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WAX615 - Mesh / Roaming
Hi all, first post here 🙂 I have just purchased and setup 2x WAX615 WAPs So far they are working fine but I am a bit confused as to how I am meant to enable roaming. I have setup and enabled ins...
Soogs wrote:
Hi all, first post here 🙂
Welcome to the Netgear Community!
Soogs wrote:
I have just purchased and setup 2x WAX615 WAPs
So far they are working fine but I am a bit confused as to how I am meant to enable roaming.
Roaming can work implicitly by configuring the same SSID and same security key if using WPA2-PSK (WPA2-Personal).
To explicitly enable Fast Roaming (802.11r), you need to use Insight, head to the Edit Wireless Settings, and select for each of the SSID Fast Roaming (802.11r):
Soogs wrote:
I have setup and enabled insight account and set both WAPs to insight management mode.
In Mesh Topology both units are set to Auto - do I need one as Root and the other as Extender?
I do not want a wireless Mesh as the backbone is hardwired.
Do I need to just trust that it is working in Auto?
You could leave it on Auto. However, I suggest to take control and disable Mesh completely as a security and operational measure. Especially if you have no intentions to operate one or more WAX6xx as complete wire-free Mesh satellites.
Hope this explains.
Regards,
-Kurt.
Soogs wrote:
Hi all, first post here 🙂
Welcome to the Netgear Community!
Soogs wrote:
I have just purchased and setup 2x WAX615 WAPs
So far they are working fine but I am a bit confused as to how I am meant to enable roaming.
Roaming can work implicitly by configuring the same SSID and same security key if using WPA2-PSK (WPA2-Personal).
To explicitly enable Fast Roaming (802.11r), you need to use Insight, head to the Edit Wireless Settings, and select for each of the SSID Fast Roaming (802.11r):
Soogs wrote:
I have setup and enabled insight account and set both WAPs to insight management mode.
In Mesh Topology both units are set to Auto - do I need one as Root and the other as Extender?
I do not want a wireless Mesh as the backbone is hardwired.
Do I need to just trust that it is working in Auto?
You could leave it on Auto. However, I suggest to take control and disable Mesh completely as a security and operational measure. Especially if you have no intentions to operate one or more WAX6xx as complete wire-free Mesh satellites.
Hope this explains.
Regards,
-Kurt.
Amazing thank you.
I have also enabled load balancing following advice from another user on reddit.
Soogs wrote:
I have also enabled load balancing following advice from another user on reddit.
Permitting both APs are covering about the same or similar wireless arena, and on dedicated channels each, yes.
not so much an arena, using these at home (3 floor end of terrace house).
placed both on the middle floor, one in the front bedroom/office and the other in the back bedroom.
to be fair one of these would have probably be fine if it wasnt for the fact that I rely on wifi calling as my network is trash here and the garden is pretty huge so need as much coverage as possible.
channels are set to auto and when I last checked they were on different channels
Soogs wrote:
placed both on the middle floor, one in the front bedroom/office and the other in the back bedroom.
to be fair one of these would have probably be fine if it wasnt for the fact that I rely on wifi calling as my network
Good example where load balancing makes sense. Just to compare, if you would install the APs in the first and the third floor for example, it wouldn't. Living in a house with a similar floor plan btw, plus an underground work and garage space, have deployed APs to all floors, without load balancing in that case here.
Soogs wrote:
channels are set to auto and when I last checked they were on different channels
Time permitting, look into channel planning then:
- 2.4 GHz far away (like 1 and 11),
- 5 GHz as far away as possible, to dynamic 20...160 MHz bandwidth, and neighboring WiFi allowing. for example one in the 36..64 range, and one in the 149..177 range, alternate in the 100..128 range.
Thank you for sharing, very useful for the community.
Wish you a wonderful weekend!
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