How to force client using a defined AP

[Jo_Biblio]

Hi!

The Controller is a RFS4000 and we’re using WiNG v5.5. I’d like to know if it was possible to force a client to use an AP. 
We have 4 AP (1 per floor), but sometimes clients on the 4th floor are connected to the AP on the 3rd floor. What is strange because they are next to the AP. So they have latency.
Can I force them to connect to the AP near them? 

Thank you!

[ckelly]

Excellent points, Chris!  Completely agree.

[Christopher_Fra]

If using Smart-rf, you should configure for floors on each AP (example: fl01, fl02, fl03, and fll04) and configure Smart-rf policy “Calibration Assignment” and “Enable Per Floor”.

APs on same floor should have the same name under Device override Basic/Location/Floor and Floor Number. 

Depending on the AP models deployed, upgrade should be considered, and implementing a roaming-assist policy cannot hurt. 

[StephanH · Accepted solution]

Hello Jo_Biblo,

In principle, the client makes the roaming decision. So he determines with which AP he wants to communicate. All measures that influence this from the AP side are proprietary and should be the last resort.

Check the following first:

1. Can the client connect to the AP on the same corridor, or has this never been done before? => If this hasn't worked yet, there might be a configuration problem (e.g. different 802.11 standards).According to your description this seems to work, I just want to be sure.
2. What is the signal strength in the area where the client is not roaming as expected? Does the AP on the same floor have a much better signal strength and is the signal strength from the other floor really so bad that it should be roaming? => Only measuring helps here!
3. Is the signal strength (transmit power) and the channels of the APs constant, or is there an automatism on the controller/AP which changes the parameters if necessary.
4.  If the points above are fulfilled and the client doesn't roam, you can check if the roaming behaviour on the client can be influenced. => Does not always work.
5. On the AP side you could also set the minimum basic rate, which a client is not allowed to connect if it does not reach a certain minimum transmission speed (depending on the signal strength and other factors). This can also force clients to roam.
6. If all this doesn't help, Chris’s recommendation is certainly another good option.

Regards

Stephan

[ckelly]

Jo_Biblio,

This sounds like a typical ‘sticky-client’ problem.

There was a new feature introduced in WiNG 5.5.2 called Roaming Assist that helps to address this problem.  You indicate that you have a v5.5 system, but it would need to be v5.5.2 in order to support this.