Deco M4 roming not orking

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Deco M4 roming not orking

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Deco M4 roming not orking
Deco M4 roming not orking
2020-11-25 04:54:37
Model: Deco M4  
Hardware Version: V7
Firmware Version: 1.4.3 build 20200918

Roaming seems to be not working between the master & satellite nodes. Master is upstairs & satellite is downstairs connected by powerline adapters (TL_PA8010P KIT). When I move between floors my phone (Samsung A50) is still connected to previous node. Sometimes it switches correctly but speed is 2mbps. I need to turn off and on the phone wifi to reconnect to the nearest node to get 150-200mbps? This also happens to my Huawei phones too?

I have tried turning "mesh" off and on to test and it's the same. It's definitely the firmware not switching to the nearest node. The phone doesn't disconnect although sometimes it's not registered in the Deco app but still have very slow wifi connection. Only fixed by toggling the device's wifi to reconnect.I know there's no solution (until the firmware is fixed) but just want to report this issue. Of course non mobile devices are not affected eg PCs, laptops that stays in 1 room, smart TV.

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#1
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Re:Deco M4 roming not orking
2020-11-25 11:25:29

@Mcwong644 

Good day.

Thank you very much for your kind feedback.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience.

At the same time, could you please help me confirm the following information:

  1. Basically all the mobile devices would be affected, right?
  2. Have you tried to change a different Deco as the main Deco to have a look?
  3. How long have you had the Deco and did this issue start out of box?

Thanks a lot.

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Re:Deco M4 roming not orking
2020-11-25 16:21:49

 

TP-Link wrote

@Mcwong644 

Good day.

Thank you very much for your kind feedback.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience.

At the same time, could you please help me confirm the following information:

  1. Basically all the mobile devices would be affected, right?
  2. Have you tried to change a different Deco as the main Deco to have a look?
  3. How long have you had the Deco and did this issue start out of box?

Thanks a lot.

@TP-Link 

 

1. I only tested with 2. Haven't checked the iPhone 8 n XR. 

2. Haven't tried. Since it's working fine except for the roaming function. Too much hassle to reconfigure it as I'm using it for work from home.

3. Had the system for 1 week and yes it started out of the box.

 

Another point is that it's configured as router mode but connected as AP to my Dlink dir842 router. Somehow it works so I left it alone. It created another network with 192.168.68.xxx and the router has another network 192.168.0.xxx. :-). 2 networks is OK for me. Only my CCTV DVR is connected to 192.268.0.xxx via Ethernet. 

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#3
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Re:Deco M4 roming not orking
2020-11-25 21:21:47 - last edited 2020-11-26 00:25:30

@Mcwong644 

 

Please note that switching between mesh nodes is done by smartphone. Mesh (any mesh, not just Deco) can encourage or discourage that switch, but it is smartphone that decides, when.

 

That "when" is mostly based on how strong WiFi signal is. If signal from current node is "strong enough," whatever definition smartphone applies to that, it may not switch. So, the objective is to try lowering signal from Main node when you move close to Satellite node.

 

If you want to try suggestions I can provide below, first enable back in Deco App Fast Roaming and enable mesh setting for your smartphones. These are two settings that tell Deco encourage switch between nodes, disabling them discourages smartphone from switch. It still can, and will, but even less often.

 

Now, suggestions:

 

1. Disable 2.4GHz in your Deco WiFi network settings. Leave 5GHz band only. It provides less coverage, meaning when you get closer to Satellite Deco your Main Deco signal will be dropping faster, forcing smartphone to switch sooner.

 

2. Move Main Deco further away from Satellite Deco and room it is in. If they are, for example, sitting on 1st and 2nd floors above each other, and on top of that provide 2.4GHz network, smartphone will have little incentive to switch nodes. 

 

Look at this picture from TP-Link mesh overview, see how two Deco nodes are located in the house. Second floor Deco is as far away from first floor Deco as possible.

 

 

 

You can also check Samsung smartphone forums or Samsung tech support for topics related to WiFi roaming. If there are configurable WiFi settings in Samsung device that will make it switch mesh nodes sooner, these will be related to WiFi signal measured in dBm. If you find where you could change dBm value for WiFi signal in smartphone settings, that most likely will be it.

 

Note that if you google WiFi roaming you might find Google Play Store apps that can tune this parameter. They did their job, but unfortunately in Android 9 and 10 they are no longer working - apparently, access to that configuration is now denied to third party apps. So, my point is: if you see such apps, don't bother installing them, they won't work on Samsung A50.

 

Finally, Deco app is really slow in reflecting device movement between nodes. As in "really, really taking its time to update that info." If you want to have real time status of which node your smartphone is connected to, install WiFi analyzer on your smartphone and use it to check. I use WIFIman from Ubiquiti, and can recommend it.

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#4
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