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> I have 6 APs in my home running WiFi 5(AC). How does that work? Are they components of a mesh network bundle? Do they have same SSID? Are they aware of each

> I have 6 APs in my home running WiFi 5(AC). How does that work? Are they components of a mesh network bundle? Do they have same SSID? Are they aware of each other?

LASR 3y ago
They are all Unifi APs from 2 different upgrade cycles. 3x UnFi AC Pro and 3x Unifi NanoHD. After I got the newer NanoHDs, I just kept the older AC Pros around for 2.4Ghz devices and exterior coverage. Same SSID and they are all hooked up the same controller etc, so clients can roam.
pseudosavant 3y ago
I have three 5/AC access points in my house. All broadcast the same two SSIDs: 2.4Ghz+5Ghz and 5Ghz only). I have 802.11r Fast Transition enabled in OpenWRT to improve roaming, but have never quantified a benefit. Each AP is set on different channels to minimize overlap.
davkan 3y ago
In the enterprise it’s a combination of 802.11k 802.11v and 802.11r.[0] All APs have the same ssid, clients initiate transferring between APs in the background based on signal strength, silently re-authenticating to the new ap. Many (most?) off-the-shelf home wifi mesh systems dont implement 802.11r so you may have a brief interruption during transfer, though it still happens without user input. Some older/embedded devices may have issues connecting with 802.11r enabled networks as well. Off-the-shelf home mesh systems typically have one mesh node with all the functions and webui of a normal SoHo router, and then other nodes are in AP mode only with either wired or wireless backhaul to the main node. Enterprise setups instead will have a separate controller for the APs. Also typically all APs in an enterprise will be bridged to the same L2 networks whereas some home mesh systems will use a separate broadcast domain for each AP. [0] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/network/fast-roaming-with-802-11k--802-11v--and-802-11r https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/n...
- mlyle 3y ago
  > Many (most?) off-the-shelf home wifi mesh systems dont implement 802.11r so you may have a brief interruption during transfer, though it still happens without user input. 802.11r is only a huge win in enterprise environments with slower RADIUS authentication. Associating with a new access point with a PSK is not so bad.
  - davkan 3y ago
    Ah that makes sense, I guess most people aren’t wierdos who set up RADIUS in their home networks.

> I have 6 APs in my home running WiFi 5(AC). How does that work? Are they components of a mesh network bundle? Do they have same SSID? Are they aware of each other?

LASR 3y ago

They are all Unifi APs from 2 different upgrade cycles. 3x UnFi AC Pro and 3x Unifi NanoHD. After I got the newer NanoHDs, I just kept the older AC Pros around for 2.4Ghz devices and exterior coverage. Same SSID and they are all hooked up the same controller etc, so clients can roam.

pseudosavant 3y ago

I have three 5/AC access points in my house. All broadcast the same two SSIDs: 2.4Ghz+5Ghz and 5Ghz only). I have 802.11r Fast Transition enabled in OpenWRT to improve roaming, but have never quantified a benefit. Each AP is set on different channels to minimize overlap.

davkan 3y ago

In the enterprise it’s a combination of 802.11k 802.11v and 802.11r.[0] All APs have the same ssid, clients initiate transferring between APs in the background based on signal strength, silently re-authenticating to the new ap. Many (most?) off-the-shelf home wifi mesh systems dont implement 802.11r so you may have a brief interruption during transfer, though it still happens without user input. Some older/embedded devices may have issues connecting with 802.11r enabled networks as well. Off-the-shelf home mesh systems typically have one mesh node with all the functions and webui of a normal SoHo router, and then other nodes are in AP mode only with either wired or wireless backhaul to the main node. Enterprise setups instead will have a separate controller for the APs. Also typically all APs in an enterprise will be bridged to the same L2 networks whereas some home mesh systems will use a separate broadcast domain for each AP. [0] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/network/fast-roaming-with-802-11k--802-11v--and-802-11r https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/n...

mlyle 3y ago
> Many (most?) off-the-shelf home wifi mesh systems dont implement 802.11r so you may have a brief interruption during transfer, though it still happens without user input. 802.11r is only a huge win in enterprise environments with slower RADIUS authentication. Associating with a new access point with a PSK is not so bad.
- davkan 3y ago
  Ah that makes sense, I guess most people aren’t wierdos who set up RADIUS in their home networks.