TWO ROUTERS SETUP WITH SAME SSID

**bronkom** · 26th January 2015

Hi I have two router at home setup both with the same ssid . I have set it up this way to try and extended the wifi signal throughout the house seamlessly.

The routers are both on different wifi channels and are exactly the same model type. It will occasionally flip to the strongest single router and I have been checking this using

third party tool inssider. However 9 times out of 10 I will need to turn the wifi on & off on the laptop to get it to connect to the router with the strongest signal.

Anyone know how to get it to connect to strongest signal seamlessly. I have mess around with all the wifi settings on the router & the network setting on the laptop wifi adapter but to no avail. It's like a dark art trying to get wifi work on a network with the two routers on the same ssid.

If anyone has got this working can the point me in the correct direction? Or if it's perhaps different hardware I need to use or a third party app what there setup is that's working .

Any advice is appreciated

**Beemer5** · 19th March 2015

Have you disabled DCHP on the primary router, in order it uses a static address?

**plug1** · 20th March 2015

Set 2 different SIDS and configure all devices to trust both .

**evilsatan** · 20th March 2015

It's tricky as once devices are connected to a network they will remain connected for as long as possible, this is by design so you remain on the same lan. The general rule is not to have two SSIDs that are the same name as it confuses the clients, the channel is the frequency that the SSID broadcasts on, if they are different then I guess the wireless adapter isn't trying the correct frequency but if they are the same they will conflict. I think a mesh network is the way around this but I still haven't had time to experiment with that so maybe some others here can pitch in some info.

**muttleymacclad** · 20th March 2015

I'd do what plug suggests.

mml

**Squizza** · 20th March 2015

Hey,

I use an Airport Extreme and then have two Airport Express in the house.
I use the option to extend the network and looking through the Airport Utility you can see how it is extending the network and the strength etc..

The devices I use (not just Apple) appear to work fine in this environment and switch without me knowing. The only time it becomes an issue is when I try to use some other 3rd party extender plug and throw that in the mix as access points or extender rather than bridges (dongles into the back of the TV or Skybox for example).
If you have an iPhone/iPad then it is a doddle to set up. My internet comes through a BT Home Hub 5 and I have the wireless tuurned off letting the Apple Airport Extreme to deal with that.

No doubt there will be a cheaper solution, but this works for me.