Hi @RH_Fiji,

You sure can.  Set the all to use the same SSID, Password, and Encryption (e.g WPA2-PSK).  Your wireless clients will happily roam from AP to AP.  It won't be "Fast roaming," per se, but it still happens within a few hundred milliseconds and most people never notice the brief handover blip.

-Jonathan

As a follow up, "fast roaming" is really best for phones and tablets. I think they all support it.

Some Windows laptops may support it, depending upon your wireless drivers.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/network/fast-roaming-with-802-11k--802-11v--and-802-11r

Macbooks do not support fast roaming, so the roam based upon the criteria in this link.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206207

As JSchnee21 said, you still get normal roaming when you have multiple APs using the same SSID. Make sure that you use different channels.

One tip: use something that shows you wifi signal level and walk around. There are many free programs for Windows and Mac laptops.

You will likely need to lower the EAP power level so that devices drop from a further away one and pick up the closer one.

JSchnee21 wrote

Hi @RH_Fiji,

 

You sure can.  Set the all to use the same SSID, Password, and Encryption (e.g WPA2-PSK).  Your wireless clients will happily roam from AP to AP.  It won't be "Fast roaming," per se, but it still happens within a few hundred milliseconds and most people never notice the brief handover blip.

 

-Jonathan

Hi@JSchnee21,

Have done this and I can see 1 SSID .i.e. The SSID from the TP-Link Archer. This would be an issue since the Archer signal strength on the ground floor is not good. In the previous set up I had the set up as follows 

TP-Link Archer C9 SSID1 - Upper Level

TP-Link EAP115    SSID2 - Upper Level Right 

TP-Link EAP 115   SSID3 - Grnd Floor 

I am on the Ground floor at the moment and I can see the common SSID - SSID1 however the Signal Strength Indicator indicates that I am connecting to the Upper Level AP when I should be connected to the Grnd Floor AP which has the strongest Signal strength on the Grnd Floor. Any chance that we could have this resolved before we move on.

Hi@nojak,

                Thank you for the response perhaps I need to use different channels to get around the issue that I highlighte after changing the SSIDs to a common name 

Hi @RH_Fiji,

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying.  Each of your 3 wireless AP's should be configured for only one, identical SSID -- for example "myssid"

(or one per radio, e.g. "myssid_24" and "myssid_58"

TP-Link Archer C9       myssid       Transmit Power Medium

TP-Link EAP115          myssid       Transmit Power Medium

TP-Link EAP 115         myssid       Transmit Power Medium

Your mobile wifi device is associted with "myssid".  It will generally roam to the closest AP based on the signal strength it sees from the AP.  But, roaming is not perfect, and sometimes there is some delay and some mistakes picking the correct AP.

Using different RF channels and keeping the AP transmit power as low as possible helps the AP pick the right one, usually.

In your case, I would use separate SSID's for 2.4GHz vs. 5.8GHz.  Assoicate your phone to only the 5.8GHz signal.  This will also help encourage picking the correct AP as the 5.8GHz signal doesn't transmit as far as the 2.4GHz.

-Jonathan

Bula@JSchnee21,

                                 Thank you for your prompt response I have set it up as you had suggested previously when I had seperate SSID's I could see which AP the device was connecting .i.e which of the 3 APs. On the ground floor I would connect to the AP which was on the Ground floor which had excellent signal strength after making the change I seem to be connected to the AP on the top. Do I have to adjust the tx power on each AP

Hi @RH_Fiji,

Yes, each AP / router device will have settings for transmit power, radio BW, channel, etc.  You''ll need to adjust them all.  Depending on AP placememt, RF radiation pattern, and attenuating materials (between the AP and the STA) it's not a perfect science.  Also some mobile clients (STA's) are more "sticky" than others.  Computers (Win, Max, Linux) usualy have a setting for "Roaming Aggressiveness" in the Wifi NIC driver settings.  But phones, tablets, IoT's, and such do not.

-Jonathan

HI@JSchnee21,

                            Just checking in terms of channels I am using the default channels for each AP would it be okay to leave this as is and adjust the TX to increase or decrease signal strength of each AP. The AP on the Ground Floor should cover the length and width of the building whereas the 2 APs on level 1 can share the coverage area. The Bandwidth provided from each AP must remain consistent.

Hi @RH_Fiji,

2.4GHz radios should be set to 20MHz BW (not 40, and not 20/40) and should be set to separate channels, 1, 6, and 11.

For 5.8GHz, what is your broadband connection -- DL & UL speeds?  You're in the USA, right?

So there are only 2 non-overlapping 80MHz channels.  Depending on your broadband speed, if 200 Mbit/sec or less, then there are 4 possible 40MHz channels.  If >200Mbit it's better to use 80MHz channels in which case the two on the same floor would use different channels, and the one on the bottom floor would re-use one of these -- preferrably not the same channel as the AP directly overhead.

-Jonathan

Hi@JSchnee21,

                            I am located in the Fiji Islands here in the South Pacific. We have a 4Mb link which is connected to the Archer C9 that is also the main DHCP server as well. The Archer is located in the comms room towards 1 end of the upper level with 1 of the EAPs at the other end. The building is not that big around 50 meters long and 20 wide. The ground floor AP covers the entire ground floor.

                        In the future the Archer will be converted to an AP behind a Fortinet Firewall.