This topic

TP-Link Seamless roaming

chinup1 — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:56:10 GMT

I have a BT Smart Hub 2 and a TP-Link EAP225 ceiling mounted Wi-Fi access point.

The sales person gave me the impression the TP-Link EAP was suitable for seamless roaming but now I have the TP-Link attached to the ceiling and have run the cables in and tried to set it up it doesn't seem to have this function.

It only has seamless roaming (fast roaming) with other TP-Link access points.

Am I correct and if so is there a work around please as it feels like I have gone to a lot of work for nothing ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

gspearson — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 03:28:27 GMT

Most of us would use a mesh rather than this. The BT version is their Complete Wifi but many, including me, use TP-Link Deco M5s or others in the range. But you have not made clear what your circumstances are nor what you are trying to do.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 06:20:58 GMT

@chinup1

It will not form a mesh with the BT Smart Hub 2. The only devices that work with the Smart Hub 2, are the BT Complete Wi-Fi discs (Black).

As you have discovered, the TP-Link EAP225 only works with TP Link products.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

naylor2006 — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:35:32 GMT

You could bodge it to some extent by setting the WIFI details SSID, Password and Security Type, on the Hub to the exact same as the TP Links, or set the TP Links to the same as BT.

It wouldnt work in harmony with the hub like a system designed to work as one but it would to some extent allow devices to roam without having to change WIFI network, which would result in 'betterer' roaming.

If you want Seamless roaming among a WIFI network and you have bought TP Link AP's then just buy more TP Link AP's to work together and give you the coverage you require, then just switch off the WIFI on the BT Hub.

As you have run 'cables' to the TP Link I am assuming you mean ethernet is there so you are not using MESH, am I understanding right that you have your BT Hub WIFI in one place as the main router and the TP Link in the ceiling somewhere else hooked back to the BT Hub via ethernet?

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

licquorice — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 07:52:12 GMT

If a device has all the network names and passwords stored, it is no different moving between discrete nodes with the same SSID or different, the device still has to drop connection and re-establish with the next node. Only a true mesh gives seamless roaming.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

gg30340 — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:00:53 GMT

@naylor2006

A bodge would mean that the roaming device would still have to drop which ever signal it was connected to in order to get onto the next signal and it might only do that when the signal was so weak that it dropped it in favour of the stronger signal . All it would mean is that the user would not have to manually do it.

The user would also be unable to establish which signal their device was connected to so may be unaware if they are on a weak or strong signal until needing to use it.

It may better than nothing but a proper mesh is the best.

EDIT. Post crossed with above.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

naylor2006 — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:00:45 GMT

I didn’t realise we were using ‘Seamless Roaming’ as a technical term.

Most people just want to be able to roam between AP’s and to do which you need to tune the radios on your devices, so ultimately you’ll need to get devices working within the management system and control the overlap between coverage. Won’t be able to do that with the BT Hub.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

licquorice — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:07:03 GMT

Seamless roaming is a technical term.

As already stated, moving between nodes that are not a mesh is not seamless roaming and matters not if the nodes have the same name and password or different. As long as the network names and passwords are stored on the device, the handover will be the same.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

naylor2006 — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 08:18:37 GMT

Sorry, I’m actually wondering mostly aside from the feature of seamless roaming what isn’t working, IE what are they trying to achieve.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

chinup1 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:38:22 GMT

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I have been on holiday.
I have extended up into the loft and am trying to extend the internet range and didn't want to manually switch between the two. Wish the salesperson had told me about the mesh system. I will probably try and give them both the same SSID and password and see what happens. If that doesn't work I will buy another AP for downstairs and turn the Wi-fi off on the BT Hub. Thanks very much for your help.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

naylor2006 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:45:17 GMT

You may not actually notice given the application, if you are just extending WIFI range to another area the roaming feature may not be required. You can still move between wireless AP’s and you probably won’t notice even if the AP‘s have different SSID’s

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:50:19 GMT

@chinup1 I think you are possibly conflating seamless roaming and automatic switching between nodes.

Seamless roaming involves software that ensures a device is talking to a second node before leaving the first. This is achieved with true mesh networking.

Devices will automatically switch between nodes without manual intervention if signal is lost from one node and received from another.

As long as the network names and passwords are stored in the device, it will switch automatically without manual intervention. This is true regardless of whether the names have the same name and password or different.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

naylor2006 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:58:35 GMT

Even though I was rightly corrected on the terminology, for what it’s worth I’ve always thought that actually given the chaps application whether ‘Seamless Roaming’ is there or not is an irrelevance, I think they are just trying to extend WiFi coverage and perhaps thought the TP-Link would somehow adopt the Hub or the other way around.

Setting the same SSID and password just makes life more convenient, avoiding having to give devices that do move between AP’s additional credentials, but the two AP’s will not work together but it’ll likely do what you require Mr OP.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

licquorice — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:07:12 GMT

Exactly.

However, I personally prefer different SSIDs for nodes so that I know which AP I am connected to and can force a change to a different AP if I wish to.

Re: TP-Link Seamless roaming

gg30340 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:25:48 GMT

@licquorice wrote:

Exactly.

However, I personally prefer different SSIDs for nodes so that I know which AP I am connected to and can force a change to a different AP if I wish to.

I agree as I stated in my earlier post "

"The user would also be unable to establish which signal their device was connected to so may be unaware if they are on a weak or strong signal until needing to use it".