RE200 + Archer C7 OneMesh dilemma

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RE200 + Archer C7 OneMesh dilemma

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RE200 + Archer C7 OneMesh dilemma
RE200 + Archer C7 OneMesh dilemma
2019-12-03 20:54:48 - last edited 2019-12-03 20:56:32
Model: RE200  
Hardware Version: V3
Firmware Version: 1.1.0 Build 20190731 Rel. 41250

This is a bit hard to explain without a proper visual illustration, but I'll try anyway.

 

I swapped my old WiFi gear for Archer C7 and RE200 extender just to explore and review the TP-Link OneMesh. The setup was super easy and the system has been working great for a week, but I am noticing sub-optimal behavior on how the devices roam inbetween the router and the extender.

 

______________________________

|                  |                |                      |

|                                   |                      |   <-- Living room

|                  |  E            |                      |-

 -----------------------                -----------

                  |                 |                      |

                  |                 |                      |

                  |                 |       R            |

                  ---------------------------------

 

This is a small 95m2 apartment with solid concrete walls. The router (R) is placed in the bottom right room, since that is where my 4G modem must be located. The extender (E) is placed as it is to cover the top left room, which is an office - this works very well.

 

But most of the clients and actual usage happens in the living room: Two Chromecasts, tablets, phones.

 

The issue I have found with OneMesh the devices in the living room seem to connect to the extender, even though the router is almost in a line of sight and covers the living with a strong a high speed signal. Making the connection to the extender creates a longer path and since the link between the router and the extender is not very fast the performance is sub-optimal. This is undesireable especially for the Chromecasts when streaming high bitrate full HD content.

 

- Shouldn't the devices prefer the router when possible? I have tried to analyze the signal strengths and to me the router is stronger here, as the radio waves can travel through the open door.

- Is there a way to lock the Chromecasts to the routers 5GHz band? 

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Re:RE200 + Archer C7 OneMesh dilemma
2019-12-06 07:02:28

@BitBurner 

 

I see, I got your point, so the devices connect to the extender's wifi instead of the C7's wifi which has stronger wifi signal. 

 

It seems that the root cause is that the signal strength you get from the extender does not reach to the threshold value therefore it does not  trigger the AP steering. 

 

To make the fixed devices connect to the Archer C7, you can try to disable the extender first and then connect devices to the C7, after that, turn on the RE200 again. 

 

While cause they use the same SSID and password under the onemesh network, it is hard to fix it to the 5GHz of Archer C7. 

 

Or you can consider to disable onemesh and create different SSID and password for them; while you bought them for the onemesh network, so it is a dilemma again. 

 

You can give it a go by connecting the devices to the Archer C7's wifi first. 

 

May it help. 

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