Prefer AP over router

[kricker]

My laptop is staying connected to my router even though I am in the same room as the AP, which has a much stronger signal.

Router: Dlink DIR-655
AP: Dlink DAP-1522

Laptop NIC: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG

I have tried with the router and AP on the same channel as well as different channels. No matter what I do the laptop is always connecting to the router and not the AP. My iPOD doesn't have this issue. It connects to whichever device it is closest to. How can I tell the laptop to connect to the strongest signal automatically?

Of course as I just wrote this, the laptop finally decided to connect to the AP. How can I make this more reliable though?

 

[thiggins]

Give each one a different SSID.

 

[stevech]

yes, this is a well known problem in WiFi. You have to use different SSIDs because client devices (PCs, handhelds) usually don't make an effort to choose the "best" access device, nor change to a better one as you move.

So the burden goes to the user to choose the best SSID manually, when speeds get too slow due to distance.

 

[kricker]

Thanks. I guess I'll do that. Yet another thing to explain to the wife how to do

 

[Nonprofit]

yes, this is a well known problem in WiFi. You have to use different SSIDs because client devices (PCs, handhelds) usually don't make an effort to choose the "best" access device, nor change to a better one as you move.

So the burden goes to the user to choose the best SSID manually, when speeds get too slow due to distance.

Ouch. I had no idea this was the case. The advice I've always gotten was to match up the SSIDs so your machine would just roam freely between them.

I never checked to see if it was using the best source as I moved from one room to another... just assumed it was. But this could explain why I get spotty performance in some situations.

So consensus is to make two separate SSIDs and manually change between them as you move from area to area?

 

[stevech]

So consensus is to make two separate SSIDs and manually change between them as you move from area to area?

My suggestion: It's an issue of bandwidth while walking... Seems unlikely that anyone would care much about continuing to watch a streaming video while walking room-to-room. If this were the case, then using a single SSID makes for a faster change-over of access points. But it's likely that the signal strength will degrade as the person walks, and get to the point where the stream is unwatchable. Then the client device "may" choose the better access point; or not!

With two SSIDs, the client device "may" react to the too-weak signal and "may" choose the other SSID as it would be in the preferred SSID list of the WiFi configuration. But if the device dumbly chooses again the weak signal access point (or WiFi router), the crummy streaming reoccurs.

So if one simply goes from room A using AP/router A, to room B, then begins using the device again, the two SSID scheme is best. If the device chooses the weaker signal, which some may do, the user can then cuss and manually select the better SSID.

(Enterprise/professional WiFi doesn't have this issue, as systems like Cisco and Aruba have driver software that runs on client devices (PCs, many PDAs, maybe smart phone by now, such as Cisco's CCX). This software expects to receive a broadcast in the beacon of the access points, a list of access points IDs, a "neighbor list" if you will. The special driver software uses this list as a clue on how to do a fast handover to the best AP. This is often done for WiFi based VoIP handheld devices. All this fall-de-rall is needed because the IEEE 802.11 specs don't yet define, nor have vendors adopted a standard for fast handoff as is ever-present in cellular. Even better, managed WiFi networks have means for the clients to be directed by the controller as to which AP to use.)

 

[keenanj]

I would disable the WiFi on your router and only use the AP.

If you had them on the same channel you would have Interference that woudl degrade both connections.

If the AP can not cover your entire house and you have to use the WiFi on the router make sure to use non overlapping channels 1 6 and 11.

 

[stevech]

I would disable the WiFi on your router and only use the AP.

If you had them on the same channel you would have Interference that woudl degrade both connections.

If the AP can not cover your entire house and you have to use the WiFi on the router make sure to use non overlapping channels 1 6 and 11.

Having both on the same channel is fine unless there is very heavy traffic on one.