Issues with two AP's
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I have two AP's, both on the same network (TP-LINK decos, mesh), with the same SSID and password. However, when I am out of range of one, it tries to connect me to the other one, resulting in me having to re-enter the password. Is there a way to add the second AP by mac address so that it can automatically switch to that without me having to re-enter the password?
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Hello @thedeafenguy, You may not have the same security protocol? I think if you have the same SSID and password you shouldn't have to retype the password.
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@Bolly The security protocol is the same because the two decos combined are one network. If I go out of range of one deco, then it will connect me to the nearest one, under the same network. So the protocol is the same. As I stated earlier, the mac addresses of the decos are different, so I think this may be causing the issues. It could be possible that when the deco network tries to switch me to a deco that I did not add the Wi-Fi network under, Ubuntu Touch sees it as a new network due to the difference in mac addresses. I see that nmcli is installed (I don't think I installed network manager manually, so this has to be here by default), so perhaps Ubuntu Touch manages the networks with nmcli? If so, then I would assume that I would need to manually add the other deco by mac address with the SSID, protocol, and password. If this is the case, then I am unsure what command I would need to invoke to add the other deco by mac address, as I have no experience with nmcli, and the documentation hasn't helped either.
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@thedeafenguy Can't you spoof the mac address of one of the Deco's to the other so it acts as one MAC address, or don't the Deco's spoof the MAC address of the router? Look at the network end first and the Router and Deco's interface. It shouldn't need the command line.
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@thedeafenguy we have the same type of mesh at work, and there my UT device is handed over from one AP to another seamlessly. I have a Pixel 3a on devel channel.
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@MrT10001 In the deco app, it lists two separate access points, which are the main one and the second one, which is connected directly to the main one via Ethernet. I can't access the app right now, but I believe that in the app it lists the mac of the decos, and they are different. It is also important to note my network config: OPNSense Router -> Main deco (AP mode) -> Secondary deco (AP mode). In OPNsense I have assigned both decos static IP addresses. Each deco and the router has a different mac address and IP address, and spoofing the mac addresses to be the same may cause issues. My decos are both the M4 AC1200 models.
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@thedeafenguy Look in settings for MAC cloning. Some ISP's back in the day required the MAC address of their provided router to connect to the internet. To circumvent and use your own router, you cloned the ISP routers mac address to your vastly superior router. I had wireless APs from Draytek set up like a "MESH" and I spoofed (or cloned) the routers MAC to each one so the connections didn't drop out on some devices when you moved from one to the other.
Read up and try it if TP-Link firmware allows (good Networking kit but firmware not so good). If it goes wrong you can always reset and start again.
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@MrT10001 My ISP allows me to use my own wifi router instead of the one provided by them. When changing routers, they have to authenticate the mac of the newly connected router. So the same restriction on mac applies to me, but only if I change the router without them authenticating it. Once authenticated, the router I want to use can be used with its mac. So for my network config, I had no need to circumvent their mac restrictions. I believe the option for mac cloning is only available if the deco is run in router mode. As stated earlier, I am running them in AP mode.
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I may have a stupid question about your issue.
Bet let's say that you have two areas covered by each of your AP.Can you try to disable wifi go to area A, enable wifi and report if it connects.
Then disable wifi again, go to area B, re-enable wifi and see if it works in this area.If it only works in one area then I would agree with your theory about the MAC address.
If it always asks for the password this is for me the real issue. I had some similar issue while messing with my own network.
If both connect and don't ask for password then you have a simple workaround and a complete mystery
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Ok try this. Set a static IP address of one of the access point to the lowest IP address available on the router and set and set the DHCP to auto.
On the other AP, set the IP to a static IP to the highest IP address available on the router and switch off DHCP.
Makes sure that both access points have the same SSID. Make sure the WPA-PSK key is the same.
If there are roaming settings, set them to high or aggressive.
(I haven't done this for a while so had to research to refresh on this as all the children have at last moved out
and I stopped doing it for clients).Oh, and make sure each access point channels are not the same, overlapping channels usually interfere and cause confusion, I usually set them to 6 and 13.
