wifi APs not sharing the load equally

[lequi1963]

Hi All,

We set up a wifi network for a business customer several years ago and it works well for them.

The business has 8 x APs 3720 setup in a standard big room and several POS pcs using the wifi go back to WLC in head office. 

Recently,  they complained that the POS is very slow & unworkable.

We checked and discovered that all the POSs for some reasons all connected to a particular single APs instead of different APs to share the load!

We checked the 8 x APs settings and they all co-work together & tx power automatically set at different levels.

1) How do we get the POS system each to connect to a different AP to share the load instead of congregate to a single AP.

2) is it the POS's client the issue here - maybe the PC/client software need to an update?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

Ql

[Haydn Andrews]

Technically it is the clients decision on which AP to associate to. You can utilise WLAN configs like load balancing - although generally I don’t recommend it as have seen it cause client performance issues.

Was a wireless survey done? What signal level are the POS devices getting, POS normally doesnt have large bandwidth requirements so even 20 devices connected to a single AP shouldnt be an issue.

[q-le]

Yes, a survey done several years ago - may be a new one needed with the so many devices out there now.

We are checking the POS's signal level today so will keep you posted.

Thanks

[Leo Laohoo]

Update the wireless NIC drivers.

[q-le]

we tried different RF Profiles on our WLC, reboot the APs etc

and the last resource is to get the customers to do the Update of the NIC drivers but their IT support is very very slow !!!. 

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@q-le wrote:
and the last resource is to get the customers to do the Update of the NIC drivers but their IT support is very very slow !!!. 

---

Software Center can remotely update the wireless NIC of the fleet laptops with one press of the button.  

Wireless NIC drivers is just one part of the solution.  All Intel-based wireless NIC has a settings called "Roaming Aggressiveness" and the default value (1 to 5 with 1 the lowest & 5 the highest) is "2" (Medium-Low)  Our corporate laptops have set Roaming Aggressiveness, using GP Update, to 4 (Medium-High).  

[q-le]

Found out the Tyro eftpos machines is the culprit here.

They attached to the wired POS terminals and when they lost wifi connection, the customer cannot close the sale on the POS hence the frustration.

The customer will try to get these Tyro portable EFTPOS machines to be upgraded.

Thanks all for their advices.