Handoff between Router and AP's
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Handoff between Router and AP's
Model :
Hardware Version :
Firmware Version :
ISP :
Hello,
I have:
3x TD-W9980 routers - v1 00000001 0.6.0 1.13 v0021.0 Build 160125 Rel.52064n
3x TL-PA8010P Powerline adapters - 2.0.0.382-05_801111_160406_913
ISP - BT Infinity
Device - iPhone 7.
Location - United Kingdom.
I have a W9980 set up as my main router on VDSL2 connection and connected to a Powerline adapter in my lounge.
In order to make the wifi signal reach all around my house, I set up another W9980's in my office as an AP, connected to another Powerline adaptor.
If i then set them both to the same SSID, the handoff appears seamless when moving rooms, i.e. i'll move from the lounge towards the office and see the wifi signal drop a bar then go back up to full when it then connects to the AP (verified behaviour using the Fing app.) This repeats when i move from the office back to the lounge.
NOw the curious part. I'm an EE customer in the UK which means i can enable EE WifiCalling and this is where i notice the handoff between Router and AP isn't as seamless as it appears.
I can't ascertain a pattern but anywhere up to 10 minutes from switching between router and AP, the EE WifiCall disappears and then reconnects within a few minutes (as if it's established a new connection.) It's not instant though when my phone switches between router and AP.
I posted on the EE forum and people tell me that EE WifiCalling is still in it's infancy and it doesn't do a seamless handover, but this is where it gets interesting.
My workplace has Cisco AP's every few metre's and there is never a problem dropping EE WifiCall as i move through the building so i know it is possible.
But i can get it to work at home too... If i set up my 3rd W9980 as an AP connected to my 3rd Powerline adapter (in the lounge next to my main router) and then set up both my AP's as SSID2, leave my main router as SSID 1, and i connect my iPhone to to SSID 2, then the EE WifiCall does not drop as i walk between rooms... I've repeated it many times , verified via Fing that it is picking up both AP's as i move around.
If i then rename my main router as SSID2 and disable the AP in my lounge, it goes back to the old behaviour and drops connection.
It's something to do with the handoff between my main router with VDSL2 connection and an AP that is causing an issue but i don't know what.
The only differences between the main router and AP's are:
The VDSL connection enabled on main router.
UPnP enabled on main router (i have a Synology NAS attached) but disabled on the AP's.
Main router is set up as DHCP server, AP's DHCP is disabled.
My tests have been done on 2.4GHz(though i can also replicate on 5GHz - 2.4 and 5GHz are separated out btw.) I have them set up on channels 1, 6 and 11 but have also tested all on the same channel.
2.4GHz is 11bgn on all.
WPA2-psk is set on all (however i replicated the issue with security turned off.)
The Powerline adapters are all on the same network name.
Obviously there are a lot of settings so i won't name them all and their values unless someone asks.
Any ideas as to what is going on and why i can't get the router to happily be part of the SSID2 and not drop my EE WifiCall connection. It's a bit of a waste of a router!
Many thanks
Tom
Hardware Version :
Firmware Version :
ISP :
Hello,
I have:
3x TD-W9980 routers - v1 00000001 0.6.0 1.13 v0021.0 Build 160125 Rel.52064n
3x TL-PA8010P Powerline adapters - 2.0.0.382-05_801111_160406_913
ISP - BT Infinity
Device - iPhone 7.
Location - United Kingdom.
I have a W9980 set up as my main router on VDSL2 connection and connected to a Powerline adapter in my lounge.
In order to make the wifi signal reach all around my house, I set up another W9980's in my office as an AP, connected to another Powerline adaptor.
If i then set them both to the same SSID, the handoff appears seamless when moving rooms, i.e. i'll move from the lounge towards the office and see the wifi signal drop a bar then go back up to full when it then connects to the AP (verified behaviour using the Fing app.) This repeats when i move from the office back to the lounge.
NOw the curious part. I'm an EE customer in the UK which means i can enable EE WifiCalling and this is where i notice the handoff between Router and AP isn't as seamless as it appears.
I can't ascertain a pattern but anywhere up to 10 minutes from switching between router and AP, the EE WifiCall disappears and then reconnects within a few minutes (as if it's established a new connection.) It's not instant though when my phone switches between router and AP.
I posted on the EE forum and people tell me that EE WifiCalling is still in it's infancy and it doesn't do a seamless handover, but this is where it gets interesting.
My workplace has Cisco AP's every few metre's and there is never a problem dropping EE WifiCall as i move through the building so i know it is possible.
But i can get it to work at home too... If i set up my 3rd W9980 as an AP connected to my 3rd Powerline adapter (in the lounge next to my main router) and then set up both my AP's as SSID2, leave my main router as SSID 1, and i connect my iPhone to to SSID 2, then the EE WifiCall does not drop as i walk between rooms... I've repeated it many times , verified via Fing that it is picking up both AP's as i move around.
If i then rename my main router as SSID2 and disable the AP in my lounge, it goes back to the old behaviour and drops connection.
It's something to do with the handoff between my main router with VDSL2 connection and an AP that is causing an issue but i don't know what.
The only differences between the main router and AP's are:
The VDSL connection enabled on main router.
UPnP enabled on main router (i have a Synology NAS attached) but disabled on the AP's.
Main router is set up as DHCP server, AP's DHCP is disabled.
My tests have been done on 2.4GHz(though i can also replicate on 5GHz - 2.4 and 5GHz are separated out btw.) I have them set up on channels 1, 6 and 11 but have also tested all on the same channel.
2.4GHz is 11bgn on all.
WPA2-psk is set on all (however i replicated the issue with security turned off.)
The Powerline adapters are all on the same network name.
Obviously there are a lot of settings so i won't name them all and their values unless someone asks.
Any ideas as to what is going on and why i can't get the router to happily be part of the SSID2 and not drop my EE WifiCall connection. It's a bit of a waste of a router!
Many thanks
Tom