We are upgrading part of our network using Aruba AP-105s and a pair of
3600 controllers.
We've found an annoying problem when we have band steering turned on.
We've create two SSIDs. Lets call them BandSteering and NoBandSteering.
When users are relatively close to an access point, they can connect to
either. My MacBook will usually connect using 2.4 Ghz on NoBandSteering
and will always connect using 5ghz to BandSteering. When a user is
further away from the access point, however, they can connect fine to
NoBandSteering (obviously it is slower than when they were closer) but
can't connect at all to the BandSteering SSID. It doesn't fail back to
2.4ghz, and the clients don't recognize that they can't connect and
connect to NoBandSteering if that's lower in their preferred networks list.
The effect is that, understandably, users will select the NoBandSteering
SSID because it is more reliable. (Even though it is slower in most cases.)
Aruba suggested that I try setting the 5ghz ARM profile to always max
out the 5ghz radio, which helps some but does not eliminate the areas
where 2.4ghz works and 5ghz doesn't.
So, my questions are:
1. Are people using band steering?
2. Have you found the same problem?
3. Is there a way to fix it? (Other than turning off bandsteering.)
4. I suppose a related question is, is there a way to make client
computers prefer 5ghz more?
I guess we'll probably just not use band steering if we can't find a
solution, but it would be a shame not to better utilize the 5ghz
spectrum better.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Ethan
--
Ethan Sommer
Associate Director of Core Services
Gustavus Technology Services
somm...@gustavus.edu
507-933-7042
**********
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