Seamless roaming

JKnott

If you want to disable 802.11b, then why not just disable it? It's an option on every AP I've worked with, other than the ones that were b only. If all you're doing is changing the CCK rates, you're only affecting possible bandwidth, not disabling b. Also, as far as I'm concerned, b should be off by default, as many people don't bother worrying about such things. Only turn it on if you have an absolute need for it. Of course, and device that supports b only would have to be ancient.

tman222

@JKnott - Yes that makes sense and 802.11b is off by default in Ubiquiti Unifi wireless gear. However, if an AP has 802.11b disabled already and you also choose to disable CCK rates and increase data rate control on the 2G band to 12Mbps, does b protection still take place? Or would the AP then just ignore any b frames altogether? Thanks again.

JKnott

@tman222 said in Seamless roaming:

Or would the AP then just ignore any b frames altogether?

My understanding is b protection is always on. You can't turn it off. This is why it's important to not even enable it, unless you need it to support some ancient gear. I'm glad that b is off on that AP. I have a TP-Link AP and, with it, when I turn off b, I also lose g. Then again, TP-Link is not known for brilliant designs. This AP has the same VLAN problem as some TP-Link switches.

johnpoz

@JKnott said in Seamless roaming:

Then again, TP-Link is not known for brilliant designs.

QFT ;) hehehehehe

As to B devices slowing down your 2.4 - yes this is why you don't run your 2.4 on the same channel as your neighbor ;) Then again.. It's not the end of the world - its not like that b device over on the neighbors running on channel 1, is going to knock your channel 6 2.4 wifi network down to b speeds..

To be honest - really the only things that use 2.4 really don't need 400mbps anyway ;) My thermostat works just fine even it was at B speeds, same goes for my light bulbs, etc. Anything that needs decent wifi speeds should be on AC on 5ghz.. So what that neihbors B devices do means nothing in the big picture.. "EVEN" if it was slowing down my thermostats wifi speed ;)

On a side note - who would be running any sort of b devices in this day an age anyway?

My 3 ap see a total of 135 near by AP... Not 1 is listed as being b ;) Scans for interference levels are in the dirt -95 dbm sort of levels.

Also lets remember that B pretty much died off when G came out back in 2003.. Really how and the F would still have any sort of B devices running? In 2020?

JKnott

@johnpoz said in Seamless roaming:

To be honest - really the only things that use 2.4 really don't need 400mbps anyway

My ThinkPad E520 only does 2.4 GHz, so it needs it. My phone and tablet can do 5 GHz though. Also, I live in a condo and at least a dozen other SSIDs turn up, so no matter which of the 3 clear channels I pick, odds are someone else is using it. The best thing people can do is make sure b is not enabled and the problem goes away.

Derelict

Get a couple Ruckus R600s off eBay that run "unleashed" (basic controller on the APs) and have a cocktail while you roam to your heart's content. They can be found for somewhere around $100 each these days it looks like.

I know I disabled dot11b. I think I had to ssh into the APs to do it. It was easy.

johnpoz

@JKnott said in Seamless roaming:

The best thing people can do is make sure b is not enabled and the problem goes away.

Sure - but it really pretty much is default off these days. My colleague had an issue where her scale that auto uploaded weight stopped working.. It was a B.. you know why it stopped working.. .This was a few years back btw, because comcast disabled b on their router she used..

To be honest bringing it up only confuses users that its something they have to look for and use, or their wifi speeds are going to suck ;) Which its not..

Qinn

@johnpoz said in Seamless roaming:

No I just run the controller in a ubuntu vm on my nas... You can manage the AP with just their phone app.. But you loose out on lots of the bells and whistles - and most important information easy to read in a simple to call up webgui..

It doesn't really need much horsepower, and can really run on almost anything. windows, macos, linux. they have people running it on a pi, etc.

Best you someone has put out a docker version of it as well ;) let me check ;)

Yup: docker https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/unifi-controller

Also keep in mind that you can turn on the controller, do whatever you settings you want to do - and then just turn it off.. The AP continue to do whatever.. You just will not get all the history sort of info about your clients and the AP, etc.

Had a look into it, but my Synology doesn't support docker So the only way to go (when the nanahd will suffice) will be a cloud key or would you advise a something else?

johnpoz

Not using docker for my controller... What synology do you have.. Specific model? I have a ds918+

Qinn

@johnpoz only a meager DS215+

johnpoz

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

DS215+

Ah that sucks.. DS218+ is support for virtual machines..

You have anything else that is on all the time or you could leave on.. A pi perhaps?

You could always use the excuse to update your nas.. If you need to get something past the budget committee (significant other/wife/etc ) heheh

Qinn

@johnpoz said in Seamless roaming:

@Qinn said in Seamless roaming:

DS215+

Ah that sucks.. DS218+ is support for virtual machines..

