I set up a new EX7300v2 mesh extender and it works great in the location it is intended for. However, when I move back near the original router that is feeding the extender, my devices stay connected to the extender and doesn't get handed over to the main router. As a result, I get dismal speed near my router, and I can't connect to the main router because the extender is using the same SSID. When I unplug the extender, my devices connect back to the main router. My question is, should I reconfigure the extender to use a different SSID so I can connect to main router when I am near it for optimal speeds, or is there a better solution? There's also a good chance that I have no idea what I am talking about and I am doing something wrong 🙂
When setup in mesh mode, its the device you're on (phone/tablet) that actually decideds when/which to roam to. It isn't the extender or router. They have a roaming protocol built into them that gives out info for the device to know when to switch.
But if you're device doesn't switch, it could be something with the device itself or the extender could be to close to the router and so it doesn't "need" to roam.
You could try reducing its broadcast power or you can setup a separate ssid as you'd said.
