Question Network Setup Router + wired APs regarding Roaming

[DonJohnson45]

Hi,

I am about to move in a new family house and would like to set up a suitable wifi network. Since the house (with basement) has 4 floors, I thought of buying a router and initially two access points. Router-AP and AP-AP would be connected with already installed 10 Gbit Ethernet cable and preferably powered with PoE. As router I thought of devices like the FritzBox 4060 (open to ideas) and the Netgear Wax610 or 620 (probably overkill) as access points. Besides good coverage it's important for me that the devices always choose the best available connection. I figured it's not enough to just rely on client side roaming (mostly Apple products post 2018) and configuring the APs so that they don't overlap much. If so, do I need an additional advanced controller (if so which one to recommend?) or is fast roaming (802.11r) on the router and AP side enough (if so which routers and APs to recommend?)?

Looking forward to your response.

 

[kanewolf]

Hi,

I am about to move in a new family house and would like to set up a suitable wifi network. Since the house (with basement) has 4 floors, I thought of buying a router and initially two access points. Router-AP and AP-AP would be connected with already installed 10 Gbit Ethernet cable and preferably powered with PoE. As router I thought of devices like the FritzBox 4060 (open to ideas) and the Netgear Wax610 or 620 (probably overkill) as access points. Besides good coverage it's important for me that the devices always choose the best available connection. I figured it's not enough to just rely on client side roaming (mostly Apple products post 2018) and configuring the APs so that they don't overlap much. If so, do I need an additional advanced controller (if so which one to recommend?) or is fast roaming (802.11r) on the router and AP side enough (if so which routers and APs to recommend?)?

Looking forward to your response.

Roaming between WIFI sources is determined by the device not the WIFI source (except for very expensive systems). You (as the designer) can optimize this by LOWERING the transmit power of the WIFI source so that they have minimum overlap. You also want to lower the 2.4Ghz power relative to the 5Ghz power to ensure devices connect to the 5Ghz signal (assuming the same SSID for both).
Did you look at the Ubiquiti UniFI family of products and exclude them from your consideration? They have the benefit of a single dashboard for all the UniFI devices.

 

[failboat]

On unifi the only one worth anything is BSS transition which needs client compatability. 802.11v I believe. I don't think fast roaming does much outside of enterprise setups. Newer mobile devices should be able to do the BSS stuff. Fixed in place devices may have to be reconnected to wifi to get the best AP.

If you can always wire all access points. If you can't make sure what ever you buy is designed for it. a make shift one probably won't be able to optimize well even if it supports the wireless bridging.