The new version of the OS 2.13.c0 operating system was released on 09/20/2018. With this version, supported support for IEEE 802.11k / 802.11r standards in manual adjustment mode.
Thanks to the new mechanism "Seamless roaming Wi-Fi" Switching on your mobile phone from one access point to the other instead of five seconds, is now only 100 ms. With the help of seamless roaming, clients connected via Wi-Fi, when moving from a coating zone of one router kinetics to another, will not notice how quickly switching between devices. Thus, even telephone conversations Voice Over Wi-Fi will take place without interrupting.
How does seamless roaming for Wi-Fi Keeneti?
As it was before?
In a large room, for example, in a country house or a two-story apartment, two devices are installed. On the first floor, the Internet Center is located, the second device on the top floor is connected to the first cable and works in the "Access point" mode. If, the user wants to communicate through video calls, for example, in Skype, while moving from the first floor to the second, at a certain point it will leave the coverage area of \u200b\u200bthe first device and, accordingly, will turn off from WiFi network.
Even if your smartphone is the last model, knowing the second device network, connects to it literally in seconds, the Skype call will still be interrupted. The same will happen if you download files or send them. In any case, the action will be interrupted due to reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network and a short pause when exchanging data.
As it is now?
Seamless roaming Keenetic standard 802.11k / R allows you to avoid complete reconnection of the device in two receptions. When using the 802.11k communication standard, the client device does not spend time on the full ether scan and search for access points, the device is known in advance about which networks are preferable. Thanks to the 20002.11R communication standard, the authentication time in the new network is significantly reduced. As a result, the process of reconnection to the network is reduced to one hundred microseconds, which is not noticeable for the user.
This seamless connection is particularly relevant to ensure a stable connection in IP telephony.
What devices support seamless Wi-Fi?
"Seamless Wi-Fi Roaming" support all models of Keenetic Internet centers (dual-band and single-band), all devices for which the new version of the Keenetic OS 2.13 operating system has been released. These include all the kinetics of the previous and last generation, most of those are available on sale.
How to set up Keenetic seamless roaming?
Detailed setup guide, you can find in the Keenetic database . Here we will dwell only at the main points:
Easy to set up Keenetic seamless roaming for the main segment "Home network"you can using a web interface. To configure the same features for "G.sea Network» or other arbitrary segments, you must resort to the command line;
On dual-band kinetics, both one network and both Wi-Fi network 2.4 and 5 GHz with the same settings (name, key, work schedule) can be enabled;
Identifiers for one segment should be the same on all devices;
Keys and SSID mobile domains must be the same.
You can configure the kinetics through the web interface only if it works in "Main" or "Access Point" modes. For the "amplifier" mode, the configuration is possible only using the command line.
What clients support seamless Wi-Fi roaming?
Smartphones and tablets should also support seamless Wi-Fi roaming according to IEEE 802.11k / R standards. To learn exactly how the specific model is supported by this standard in the technical documentation from the manufacturer. Note that most of the modern Apple and Samsung devices support this standard.
802.11R. Fast Switch between dots (handover)
Many Wi-Fi manufacturers promise seamless switching between access points using their "brilliant" protocol.
Despite the beautiful promises, in practice, delays in switching (Handler), there may be significantly more than the declared 50-100 ms (switching can take up to 10 seconds when using the WPA2-Enterprise protocol). The fact is that the decision to transition to another access point is always accepted by client equipment. Those. Your smartphone, laptop or tablet itself decides when it is switched and how to do it.
Often the proprietary protocols of well-known Wi-Fi manufacturers are based on forced device deewate deficiency with a worsening of the signal quality. Sometimes in the Wi-Fi settings, you can set "roaming aggressiveness" - the minimum signal value in which the device will be "discarded" from the network. Often, client equipment reacts incorrectly to such a "pink under the ass". A TCP session is broken, the download files stops. Complete connection with mail server, virtual machine. Connecting to the SIP server requires re-authentication.
Quite often a client device instead of connecting to the next point with the best signal ( it pushes it to this decisionWi-Ficontroller) To no avail attempts to restore the connection with the same point. Even worse, if the device tries to cling to another network from the list of saved (for example, a guest network).
But even if the switching process passes according to the plan, a significant time takes a re-sharing of keys (EAP) and authorization on the RADIUS server (WPA-2 Enterprise).
To solve these problems, the Wi-Fi Association was developed by 802.11R. Currently, most mobile devices are supported (Apple starting with iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition, ...)
