RB2011 is main router serving 3 wifi (AP + 2 Virtual APs) networks with different subnets. In theory RB951 configured as bridge and as a repeater of those 3 wifi networks - so WiFi network names are the same.
PC7, PC8, PC9, PC10 are far away from RB2011 but still in range - so very often WiFi connection is lost. Question is:
Assuming RB951 is closer to PC7, PC8, PC9, PC10 - so they get stronger signal from RB951…
To which AP PC7, PC8, PC9, PC10 will normally connect, assuming they are in range of RB2011 (weak signal) and RB951 (stronger signal) ?
There is no way to know ccq in advance so clients choose by signal and their own connection strategy rules. They may have priorities by mac addresses or whatever other rules.
Yeah, I want to avoid situation, where PC7, 8, 9, 10 would still connect to RB2011 despite the fact they can get better signal from RB951 - because Wifi names are the same.
My setup seems to work as far as I can see on the routers but my clients don’t connect to the repeater. I thought that they would do this automatically since it provides the stronger signal.
Unfortunately, all devices stay on the main router and ignore the repeater’s signal.
Yours is not a wireless repeater in the sense the second router is wired to the first, but a “wireless extender”. 951 is wired to the 2011, isn’t it? You don’t need WDS.
As I said it depends on wireless implementation on the clients, they can use whatever criteria apart from signal to select which AP to connect to, like time needed to get an ip by DHCP, SNR, latency…
Tips:
Make the 951 a Layer 2 segment extender
Use the same SSID
Use the same security profile
Use different channels on each AP, from 1,6,11
Lower the power on both routers, tweak this to reduce coverage overlapping; it will also enhance wireless performance.
To make the 951 an extension of the 2011 layer2 segment:
1.- Make ether3,4,5 slaves of ether2
2.- Create a bridge, say bridge1
3.- Add wlan1, ether2 and ether1 (which should be wired to the 2011) to bridge1
4.- Add an ip or dhcp client to bridge1 so that you can manage it by IP if desired (you can always manage by mac)
As long as you do that clients will connect to the optimal SSID without problems.
EDIT: Bam, found cable to 2011 so it is connected now to 951 (sorry but new building and not my initial setup).
Still I can’t understand how can 951 act as wireless extender for 3 WiFi networks that broadcast 2011.
To clarify.
2011 is main router. On ether1 there is Internet, ether 5 is connected to 951.
2011 is serving 3 WiFi networks:
wlan1 with DHCP: 192.168.1.0/24
Virtual AP 1 with DHCP: 192.168.10.0/24
Virtual AP 2 with DHCP: 192.168.20.0/24
Now I’d like to 951 also to broadcast all 3 WiFi networks but get IPs from DHCP servers from 2011.
Now, how would I need to setup 951, to extend all 3 WiFi networks, so if someone connect to Virtual AP 1 on 951 it’d get IP from 2011 Virtual AP 1 DHCP Server and so on?
No need for WDS, if you’re using a direct cable connection, just create the same security profiles on the 951 for each AP matching the 2011.
Now, how would I need to setup 951, to extend all 3 WiFi networks, so if someone connect to Virtual AP 1 on 951 it’d get IP from 2011 Virtual AP 1 DHCP Server and so on?
I guess you have several DHCP instances on the 2011, each running on top of a different bridge where each virtualAP or vlan interface is added, isn’t it?
What you need to do is extending each L2 segment on the 951 and bridge with each L2 segment on the 2011.
You should create the same VirtualAPs, with same VLANs on the 951, then bridge them with the interface (on 951) facing 2011 ether5.
Then create vlan interfaces on 2011 ether5, adding them to the proper bridges on top of each DHCP server runs on.
