4 ms·

In addition to logging, I believe if you want hassle free roaming handoff between wifi APs you also need it running. It's been a while since I played with it si

by pbnjay 10y ago

In addition to logging, I believe if you want hassle free roaming handoff between wifi APs you also need it running. It's been a while since I played with it since my setup is so rock-solid now (compared to when I had linksys gear...)

dmitrygr 10y ago
Handoff works fine without the software running. Source: i use it
- 2-m3m3n70 10y ago
  That might be a recent feature but previous versions required the controller to be running for handoff.
  - insaneirish 10y ago
    Handoff is an overloaded term. If you advertise the same SSID on the same L2 network from multiple APs, clients should seamlessly move between those APs, subject to the client's own mechanism. Ubiquiti has a feature called Zero-Handoff [1] which indeed requires the controller's participation. The APs all end up on the same RF channel in this arrangement. While I've not used this feature, multiple APs on the same channel tends to be a bad idea and I much prefer my setup of simply using the same SSID on multiple APs/channels. [1]: https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144590-UniFi-What-is-Zero-Handoff- https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144590-UniFi-What...
    - rufugee 10y ago
      In my experience, placing the same SSID across multiple APs/channels and letting the clients decide is a problem, because the clients often get it wrong. Granted, most of what I see this on are Android-based systems (FireTVs, android phones, etc), but I've also had the problem with Ring.com cameras, and with Amazon's Echo. I personally wish the APs would force the issue instead of relying on different client stacks.
      - toast0 10y ago
        The client is in the best position to manage the handoff because it knows which aps it can hear and is configured to connect to. I've seen some APs that will disconnect clients with low signals strength, but the AP doesn't know if the client can actually see something else. Zero handoff addresses this by having all APs listening to the same channel, with synchronized security parameters; whichever AP receives the packet gets to send replies. The down side is you end up with a larger coverage area but the same channel capacity as a single AP.
    - dmitrygr 10y ago
      I use zero handoff. proof is easy. connecting to a wifi L2 network for me takes ~ 500ms, i can unplug each station in turn and observe no loss of connectivity at all for that duration note that unifi does not mention requiring controller running (and i do not have mine running ever and it works)
    - rconti 10y ago
      But they don't, really. I tried this with a Meraki security gateway+AP, plus a separate AP. Same subnet. Handoff between the gateway and separate AP took up to a minute. Meraki insists you need to disable the wireless on the security gateway and ONLY use a "combined network" of APs to have the same SSID for roaming. Granted, I know very little about how it actually works -- I think they use separate channels, unlike what folks here discuss for Ubiquiti.
rufugee 10y ago
Wow...so do these APs actually hand off client based on proximity/signal strength? I'm running a home-grown network with four openwrt routers running the same SSID, but client stickiness is my biggest problem. I've always been told this was something you can't get around...that AP selection is left up to the client. However, clients do weird things...like a FireTV stick selecting an AP 100 ft away instead of the one sitting around 10 ft away. If Ubiquiti's solution solves this, I might seriously consider getting a set. As an additional question assuming the above is true...can you bind different SSIDs to different VLANs? This is really the best value openwrt provides to me atm.
- shermozle 10y ago
  Yes. It works beautifully and they're very reasonably priced. Couldn't recommend more highly. I have 3 built into my house.
  - rufugee 10y ago
    Thanks. Are they meshed like Eero, or does each AP have to have a physical connection to your lan? Edit: also, would you mind sharing the model you're using?
    - givinguflac 10y ago
      Generally they all have a wired connection which is POE.
    - marwatk 10y ago
      They can be meshed, but you need to set them up wired first. The UAP-AP is 2.4Ghz only, the UAP-AC-PRO also supports 5Ghz. The UAP-AC-LITE has fewer MIMO antennas but also supports 5Ghz.
  - NegativeLatency 10y ago
    Yeah GPL violations aside they make good stuff

by pbnjay 10y ago

dmitrygr 10y ago

Handoff works fine without the software running. Source: i use it

2-m3m3n70 10y ago
That might be a recent feature but previous versions required the controller to be running for handoff.
- insaneirish 10y ago
  Handoff is an overloaded term. If you advertise the same SSID on the same L2 network from multiple APs, clients should seamlessly move between those APs, subject to the client's own mechanism. Ubiquiti has a feature called Zero-Handoff [1] which indeed requires the controller's participation. The APs all end up on the same RF channel in this arrangement. While I've not used this feature, multiple APs on the same channel tends to be a bad idea and I much prefer my setup of simply using the same SSID on multiple APs/channels. [1]: https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144590-UniFi-What-is-Zero-Handoff- https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/articles/205144590-UniFi-What...
  - rufugee 10y ago
    In my experience, placing the same SSID across multiple APs/channels and letting the clients decide is a problem, because the clients often get it wrong. Granted, most of what I see this on are Android-based systems (FireTVs, android phones, etc), but I've also had the problem with Ring.com cameras, and with Amazon's Echo. I personally wish the APs would force the issue instead of relying on different client stacks.
    - toast0 10y ago
      The client is in the best position to manage the handoff because it knows which aps it can hear and is configured to connect to. I've seen some APs that will disconnect clients with low signals strength, but the AP doesn't know if the client can actually see something else. Zero handoff addresses this by having all APs listening to the same channel, with synchronized security parameters; whichever AP receives the packet gets to send replies. The down side is you end up with a larger coverage area but the same channel capacity as a single AP.
  - dmitrygr 10y ago
    I use zero handoff. proof is easy. connecting to a wifi L2 network for me takes ~ 500ms, i can unplug each station in turn and observe no loss of connectivity at all for that duration note that unifi does not mention requiring controller running (and i do not have mine running ever and it works)
  - rconti 10y ago
    But they don't, really. I tried this with a Meraki security gateway+AP, plus a separate AP. Same subnet. Handoff between the gateway and separate AP took up to a minute. Meraki insists you need to disable the wireless on the security gateway and ONLY use a "combined network" of APs to have the same SSID for roaming. Granted, I know very little about how it actually works -- I think they use separate channels, unlike what folks here discuss for Ubiquiti.

rufugee 10y ago

Wow...so do these APs actually hand off client based on proximity/signal strength? I'm running a home-grown network with four openwrt routers running the same SSID, but client stickiness is my biggest problem. I've always been told this was something you can't get around...that AP selection is left up to the client. However, clients do weird things...like a FireTV stick selecting an AP 100 ft away instead of the one sitting around 10 ft away. If Ubiquiti's solution solves this, I might seriously consider getting a set. As an additional question assuming the above is true...can you bind different SSIDs to different VLANs? This is really the best value openwrt provides to me atm.

shermozle 10y ago
Yes. It works beautifully and they're very reasonably priced. Couldn't recommend more highly. I have 3 built into my house.
- rufugee 10y ago
  Thanks. Are they meshed like Eero, or does each AP have to have a physical connection to your lan? Edit: also, would you mind sharing the model you're using?
  - givinguflac 10y ago
    Generally they all have a wired connection which is POE.
  - marwatk 10y ago
    They can be meshed, but you need to set them up wired first. The UAP-AP is 2.4Ghz only, the UAP-AC-PRO also supports 5Ghz. The UAP-AC-LITE has fewer MIMO antennas but also supports 5Ghz.
- NegativeLatency 10y ago
  Yeah GPL violations aside they make good stuff