The essence of 802.11r is that the mobile device knows his own and other people's points across the signal to the mobile domain (MDIE). This signal is added to the signal beacon (SSID Beacon).
If your iPhone seen a point from your mobile domain with a better signal / noise level, it is before you start the switching procedure according to the existing "thread" performs pre-authorization on the other point of mobile domain.
Secondly, authorization passes through a simplified scenario - instead of a long authorization on the RADIUS server, the client device communicates with the Wi-Fi controller PMK-R1. (The source key PMK-R0 is transmitted only during primary authentication and is stored in the Wi-Fi controller memory).
At the moment when the other point is "rear" authorized the device, the handover itself occurs. Migration of the frequency and channel in the smartphone takes no more than 50 miliecans. In most cases, it takes absolutely unlocked for the user.
When choosing a solution for office Wi-Fi network - pay attention to whether the selected equipment maintains an open roaming protocol 802.11R, understandable for client devices. For example, EDIMAX Pro equipment fully supports this protocol, so no roaming problems occur in most cases. However, if your device is old and does not understand the 802.11r protocol, it is possible to configure roaming aggressive on the basis of a signal reduction below the threshold value - how other Wi-Fi manufacturers do, feeding as an "innovative solution".
802.11 K.Wireless Load Balancing
In addition to roaming problems, often corporate users have to deal with overload of one access point. In the classical implementation of Wi-Fi, all devices seek to connect to the access point with the best signal. Sometimes as a result of the wrong point of the point (radio plane error), all the "office inhabitants" are recorded at one point, and the rest "rest".
Due to the uneven load, the speed of the local network strongly falls, since the radio is one of the big "hub", where the devices "speak turns".
For smoothing the unevenness and the optimal distribution of users between points operating on different radio channels, the 802.11k protocol was developed.
802.11k works in a bundle from 802.11R (as a rule, devices supporting "R" - Standard, also support "K" - Standard).
If the mobile device "sees" the beacon signal from other points consisting in the same mobile domain, the device refers to the "Radio Measurement Request Frame" broadcast, which requests information about the current state of other access points within the visibility zone:
the number of registered users
average channel speed (number of packets transmitted)
how many bytes were transferred at a certain time interval
In the extended standard of the client smartphone, the client's smartphone may request a channel status from other mobile devices connected to a potentially interesting access point that supported 802.11k. Devices are responsible not only about real statistics, but also about signal / noise status.
Thus, if your smartphone sees 2 or more points within one mobile domain, it will select the point not with the best signal, but a point that will provide a greater connection speed to the local network (less loaded).
Reception conditions, the number of users and the load on the point may vary dynamically, but using the 802.11k and 802.11r protocol, the devices will be unnoticed and the load on the network will always be distributed evenly.
Many manufacturers using prohibyether protocols implement the 502.11k semblance when the "overloaded" point is forcibly disable customers with the worst reception conditions or limits the maximum number of simultaneously registered devices and disables the registration if the number of customers exceeded the limits. These proprietary protocols are not as effective, but still do not give the Wi-Fi network to collapse at all.
How to save on radio plane due to802.11K.
The use of equipment with support for 802.11R and 802.11k protocols is partly correcting errors made during radio plane. Dynamic protocols with roaming support make it possible to prevent overloads of individual points and distribute the load between points evenly over the network.
The WiFi-Solutions command recommends always to do radio plane, but sometimes in small networks, you can put the points chaotically. Dynamic protocols will improve the quality of Wi-Fi and the load distribution between the channels of neighboring points.
The use of dynamic protocols for seamless roaming allows to reduce the overlap zones. Thus, it is possible to provide high-quality coverage with a smaller number of points. Savings on equipment - up to 25%.
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Various wireless devices are being gained popularity, for which high-speed network access is possible only by WiFi. This is iPad / iPhone, and other mobile gadgets. When you want to organize WiFi access on the area of \u200b\u200b30 square meters. m., the installation of the usual DLink for 1200 rubles, all your problems will decide, but if you have an area of\u003e 500 square meters. m. And this is only one flood, this solution is not suitable. If you use the usual access points or routers, then each router will have its own name of the network (unique SSID) or the routers will need to be cut away so that the coating zones do not overlap, and this will lead to the appearance of zones with very poor reception quality, or, in general, absent Signal. Sowing six months ago, I encountered the same problem, the decision was quite quickly unifi.
