Wifi network with 3 AP's

[raymonvdm]

I have had a lot of issues with 3 ap`s using the same id. The most issue occur when both of the AP`s seem to have the same signal strength and the client flaps between the ap`s (switchports)

I would like to build a Wifi netwerk with a wireless controller to make the ap`s more stupid and the network more smart to prevent hosts from flapping between the ap`s (and so disconnecting)

[vincenttor]

Using Ubiquiti with a big big smile here for months now and with roaming, very easy setup and i have never rebooted any AP even once.
The price is a bit higher but after 10 different AP's from linksys to sitecom to cisco etc this one works best. ( also used dd-wrt to setup)

There are allot more of these systems, mikrotik / Aruba / mesh for example that can achieve this.
Just my opinion after experimenting a long time.

[jeroen_]

I have had a lot of issues with 3 ap`s using the same id. The most issue occur when both of the AP`s seem to have the same signal strength and the client flaps between the ap`s (switchports)

I would like to build a Wifi netwerk with a wireless controller to make the ap`s more stupid and the network more smart to prevent hosts from flapping between the ap`s (and so disconnecting)

Are the clients on Windows as OSX handles this situation just fine. Heck even Linux handles this fine.

Note that of course you should try to avoid having overlapping wireless ranges, if they do overlap change the power levels to be a bit lower.
There are a variety of WiFi tools out there that will show you the strength/noise-level of the wifi networks that you see, use one to check that out.

Also, your APs are in the same IP address range right? Thus not that each of them is acting as a NAT box and/or giving out their own IP addresses using DHCP. If they are all on the same (V)LAN and only one device on your network is acting as DHCP server then you should rarely have any disconnect/reconnect issues.

[raymonvdm]

i have a lot of gaps in my wireless cover and so an overlap is unavoidable

[jeroen_]

i have a lot of gaps in my wireless cover and so an overlap is unavoidable

The primary thing AP controllers do is change the power of the APs so that the overlap is minimal while all areas are properly covered. The venn diagram of each APs signal reach will always have overlap.

Nevertheless, even if there is overlap, a client should not be bouncing between APs when it has proper connectivity.
Unless in those areas you have only a <10dB SNR for instance then indeed clients might be changing between APs. In that case increasing power or adding an AP is your only solution.

Any expensive APs with controllers like Aruba won't solve such an issue.

Note also, that the better ones actually require/use human input for toggling the right parameters, most automated ones don't do much better than the individual APs in "auto power mode" which is typically the default.

[raymonvdm]

This weekend i made a setup using CAPsMANv2 on a Mikrotik RB450G using two RB192 clients (which are the wifi endpoints) I can now create rules for a radio interface to deny the client when it signal level is below X and track movement of the client using logging

I know this is not a basic home setup, but i never had this in the past

[jeroen_]

This weekend i made a setup using CAPsMANv2 on a Mikrotik RB450G using two RB192 clients (which are the wifi endpoints) I can now create rules for a radio interface to deny the client when it signal level is below X and track movement of the client using logging

I know this is not a basic home setup, but i never had this in the past

You might want to checkout TheDude: http://www.mikrotik.com/thedude for evaluating where problems might exist.