wpa2-mix.