Better Switching Between Two Wireless Connections

Would really appreciate any help with this:

I have a Belkin G Router bridged to a Belkin Access Point. The Router is connected to a DSL modem which is configured "Bridge Ethernet" The Belkin Router handles all the routing. The Router is at the back of the house (SSID is "Back") and the Access Point is at the front (SSID is "Front").

The laptops we have use Windows to configure wireless. The problem is this: our laptops are moved around the house. So, the laptop will try to connect to the first preferred connection "Back" when you are in the front, even if the signal is awful, and won't let go unless you change it manually to "Front" or unless "Back" goes out altogether. The obvious solution to this is to make "Front" the preferred connection, but if you have the laptop in the back of the house...well, you see the problem. This leads to a spotty internet connection.

Is there some way either to 1) make windows treat "Back" and "Front" as the same thing so the connection remains relatively stable or 2) to make Windows stay connected to only the strongest signal it finds?

Again, any help is appreciated.

Reply to
R. Mitchell
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Set it up so both the route and the access pont have the same SSID. Put them both on different channels (1, 6, or 11) so that they don't interfere with each other. It should be possible to roam with this arrangement.

However, you're still going to have problems getting the client radio to switch between the two access points. The problem is that the client has to release the connection from one access point, scan, and switch to the other access point. If there's any overlap in coverage, there's no guarantee that your client radio will not try to maintain the connection with the weakest access point, despite the availability of a stronger signal on a different channel. I have a similar arrangement at my palatial office complex. If I start near one access point, I have to disable the client wireless device and then re-enable it to convince it to scan and switch access points.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Is is necessary to use different SSIDs? The reason I ask is this: Two APs on the same network can coexist by simply giving them the same SSID but placing them on different channels. Your notebook pc would connect flawlessly while moving between the two.

Reply to
Doug Jamal

Reply to
R. Mitchell

No, sorry I forgot to mention that. Basically, the AP is bridged to the router wirelessly. Anyway, when I put them on the same channel, same SSID, it gives pretty good results. So, thanks!

Reply to
R. Mitchell

Yes. It's definitely picking up the nearest AP with no problems.

Reply to
R. Mitchell

But, having said that, the roaming problems are not solved. Even though the have the same SSID, you still have to tell Windows to search for a network and then reconnect. It's just seems like there should be a setting in Windows to allow you to automatically search for and connect to a different, stronger wireless network when your current signal reaches a certain bad threshold (like "Low"). Is there any other software out there that would do that?

Reply to
R. Mitchell

You didn't mention that you were using WDS (Wireless Distribution System) to build your network. If that's the case, you need to have them both on the same channel.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Aren't they connected with a wire?

Reply to
William P. N. Smith

Will it pick up the nearest AP when you start up, and will it stay on that AP if you don't move out of range of it?

Thanks!

Reply to
William P. N. Smith

"R. Mitchell" wrote: [Works, but...]

That was my question a while back, and it sounds like the answer is (unfortunately) no. It should be pretty easy to do, but the folks in Redmond are remarkably un-interested in our problems, as they are working on a new OS with better icons and a new GUI. Sigh.

[There are some expensive systems with dumb radios that connect to a central AP using wires, but mere mortals can't afford them.]

Oh, well, we've solved the "connect to the farthest-away AP because it's got your preferred SSID" problem, but you can't have seamless roaming (AFAIK).

Reply to
William P. N. Smith

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