So I have an AiMesh system with an AX86U main router and one node. My node was an AC66U B1, which I recently replaced with an XT8.
After I started using the XT8, I noticed that a lot more clients were connecting to it vs. the main router. Pretty much only the devices that are in the same room as the AX86U are connecting to it, everything else, if it has a choice, it connects to the XT8, unless the RSSI is quite bad. Devices are not necessarily getting a bad signal - judging from the Client list, almost everything has at least 3/4 bars, only a couple of devices with 2/4 bars, and the data links are decent, but with the AC66U B1 roaming seemed to be a bit more balanced.
I think the reason for the difference is that the XT8 has a second client-facing 5 GHz band, and it's in the lower range of 5 GHz, so perhaps AiMesh gives it preference for that reason. The downside is that it's only a 2x2, whereas the AX86U is a 4x4, and also doesn't have to hop the signal obviously.
I had disabled Roaming Assistant with the AC66U B1 node, it just seemed to work fine without it and I didn't want to complicate things, or perhaps I'd read it's best turned off, I don't remember... But it was off.
But now I'm thinking about turning it on to give the main router a bit more clients. My question is, should I turn it on? AiMesh seems to have *some* kind of built-in roaming assist, it definitely switches clients around and doesn't leave them on the same AP until signal drops off.
So will enabling Roaming Assistant in the Professional settings help? And also, maybe a stupid question, but if I set Roaming Assistant to -65 dBm, will it drop clients at that threshold even if there's no alternative? Or will it only drop them if there's an alternative with a better signal? If the former, that's clearly terrible for the edge of the network.
Also FYI, I have SmartConnect enabled, and it's not an option to disable it.
Wrote too long a post again... I never learn.
After I started using the XT8, I noticed that a lot more clients were connecting to it vs. the main router. Pretty much only the devices that are in the same room as the AX86U are connecting to it, everything else, if it has a choice, it connects to the XT8, unless the RSSI is quite bad. Devices are not necessarily getting a bad signal - judging from the Client list, almost everything has at least 3/4 bars, only a couple of devices with 2/4 bars, and the data links are decent, but with the AC66U B1 roaming seemed to be a bit more balanced.
I think the reason for the difference is that the XT8 has a second client-facing 5 GHz band, and it's in the lower range of 5 GHz, so perhaps AiMesh gives it preference for that reason. The downside is that it's only a 2x2, whereas the AX86U is a 4x4, and also doesn't have to hop the signal obviously.
I had disabled Roaming Assistant with the AC66U B1 node, it just seemed to work fine without it and I didn't want to complicate things, or perhaps I'd read it's best turned off, I don't remember... But it was off.
But now I'm thinking about turning it on to give the main router a bit more clients. My question is, should I turn it on? AiMesh seems to have *some* kind of built-in roaming assist, it definitely switches clients around and doesn't leave them on the same AP until signal drops off.
So will enabling Roaming Assistant in the Professional settings help? And also, maybe a stupid question, but if I set Roaming Assistant to -65 dBm, will it drop clients at that threshold even if there's no alternative? Or will it only drop them if there's an alternative with a better signal? If the former, that's clearly terrible for the edge of the network.
Also FYI, I have SmartConnect enabled, and it's not an option to disable it.
Wrote too long a post again... I never learn.