WAPS and overlapping wifi networks

[11Blade]

A question about expanding the home wi-fi network.

I have router X with wifi network YYY enabled and want to extend the
wireless network to far reaches of my universe/castle.

So I use cheap routers reconfigured as access-points connected
to router via ethernet. http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

The routers are configured with the same SSID - YYY but ony different
channels say 1,5,11 (I was told that they should be on different channels
so they don't collide - true? - I do not know till I try it)

how does my laptop distinguish from weak signal YYY on channel 1 and
stronger signal wifi network YYY on channel 11 (say when I am in the
dungeon) - doesn't think its the same network or it auto-senses and
goes to the stronger signal??

curious.

11Blade


note - this is exploratory - I am waiting on newegg to deliver me said cheap
routers

 

[frowertr]

It's client dependent based on signal strength of the ap. Your wireless card will associate/authenticate with the strongest ap signal and hold that until a certain threshold is hit before it looks for another.

Contrast this with cell networks where the tower does all the work and tells the phone when to change towers and how much power to output...

Roaming with 802.11 is dicey in other words. Some clients hang onto the ap long after a usable signal is gone.