This situation is in the Top Five questions asked on the forum, and there is no obvious or simple solution.
It is really clear that the device initiates connection with a specific WiFi access point. I used Wireshark in "monitor mode" to observe the behavior of my Orbi system. Every access point uses Beacon Frames to broadcast the WiFi SSID on both 2.4G and 5G WiFi channels between 5 and 10 times per second. (If the guest network is enabled, every one of the WiFi access points also broadcasts the guest SSID on both 2.4G and 5G.) When a new WiFi device is powered up, software in the device WiFi drivers looks at the various WiFi channels (1-11 for 2.4G. other channels for 5G), compares what it finds against the WiFi SSIDs that it knows a password for, and then selects one to send an Association Request to.
I have watched it happen.
One situation is pretty clear. When the entire mesh network starts up, such as after a power failure, the router begins broadcasting SSIDs before any of the satellites. And this can cause one sort of problem: Devices that are not expected to be mobile, such as TVs, cameras, speakers, printers, garage door openers, etc. will see the Beacon Frames from the router first and may associate with the router before the other WiFi access points are even broadcasting. If the device WiFi software is designed to quit looking once it has connected, this can be a problem that can be solved by powering off the device and then starting it again. (Totally power off. Not like use the TV remote to turn off the picture. The TV remains on even when the picture is off.)
What is not clear at all is why some devices would choose a WiFi access point with a worse signal over one with a strong signal when it is first turned on.
