Re: [Dorset] Router Wifi configs
The SSID/key can be the same on any/all WLAN bands. (There's 60 GHz too now, apparently.) All the wireless networks I deal with have the same SSID and key on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. This includes a place with more than 10 WAPs all on the same network. Old WLAN devices did have problems handing off to a different access point with the same SSID, but that was years ago, before 5 GHz existed. As Ralph said, having the same SSID and key on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz allows band steering. This appears to usually mean that the access point will get wireless clients to prefer 5 GHz as there is more bandwidth there and the signals generally travel less far, which means greater frequency re-use and more bandwidth for everyone. I would assume that when 60 GHz devices become popular, band steering will prefer 60 GHz as the bandwidth there is huge, and the coverage is in the region of 10 metres. I've also got a few WAPs set up with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz using both WPA2 and WPA3, all on the same SSID and key. That seems to work fine too. -- Andrew. -- Next meeting: Online, Jitsi, Tuesday, 2021-03-02 20:00 Check to whom you are replying Meetings, mailing list, IRC, ... http://dorset.lug.org.uk New thread, don't hijack: mailto:dorset@mailman.lug.org.uk
Re: [Dorset] Router Wifi configs
On Saturday, 6 February 2021 11:38:30 GMT Ralph Corderoy wrote: > Giving them distinct ESSIDs allows the user to pick one, e.g. to prefer > 2.4 GHz because 5 GHz is flaky. Funnily enough, I used identical SSIDs and Passwords at WMT with two Outdoor WiFi Antennas because I wanted exactly this behaviour. It never occurred to me that you could do the same thing with APs on different frequencies. -- Terry Coles -- Next meeting: Online, Jitsi, Tuesday, 2021-03-02 20:00 Check to whom you are replying Meetings, mailing list, IRC, ... http://dorset.lug.org.uk New thread, don't hijack: mailto:dorset@mailman.lug.org.uk
Re: [Dorset] Router Wifi configs
Hi Peter, > in a router that has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz capability, should the > ESSID/security for these be different, or is it alright to have them > both the same? It is okay to have them both the same. This allows a Wi-Fi station which has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz to switch between the two Wi-Fi access points when it desires if the quality changes over time. Giving them distinct ESSIDs allows the user to pick one, e.g. to prefer 2.4 GHz because 5 GHz is flaky. And then there's ‘band steering’ where dual-band stations will only get a response on 5 GHz, or be sent an explicit ‘deauthenticate’ on 2.4 GHz to see if it pops up on 5 GHz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009#Deployment_strategies https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/ew6tub/is_using_the_same_ssid_and_password_on_the_24ghz/fg0c466/ -- Cheers, Ralph. -- Next meeting: Online, Jitsi, Tuesday, 2021-03-02 20:00 Check to whom you are replying Meetings, mailing list, IRC, ... http://dorset.lug.org.uk New thread, don't hijack: mailto:dorset@mailman.lug.org.uk
Re: [Dorset] Router Wifi configs
On Saturday, 6 February 2021 11:01:10 GMT PeterMerchant wrote: > The question is, in a router that has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz capability, > should the ESSID/security for these be different, or is it alright to have > them both the same? Mine are both the same, and I have a computer that > won't connect to the router. I think that the SSIDs need to be different, how else can you choose between them when you try to connect? I use a different SSID and Password for each of the three WiFi APs that I have here (two on the Router - 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and one on an extender. -- Terry Coles -- Next meeting: Online, Jitsi, Tuesday, 2021-03-02 20:00 Check to whom you are replying Meetings, mailing list, IRC, ... http://dorset.lug.org.uk New thread, don't hijack: mailto:dorset@mailman.lug.org.uk
[Dorset] Router Wifi configs
The question is, in a router that has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz capability, should the ESSID/security for these be different, or is it alright to have them both the same? Mine are both the same, and I have a computer that won't connect to the router. When I first set it up this way, my tablet connected/dropped out/reconnected and repeated this, so I changed routers. Peter. -- Next meeting: Online, Jitsi, Tuesday, 2021-03-02 20:00 Check to whom you are replying Meetings, mailing list, IRC, ... http://dorset.lug.org.uk New thread, don't hijack: mailto:dorset@mailman.lug.org.uk