How to connect WiFi to a specific AP?

[rikona]

> On Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:04:40 -0400 (EDT), Robert Heller
> <heller at deepsoft.com> wrote:
> 
> >Presumably, all of the same named AP are on the same network and are
> >using a shared DHCP server (or shared DHCP client DB), so why should
> >it matter which AP you connect to?  The presumption with this sort
> >of set up is load sharing and expanding signal coverage over a
> >larger area with WiFi clients connecting to a "local" AP (eg the one
> >with the best signal strength).  Why would you want to do something
> >different?  
> 
> 
> The whole reason for having the AP is that my home is so long (20+
> meters) and the main router is at the fiber intake in the far end of
> the house. So main WiFi is very weak at the entrance in the other
> end, which caused me to set up the AP in the first place.

I had a similar problem and tried your approach, and also didn't get
good results. Finally decided to get a mesh router [Netgear Orbi, 3
units]. This gave good results in an elongated oval pattern 90-100 feet
long and 40-50 feet wide. May depend on house construction too. Careful
unit positioning also helped.

Rik

> The problem is that the device connecting to WiFi can see *both* the
> extension Access Point in the near end of my home (which I want it to
> connect to) AND the main router sitting way back in the other end.
> 
> The AP field strength is about -70 dBm whereas the main router's
> field strength is only about -96 dBm at the connecting device's
> location.
> 
> Still for some reason the device connects to the *weak* network
> rather than the strong one...
> And it barely works then and it drops the connection, then reconnects
> again to the same netwotk...
> 
> Both the AP and the main router (ASUS units) use the same
> SSID/passphrase for connection.
> 
> The main router is a new powerhorse whreas the one used as AP is a
> cheaper router set up as an Access Point on the main LAN. The main
> router is the DHCP server on my LAN and is used also through the AP.
> 
> I have realized that maybe there is some internal cashing of the WiFi
> network last connected to on the device and since it was for
> configuration in my study where the main router is it might have
> cached that network and is now re-using it when connecting to WiFi
> without checking the signal strength...
> 
>