Controller-Based APs and Standalone in Same Building

[Ninjabean]

We are replacing old standalone APs with controller based in a big warehouse, that demands no downtime.  To do this, we are just replacing one at a time, but they want them to have the same SSIDs - so of course these APs are overlapping, causing forklifts and such to lose connection presumably because they are "confused" about which AP to join.  I am assuming that the standalone and controller based APs do not "see" each other and manipulate their signal strength, which is causing the issue.  

Other than manually tweaking the power of each AP until we find the sweet spot, is there anything else that can be done? By doing this, I worry that there will be manufactured dead zones because we cannot be as precise as the APs algorithms to determine coverage are.  Plus, because a new AP is being swapped out every hour or so, the landscape keeps changing.

[Sathiyanarayanan Ravindran]

Which model APs your going to convert?

Currently how they are connected ?

[Ninjabean]

The old models are 1240AG. They are currently all stand alone, using power injectors back to a 100mb switch.

[marce1000 · Accepted solution]

 - Looking for trouble since the controller based AP's will 'honestly' try to make a complete coverage of the area and regulate TPC and DCA accordingly (per access point). Better to do this in a production-shutdown period and make a complete-sweep of the ap-swapping process during that instance.

M.

[Ninjabean]

This was my fear as well. I appreciate your insight, currently trying to get more guys out there to complete this as quickly as possible!

[Leo Laohoo]

There will be a downtime.
1. When the wireless client re-authenticate from the old autonomous AP to the new controller-based AP.
2. When traffic goes from autonomous to controller-based AP.