I’m managing and deploying hotels and administrations HotSpot and everybody is complaining about disconnections and speed problems since may this year.
After making some tests, it’s seems that the problem is generated by the iphones, Ipads and Macbook on the wireless networks… Thoses devices constantly moves from an access point to another in a multi-ap environnment publishing the same SSID. And after a moment, they simply disconnect from the network and users has to manually reconnect to the SSID. During this time, my Windows 7 laptop, Smartphone and android tablet is just running fine, just suffering from other devices…
This has the effect to kill the speed, increase ping till 1000 ms. In a showroom with 60 Ipads on 3 access points, I’ve registered more than 10 disconnections and connections per couple of seconds.
In most cases, the access points are configurated with no security, and a hotSpot on the front router…
I already tried the switch channels, activate WMM, upgrade, but no use…
Did anybody encounter the same problem and find a way to fix it ? Is it an apple bug or Mikrotik problem ? I have no other branded networks to compare…
Apple devices is one of the worst wifi device out there. A small antenna, low power to card, power saving mode, wired encryption issues, and it will make a really bad connection to AP, if more than 30meter’s away (written in iphone documentation, max recommended distance to AP is 30 meter, free line of sight.) Miktotik is also not to good to adjust, and will in a default setup, try to “fix” bad signal, by changing ack-timeout etc. This make a bad signal for non apple devices, etc, that in fist place, had a good connection.
Its more than one way to “try” to fix issue to apple devices. solution 1. don’t use MT Mt is the best, with one big “issue”. If you don’t have 100% control of the clients, its not the best. A cheep 15$ tp-link AP would do the wireless job better (in auto mode).
To get a MT device to have the best signal to a mixed client network its important to change some default settings.
secutrity should be dynamic keys - WPA2 PSK - aes ccm Iphone don’t connect to tkip sometimes.
Access/Connect list should be used, and have a drop connection if signal is worse than lets say -82. (maybe -85 in a dualchain N setup)
some parameters like distance - indoor, preamble - long, adaptive-noice-imunity =ap and client, HW protection mode rts-cts , etc should also be set. Also consider to change some parameters in connection tracking, like UDP timeout (increase) etc. (to help non apple devices to “hang on a bit longer”
Why not to use MT ? Did you try to manage 60 TP-Link in a hotel ? I will try your tips… about ack timeout, I have better to set indoors ?
Did I also have to grant the success.html page on the HotSpot ? What about WMM ? Is there a setting that MT don’t manage in the Wifi standard for Apple devices ?
Wich kind of device use short preamble ?
Hello. Its actually nothing to manage after first setup in this network. Its possible to ping all devices, and if one or more fail, just switch with a new preconfigured device.
If you use a mikrotik router as a gateway, the hostopt service should works just as “normal”.
I don’t have good experience with prioritising in hotspot setup. This is due to my “no control of client” statement. You newer know, anything about the system connecting to your device, neither to have a good wmm, and or, “what is really happening”.
Preamble, is in short, how to tell AP/Client a about the connection state, by increase the time the the header, has in airtime for its transmition. (compared to short) In short sentence (not the short mode , all 802.11 system is long preamble compatible, but some (mostly legacy) system is not short preamble compatible.
“The only thing that works to give a consistent wifi connection is cooling the phone. Freezer for 10 mins in freezer bag. Or placing the phone on an ice pack.”
Mt is the best, with one big “issue”. If you don’t have 100% control of the clients, its not the best. A cheep 15$ tp-link AP would do the wireless job better (in auto mode).
? Did you try to manage 60 TP-Link in a hotel 