How to Improve Roaming on Laptops with Zyxel APs

Zyxel_Bella

If you are experiencing roaming issues where laptops stay connected to distant Access Points (APs) instead of switching to nearer ones, here are some steps to troubleshoot and improve the situation:

Recommended Configuration Changes:

1. Disable "Avoid 5G DFS channel" in your Zyxel AP settings.
2. Enable "Blacklist DFS channels in the presence of radar" to distribute APs across more channels. This reduces co-channel interference by using a wider range of channels.
3. Adjust the "Disassociate Station Threshold" to around -88 dBm for better client behavior near AP signal boundaries.

These changes aim to enhance wireless performance and ensure clients connect to the nearest available AP instead of maintaining longer, less effective connections.

Additional Recommendations:

• Check the wireless adapter model and firmware version on affected laptops to verify compatibility.
• Avoid placing APs too close to each other to reduce interference.

If the problem persists after applying these settings, gather additional data, such as the client's MAC address, adapter version, and issue timestamps, to further diagnose the issue.

By following these suggestions, you should achieve better roaming performance across your network.