I would like to have the option to manually select the WiFi data rates just like in the case of the classic wireless driver. The reason is that even though the signal is very low -88dBm - -90dBm, some devices decide to connect to those APs even though there are much closer APs and there is no interference. And it takes about 1-2 minutes of multiple bad AP choices until those devices decide to select the closest AP.
And yes I do have WNM&RRM configured, neighbor groups and FT with associated mobility domains, but some devices still try to connect to far away APs
Using the classic driver, setting the minimum data rate to 24Mbps would just make those APs “invisible”, limiting client conectivity to only the closest APs.
Setting the minimum data rate this way to both 2.4 and 5GHz interfaces fixed a lot of roaming issues:
/caps-man rates
add basic=24Mbps name=OFDM supported=24Mbps,36Mbps,48Mbps,54Mbps
I’m also waiting for this, but sadly no official comment from MT staff about this feature, yet. It does not help directly whit roaming, it just drops STAs whit bad modulations, so they roam sooner. Other benefit, besides improved roaming, is STAs whit bad modulations consume airtime inefficient, downloads are slow, connection overall is bad (can be fine on low requirements) and everyone connected to AP suffers. This is the primary benefit. You can also use access-list and kick devices whit low rx signal, but it has more down sides, best option is to cut those slow modulations.
This is very useful in hi-density networks the most, but also in smaller networks like home/small business.
Access lists are just not cutting it (pun intended) when some devices lower the TX power when on idle or modern sleep, I would get a lot of disconnects.
I don’t believe that the vendor drivers don’t allow setting data rates, any professional WiFi hardware should have this option, but I do understand that the wifiwave2 is a work in progress, for example spectral scan was not available, then it became available again on AX devices.
However I can’t buy a lot of APs and set them at a lower power and use the TX power as a way to size de wifi cell. Setting the data rate to a minimum of 24Mpbs limits the WiFi cell to the rooms walls, floors and ceilings and also increases the speed of the transmission of management frames.
I could imagine it (=a higher minimum data rate) could even help with sticky clients in a multi AP environment. So they can’t keep the existing connection to the far away AP and need to roam more likely.
