Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor

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Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-26 21:53:38

I am a little overwhelmed by the Omada Software Controller. May it is hidden but I could not find a place to name my 5ghz and 2.4ghz separately.  I am not using mesh because it is too weak for my situation so with that disabled I was expecting to see the option to have two different SSID for each AP. For example I want AP#1 to have a different SSID for 2.4 and 5ghz and then AP#2 would have two completely different names for its two radios.

 

The answer is probably in front of me and I am missing it. Maybe something to do with grouping?  Any insight appreciated.

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-26 23:42:14 - last edited 2022-09-26 23:43:50

  @RickJamesBish 

 

Hey

 

What you need to do is setup 2x seperate Wireless Networks on the controller, heres how

 

Go to SETTINGS... WIRELESS NETWORKS... WLAN    choose   Create a new Wireless Network

 

You should be prompted for a name, you can also choose the Bands you wish...

 

 

Save and repeat this for the other band.  Create as many as you want with whatever config you desire

 

 

 

It should reconfigure the APs and broadcast in a few seconds..

 

This by default will broadcast the SSID on every AP, to change this go to the AP under DEVICES, select it and on the right pop out menu  CONFIG   WLANs.. turn off the ones you dont want

 

 

You dont have to split both frequencies you do know?   There is a setting called band steering that will allow devices to be moved to 5ghz if they support it, otherwise stay on 2.4.   it generally works well and is a neater solution as you have just one SSID for both bands.    Its under settings, site, advanced features.  If you want to use this just remember to tick 2.4 and 5ghz when creating your SSID so it knows you want to bandsteer that SSID

 

 

 

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-27 12:45:52 - last edited 2022-09-27 13:04:01

  @Philbert  to the rescue again.

 

Yes I was aware of the band steering but was wary of it, but I think I will give that a try to simplify.

 

 

I understand how to create the Wireless under WLAN but how do I associate that to a particular AP?  For example AP#1 and AP#2 will have different SSID for the sake of telling our guests which one they need to connect to, since some of them do not pay attention to signal strength. Do I need to put each AP in its own group?

 

 

Also in your diagram I understand the band steering and have that selected. The other settings I thought were associated with MESH but now thinking I am wrong. So will these other settings allow the client to hop from one AP to another if they move around the park?

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-27 16:24:30

  @RickJamesBish 

 

Hey

 

No worries, easy to do..  as mentioned earlier this will automatically broadcast this SSID on all APs, you simply need to turn off the SSID on any AP you dont want having it.. hope that makes sense.. ? :)

 

To do this go to DEVICES.. choose the AP...  on the popout from right its  CONFIG  then WLAN and you should see your SSIDs there.. just turn off what you dont want broadcasting on that AP.

 

However... personally this might be an idea for you.   As your APs are going to be connected, and you have a controller why not just have one SSID on all APs?   The tick boxes you mentioned in my pic earlier, the top one is for ROAMING.    When enabled this will allow the controller to move users from AP to AP without disconnecting, this means they will near always be connected to the best AP as it will move them if they are not.   Benefit is also just one SSID for everyone on all APs.. easier to manage, cleaner and thats what you paid for with the controller

 

In short the ticks are as follows..

 

Roaming..  allows moving from AP to AP per SSID.   Set the SSID on all APs and let it work away, as they move around it will adjust APs to suit.  As AP1 gets weaker, AP2 takes over

AI Roaming.    The option for AI into roaming, basically it looks at the client connected and works out if it would be better to roam earlier (say speed, signal etc), rather than waiting till the signal is weaker.     This generally works fine

Dual 11K.. this allows you to roam from 2.4 to 5ghz in one hop, its band steering accross APs

Force Disconnect.  I usually enable but its not really used now.  If you have a REALLY old client that doesnt support roaming, it will forceable kick from AP1 to allow it to reconnect to AP2 as the device cant / doesnt know what roaming is, it would have to be 10+ years old in fairness.   Its basically forced roaming, only ever seen it used once on a very old printer!

