Wi-Fi Access Points all with the same ID?

[Cr0nJ0b]

I'm reconfiguring my home Wi-Fi setup.

I have 4 access points, all are connected (Wired) to my central switch.

I would like to have them all setup with the same SSID, Password and Channel so folks can roam around the house without having to switch to anther ID, and this way it's really easy to remember.

Will this work?

All are running dd-wrt.

 

[Mark R]

Put them on difference channels so that they don't interfere (well, you almost certainly only have 3 channels to play with, so put the 2 most distant APs on teh same channel)

If you put all your APs same SSID, same password and same encryption method - then you will get seamless roaming between APs.

 

[mammador]

It should work, I see no reason why not.

Does the switch lead to a modem? And is there a program you use to set the SSID?

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

It should work, I see no reason why not.

Does the switch lead to a modem? And is there a program you use to set the SSID?

I'm not sure about "a program to set the SSID"...I use the web interface to set the SSID.


In the end, I'm seeing a ton of issues around systems not properly attaching to the network. I'll likely just go back to separate SSIDs for each AP.

sucks..

 

[jlazzaro]

In the end, I'm seeing a ton of issues around systems not properly attaching to the network. I'll likely just go back to separate SSIDs for each AP.

describe your issues...this configuration is pretty standard. are you broadcasting your SSID's?

i have a similar configuration; 3 HP-54G's running DD-WRT wired throughout the house.

 

[spidey07]

Yep, make sure you broadcast the SSID. Provided all the security settings are the same, same SSID, etc then there's really nothing preventing a client from attaching to the strongest AP it hears. The only problems is clients like to stay "stuck" to an AP even if there is a better one available. It's not seamless roaming because the APs don't share key information and you have to go through a whole association, DHCP renew, key/re-key process when it moves and that can take seconds.

 

[bobdole369]

One experiment to try - Use WDS to create a network of repeaters - vs same SSID/diff channels. When you do that - remove the network cable from 3 of the repeaters. Have the one AP most centrally located as the one connected to network. This method will reduce "overall" bandwidth, but with home wifi might not be a big deal. Web browsing will be full WAN speed unless you have like a 100/5.

Another thing to try is reduce the AP count to 3 and ensure one is set to 1, one to 6, one to 11, and perhaps stick the fourth in WDS with the one on chan 11.

It's not seamless roaming because the APs don't share key information and you have to go through a whole association, DHCP renew, key/re-key process when it moves and that can take seconds.

And this is the problem as AP count goes beyond 2 or 3 AP's in-range. (or at least its been my experience that way.) Since only 3 B/G/N channels are "in the clear" (1,6,11) at least 1 of the 4 will be on the same frequency as others. Not a huge deal but if your client isn't great at hearing, you might be flipflopping/client might choose to rekey on one and then hear the other as stronger and try to rekey on that one. Add in that one must stop transmitting when it hears the other - (collision detection) it gets dicey.

The only way I'm aware to get past that soft limit is to ensure the AP's with the same channel are furthest apart. Another method is to upgrade to a controller based wireless network.

 

[Eug]

This setup does work, I ran my network like that for quite some time.

However, with consumer access points, handoffs can be a problem. The problem is that the access points will try to hang onto the client as long as possible even if there is a much stronger signal from another access point.

So, in my house if I connected to AP#1 on one side of the house, and then walked to the other side of the house, I'd still sometimes be connected to AP#1 with just 1 bar of strength, even though AP#2 was full strength.

Unfortunately, this meant that while I could usually surf with that 1 bar strength, my WiFi speeds would be dismal, until the client decided to switch to AP#2.

My understanding is that enterprise-class access points will communicate with each other and will force a handoff from AP#1 to AP#2 when the signal from AP#2 is significantly stronger.

 

[MtnMan]

Use channels 1, 6, and 11 arranged so that there is no overlap in the coverage area of a specific channel.

 

[alkemyst]

My understanding is that enterprise-class access points will communicate with each other and will force a handoff from AP#1 to AP#2 when the signal from AP#2 is significantly stronger.

It's not necessarily enterprise-class...it's that you have to use a controller-based system. The AP basically just handles the relay to the clients and the controller manages to keep everyone seamlessly moving.

Without that you will have to re-session yourself...you will still roam fine, but it's not seamless.

Also to the other person...setting up AP's as repeaters is really not recommended. You cut your bandwidth 50% each hop, each time and that affects the whole network...not just those distant devices.

Most of the time seamless roaming isn't as needed as people think it is.

 

[seepy83]

Most of the time seamless roaming isn't as needed as people think it is.

I would say that this is 100% true for a home installation like the OP is asking about.