Hi Could I ask

I have the wireless version of the 2860 and want to have the Mesh 903AP attached to it , then a mesh of 802's. I use 2 SSIDs one for the 2MHZ and 1 for the 5. I want to use the same SSIDs so that people can roam happily

Am I right in thinking I should turn off the wireless lan on the 2860 otherwise there will be a clash of SSIDs and channels with the 903 AP

Many thanks

I don't see why there should be any "clash" of SSIDs - the 2860 will not be part of your "mesh" but so what?

remember that it's the wifi client that decides what it's going to connect to. If there's a signal, whether from the 2860 or from an AP, it can decide to connect to it if it's in the mood...and it can also decide to hang on to the death despite there being a much better offer nearby - a bit like Brexit really....

Good luck with achieving "happy roaming" :lol:

Draytek's AP-assist feature ( https://www.draytek.co.uk/support/guides/kb-ap-mobility ) may help you on your way, although they say that it only works with APs that are part of the wired network

Intriguingly (perhaps) I have just incorporated my 2926ac as the mesh root into a mesh of 4 AP903 nodes. It has the same SSIDs on both 2.4 and 5 as the nodes. However, none of my devices connect to it on either band although it is only about 1 metre away from them - they prefer to connect to one of the more distant nodes. I don't understand it either....

Many thanks for your reply, Im trying to get wifi coverage in a different room and to move the 903 from one room and use the 2860 Wireless lan would be really handy.

Im not quite sure but are you thinking happy roaming might be a bit naieve, maybe like brexit?? First time Ive done it, I just used a wifi lan and theres places to get better signal and places not to, Ive always used a wire where I could

Best wishes

I've just added an extra bit to my post - roaming is definitely in my experience a "dark art" - why, for example, do none of my devices want to connect to the nearby router?

Edit - and just to verify Sod's law - my iPhone has just connected to the router! Took it several days to decide though.....

Ah I thought you might be pointing to roaming being a dark art.

From what you said and from thinking\testing, I bought an extra 903 and configured it as a wired mesh node by selecting the wired uplink in the mesh set up. Everything looks good, in the mesh group,subnet, same SSID\password as other nodes but it has zero clients (Im sure there a covidesque joke here but Im struggling to find one!). Even when I take an android phone in front of it, turn off wifi and back on again it gets picked up by a nearby node that has quite a weak signal. All 903/802 have Roaming\Minimum requirment selected so they dont hang on to clients when there are stronger signals around.

I would add that the wired uplink goest through 2 switches, then the 2860 before it gets to the 903

I do notice that the 903 has wpa personal where the 802s are WPA\PSK, I dont suppose you know if this would cause a problem and mean you couldnt roam from an 802 to a 903? As I understand a Mesh you need agreement on SSID\Password and subnet and thats all (?).

Maybe its a case of watchful waiting and invocations of the dark arts?

You have set them all to WPA2 Personal and not a mix of WPA2 and WPA Personal? That would cause a problem I think.

Personal just seems to be their "new" name for PSK (Pre-Shared Key)

If all are set the same then I see no reason why your Android device does not connect, although as I say above my iPhone took a few days before it decided that it could trust the router :lol:

...and just this afternoon two of my IOT devices - an Echo and a KASA switch - have decided to connect to the router as well, although their positions and the other APs have not changed