How to force connect to particular Deco
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Hi,
I am wondering, wether it is possible to set, to which Deco unit should be connected concrete device.
My example: I have 3 Decos and in some rooms, there are air purifiers, cameras or gateway. As I checked, for example gateway is not connected to Deco, which is in same room, but to another, which is far away. And gateway reports, that signal is bad. And as I not move with this gateway, I want to force to stay connected to Deco, which is in same room, 2 meters from it, so from signal point of view, it should be much more better.
So, how to force it and how to set, that this device should be connected to expected Deco?
Thank you!
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Looking for this feature too
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Yes, I'm having the EXACT same issue with stationary 2.4G cameras routinely connecting to the farthest M5 while I have an M9 Plus only inches away. We MUST have the ability to force select (and lock) a device to a particular Deco. Please please please enable this feature. ALSO, while I have an M9 wired to my router, I have other M9's and M5's connected wirelessly. When I recently tried a new M9 Version 2.8, it would NOT allow me to update through the app OR show me ANY clients connected it. It merely reported that it was working and in good health. Very frustrating. I returned the Version 2.8 and found an older version 1.2 that matched my others and updated fine within the App. Any guidance you can provide for either issue would be very much appreciated. TIA - Rick.
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My few cents on the topics of this thread.
This is what I can see was discussed.
Feature request 1: Set the linked Deco that satellite Deco connects to.
This feature is under Deco software developers control. If people keep asking, they can implement it. This is especially useful for a mesh with Deco nodes in close proximity of each other.
Feature request 2: Set the linked Deco that a device connects to, or a preferred one.
This feature is not under Deco software developers control. It is device that goes "I need to connect to WiFi, I know the network SSID and password, WiFi network presents me with multiple nodes, that will be the node I will connect to - my decision."
That is what Deco support may be struggling to explain. Disabling "Mesh" in Deco node for a device does not glue device to that Deco node. It is just Deco node stops saying to device "look, there is another node you may wish to connect to, perhaps better. What do you think?"
Instead, Deco node accepts connection from that device and that's it. If device decided to switch to different node, on its own, Deco node can do nothing about it.
The only way I could think how Deco developers could implement it is make each Deco node create its own WiFi network with own SSID. We have Main and Guest networks, that could be Node network in addition to them. Each Deco node allows to set its own Node specific SSID/password, and devices configured to use it will glue itself to a single Deco node.
The problem is, that destroys the concept of a mesh. As well, when that Deco node goes down, devices connected to its Node SSID will lose Internet connection. Well, if you want device to connect to the specific deco, that's the price to pay.
I am not with TP-Link, but looking at this my guess would be, we won't see that implemented any time soon. I doubt any other mesh offers that, too - prove me wrong.
Special case: Laptop stays connected to the main Deco rather than the Deco right next to the device.
If this is Windows laptop or tablet, you might be able to tweak WiFi driver settings. Google this: "Wi-Fi Roaming Aggressiveness Setting"
One more workaround for Windows device. I have older Surface Pro 4 with WiFi adapter that does not offer WiFi roaming aggressiveness configuration. My Surface Pro 4 would lock itself to the closest node, but when moved around will only reconnect to a different node when signal goes really low. I mitigated that by enabling, under Wireless Properties, the setting “Look for other wireless networks while connected to this network” and by removing all known networks Surface Pro rarely connects to (from hotels and airports I used to visit, for example).
It seems windows tablet started to reconnect to closest Deco node more aggressively after that.
Finally, on your Windows device you might find the option “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” under “Power Management” tab of network adapter. If you enable it, device should turn off adapter when it goes to sleep. When you wake device up, it will turn adapter on and reconnect to the network, ideally to the nearest node with the strongest signal.
Be warned - that might create its own issues with WiFi connectivity, but worth the try.
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@Alexandre. Thanks for that detail! It certainly helps. Any idea if the Version 2 8 can really co-exist with 3 M9's and 4 M5's ... with one M9 as the "main" connected directly to my router? My issue was that it didn't want to update via the app and would t show me any connected devices. Although, it showed as "updated" and working as expected with my V1.2's. I located another old M9 V1.2 and it updated and is working well. It's a bit harder to fines the older ones and I'd like to figure out a way to have the new Version 2.8's to actually work. ... ?
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@Alexandre. Well done for explaining to everyone (that the WiFi device decides which AP it wants to talk to, not the other way around.)
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Would it be possible to remove one of nodes and add it back in as a new network in access point mode, and then have the device connect to that node only? (obviously losing the roaming but that doesn't really work anyway) Has anybody tried this?
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@Alexandre. Regarding Feature Request 2, I am not clear on why a particular deco would not be able to refuse a connection to it, allowing another deco to potentially accept it.
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@Betacart and TP-Link support, why are you guys radio silent, it would be good to weigh in on this thread.
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@LaurentBourg Hi, I am reading entire thread and, to be honest, I am waiting for official response from TP Link, as all informations (even that very interesting one) are not official statement of company. Meantime, I gave up manual assigment, as next time I power on some device or reboot it, setting for this device is not remembered and device is connected to another sattelite anyway. So, I turned mesh system for all again and really waiting for TP Link to response.
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One possible workaround that I noticed was discussed on other thread, but I didn't bookmark it and can't credit it. This will work in case you need just one not movable device always connect to a specific Deco, or multiple not movable devices around single Deco you want to connect to it.
If you have WiFi router that you don't use, perhaps decommissioned after deploying Deco mesh, you can hardwire it with Ethernet cable to the Deco you want devices always connect to, and configure WiFi router with SSID different from Deco Mesh SSID. If necessary, set WiFi router as AP to avoid double NAT in case it causes issues.
Then, configure those not movable devices to use WiFi router SSID/password, and you are set.
If that works for you conceptually, but you don't have spare WiFi router - just buy the cheapest no frills one. They cost little these days when everyone wants bigger and better and WiFi 6 or mesh.
If your not movable devices only run on 2.4GHz - even better, perhaps you could find old school 2.4GHz WiFi router for peanuts on the Internet, or for free from one of your more geeky friends with the IT dedicated closet full of obsolete networking gear (guy like me).
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