 

 

Hopefully that helps..   imho.. go one SSID for your whole space (if that is desirable) and let roaming / bandsteering etc do its thing.   Ultimately thats what you paid for when you bought the controller, let it control

 

 

 

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-29 13:49:26 - last edited 2022-09-29 13:52:21

  @Philbert  Just to clarify, this is not set up as MESH. The distance between the APs was too great to get the speed I wanted, so each remote AP is connected to the central AP via CPE710 in client mode.   Are you saying I can create one wireless network, for example one with the SSID of AHRV Wifi with 2.4 and 5ghz checked, and each AP will use that SSID, and as long as I have roaming selected, clients will hop to the appropriate AP?   I thought that is what a MESH was.

 

Also I am using the software controller, but I have a OC200 on the way.

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-30 16:48:45

  @RickJamesBish 

 

Hey

 

The terms can be confusing I agree, Mesh and Fast Roaming are very different things.. ill try to explain

 

Fast Roaming is simply the ability of a client device (phone, laptop etc) to move from Access Point 1 to Access Point 2 without disconnecting.  Regardless of how you have the Access Points setup  (cabled or over WiFi) you will likely want to enable this

 

MESH is nothing to do with client devices, its basically HOW the access points will talk to each other.    If you have 2x APs and both are cabled in, no point enabling MESH.   However if you want to add an AP that's not going to be cabled into the LAN (it will connect wirelessly) then enable MESH.   In short MESH allows you to connect APs via WiFi without needing a cable connection / switch, however it will be slower as the APs communicate over WiFi and not a cable.

 

 

In your setup you have the CPEs are really just long distance senders, as long as each AP 225 is on the same subnet (192.168.0.x I think you said earlier) and you can ping them.. then you the controller will work and they will operate under one SSID with roaming and you wont need MESH, the CPEs are acting as a long cable for you

 

In short.. Roaming just requires the APs to be able to talk to eachother and the controller, how this happens is irrelevant.  The fact you are firing the data over a CPE doesnt matter, as long as they can talk they can manage and roam

 

 

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-30 17:22:34 - last edited 2022-09-30 19:45:11

  @Philbert Thanks. I understand that explanation. The only time roaming would be beneficial is if guests walk around the park on their phones. I have walked around with my Note 10 Plus and it hangs on to whatever AP I initially connected to despite being all the way across the park and standing right by the other AP.  It will not switch to a stronger signal automatically. So Im not sure the roaming is a viable feature for our scenario, unless I am missing something.  The only way I could get the phone to switch to another AP was to leave the park until I lost signal completely, and then when I returned it connected the nearest AP as I entered the park.

 

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Re:Configuring WiFi for each radio on each EAP225 Outdoor
2022-09-30 21:03:19 - last edited 2022-09-30 21:05:16

  @RickJamesBish 

 

Hey

 

 

have walked around with my Note 10 Plus and it hangs on to whatever AP I initially connected to despite being all the way across the park and standing right by the other AP

That's exactly what roaming would solve for you, in that scenario it would have been told by the controller that AP2 is closer and to move it it.  Roaming is generally a good idea, honestly just enable it and it will work.   There is no advantage even running a controller if you are not using roaming, its the one thing that every controller install is for, IMHO you would be best to enable it, it wont give you any hassle.  Provided that both APs have the same SSID and the same controller :)

 

The only way I could get the phone to switch to another AP was to leave the park until I lost signal completely, and then when I returned it connected the nearest AP as I entered the park.

What you are describing here is the complete opposite of roaming.. lol.  Its a really bad way of doing things and defeats the purpose of buying decent APs.   Ideally you dont want this happening at all, it annoys people.  Roaming allows users to have a strong a signal as possible wherever they are, which is a good thing.

 

Have you adopted the APs via the controller and set a single SSID on them?   If so just enable roaming and AI Roaming, this should automate the process for you from there

 

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