You have anything else that is on all the time or you could leave on.. A pi perhaps?

You could always use the excuse to update your nas.. If you need to get something past the budget committee (significant other/wife/etc ) heheh

;) Yes I saw it and all the workarounds are unstable from what I've read and no Pi anymore alas, I had used it in the past as a DNS blocker, but sold it as I moved over to pfBlockerNG

johnpoz

Well if you have nothing you can currently run it on via VM or bare metal.. Then yeah either run it in the cloud, or get a cloud key.. Prob the cheapest online option if you don't already have a VPS would be something like digital ocean droplet which could be like $5 a month... But you would eat up cost of just buying a cloud key in like 1.5 years even at that low price..

Qinn

@johnpoz Today I received 2 new NanoHD's. I am surprised by the weight, although the small size of the Nano (btw this high weight in comparison to it's size meaning positive, somehow weight corresponds to quality, kinda old fashion ;) )

Did a firmware update, went good. For now I have to get familiar with all the possible settings (seem a lot) and look and feel, like when it is applying new settings it uses the term "provisioning" and when it is finished it goes to "connected."

I see there is an option "allow meshing from other access points" and it's enabled by default... didn't know it had mesh...might be interesting when in future there no UTP somewhere...

When I change the transmit power for 5G from auto to high under Radios then I went to Radio 11N/A/AC and I see:

Transmit Power
20 dBm / 23 dBm (EIRP)

Does this means it transmits at 20 of the possible 23? Then I would have expected, as I set it to high is would be 23/23

And I see WiFi experience, don't know what that is, and why it is on 99/100?

Tomorrow I will set it up and configure them and hopefully I will replace my current setup (an Engenius 1750H), but that is for tomorrow as today time is a challenge. Could be I have some more Q's kudos fot he advise so far.

johnpoz

EIRP would be the power setting plus the antenna gain..

The wifi is some number that unifi uses to show the overall health of the network/client, etc.. Its a big topic of discussion on what exactly they use to come up with the number, etc.. I wouldn't put much stock into until some details are learned - unless its really low for some reason... Then you might want to look into what is going on..

But in the 90s I would think your good..

Yeah you can do mesh with the AP.. But its always better to use wired uplink, etc. But yeah if there is some dead area that you can not run a wire too.. Sure you can just add a AP and use wireless uplink..

These AP have lots and lots of features and bells and whistles - many of which you may not need, etc.. But when you get something that is designed for business vs some home user on a flat network there are all kinds of things that can come into play..

Once you start using gear like unifi ap... You would never in a million years go back to the soho shit ;)

Yes when you make a change in the config via the controller - it provisions the AP with those settings.. That is what that means when you see that - settings are being updated on the AP.

Qinn

@johnpoz Tomorrow I will configure them, might have some Q's as I am on a steep learning curve ;)

Qinn

btw if you would buy a Synology which one would you buy, for me RAID 1 will suffice.

johnpoz

If budget was not a concern and I was shopping for a synology or other today... Hmmm that is a great question.. Not really sure - comes down to what your actual needs/wants are.. They prob different than mine.. Currently I would prob hold off if you wanted your cake and eat it too.. There is talk of a new addon card E10M20 that will do 10ge and nvme, but not sure when or if it will ever come out.. Or if any current models will support it?

What I would say is can never have too many bays... I wish I would of gone with 6 or 8 bays even.. And more ram - 32gb max would be really nice for doing vms on it..

I kind of wish I would of went with the DS1819+ vs the 918+.. But qnap makes some good stuff as well.

As to raid level support.. Pretty much any of them that have more than 2 bays would supported pretty much all raid levels.. What is your budget for this hypothetical nas you would be getting? Shoe string, just need something that does at min XYZ, or hey whats best bang for the buck I can get without breaking the bank. Or hey I don't care what it cost I just want it to have all the bells and whistles ;)

Qinn

@johnpoz I am busy with unifi, I saw that there are to possible ways to enter a vlan tag

1. devices -> config-> wlans

and

2. settings -> wireless networks

I saw that when I used the 1 methode it isn't showing up in the second, but when I used 2 mehode is is showing up in the 1 ?

BTW could not find a a way to set a vlan id on the LAN in the UAP ?

johnpoz

Normally the AP just use untagged for their there management IP.. For example my AP in the 192.168.2/24 network - is is vlan 2 on my switches - but is untagged on the connection the AP are connected to.

Then in the wireless network you just set the vlan ID for that SSID..

example this is my guest ssid, its on vlan 6

Do you really need/want your AP management IP to be on a tagged vlan? If so you can do that.