An example of installing WiFi Unifi in a car wash with multiple buildings.
UNIFI provides the coating of the Wireless Network School District Arcadia in California (translation).
Unifi provides wireless access to high-class hotels in Peru (translation).
WiFi Points of UNIFI Points:
One network for all WiFi points.
Attractive design.
Easy installation, PoE.
Displays the coating zone and location of access points on the administrator display.
Centralized wireless network management.
Guest networks, without access to the local network.
Creating temporary passwords for guest users.
Automatic update on access points.
High scalability: up to 100 or more points.
Multiple wireless networks with delimitation of access rights.
Separation of traffic network traffic via VLAN.
Fast intrapete roaming when switching between access points.
Tracking user traffic, definition of high load sources.
Large coverage area.
The possibility of generating disposable time passwords (relevant for common areas: hotels, cafes, etc.)
Connecting points in repeater mode.
Overview of the possibilities of the UNIFI Controller controller here.
The introduction of WiFi from Ubiquity in Peru hotels here (translation).
Hardware controller for ubiquiti unifi. Unifi Cloud Key.
How it looks in practice:
A software controller is installed on one of the network computers, which makes all the wireless network settings.
Through this controller, all the settings of the points and network parameters are subsequently produced. Below a pair of screenshots of settings and appearance.
This is a plan of the building indicating the points of installation points.
Setting up a guest network, without access to corporate resources.
Monitoring active customers.
Monitor access points.
View from above.
The installation process and settings are extremely simple:
1. Set the point and connect them to the local network, UNIFI support PoE so that only Ethernet socket is needed to connect them.
2. Set the software controller to any network computer, customize the parameters of WiFi networks, initialize the points, after initialization, settings from the controller will be applied at the point, and the point will be ready for operation. Even when the controller is turned off, the settings are saved on points.
In the corporate environment, WiFi performs an increasingly noticeable function and plays an ever-increasing role. A smartphone or tablet can be connected to WiFi, but it is much more important, a corporate phone, a mobile data collection terminal or an online cashier for receiving payments and print checks. Well, if the scope of the WiFi network is small, and you can do an ordinary inexpensive point of access, but you can do how to be if a wireless connection needs to cover thousands of square meters on several floors? Options definitely have.
Firstly, You can "apply" a set of WiFi networks on a set of autonomous access points. The option is bad because such economy is difficult and inconvenient to manageWhen moving through the territory of the enterprise, some mobile devices will have to switch between these networks manually, and, most importantly, all this will have to explain to users who are not always well understood in IT, and simply unable to absorb these wisdom. Plus, such a decision has only one: it is cheap.
Secondly, can to broadcast one WiFi network using the same type of stand-alone access points with WDS technology. The main minus of such a solution is that the overwhelming, absolute and unconditional majority of more or less affordable (up to 300 USD) access points of popular vendors work ugly in WDS mode. Broadcasting may disappear and restored, connectivity between the main and dependent access points will be disturbed, and mobile devices will lose touch and, together with it, their functional characteristics. So it is better to leave this option for real samurai.
An ideologically and technologically correct option is considered to use the controller and dependent access points. It is this option that is called "seamless WiFi". Its essence is that one centralized controller device can be the essence of it, and one centralized controller device is carried out by their broadcasting. Controller:
- monitors the state of the subordinate access points, the load on them;
- adjusts the signal power and bandwidth depending on the number of customers and the nature of their work;
- independently restores maintenance-free due to the failures of the region's equipment by increasing the coverage area from near access points;
- provides web authentication and dynamic accounts for realization of the so-called. "Guest Access" (for some controllers, options like printers to generate and print temporary user accounting data);
- provides quick roaming, with which you can freely move, for example, with a wifi-phone between the coverage zones of different access points, without interrupting the conversation and without watching any connection interruptions. The controller at the same time "rams" to your device signal from the closest access point.
Modern controllers allow you to connect WiFi access points in repeater mode (so-called MESH technology) without a cable connection to the network, and also provide integration with adjacent IT systems (for example, Active Directory, geolocation services, etc.).
What to build seamless Wi-Fi
In our catalog of solutions, options for household, corporate and sectoral WiFi solutions are already scrupulously selected and described :. And if you go "by top", then the most successful options for seamless Wi-Fi on the market are represented by the following vendors:
2. In the Middle-End segment, another American manufacturer reigns. Relatively inexpensive, Cambium is also distinguished by reliability and high performance.
Like Ruckus Unleashed, Cambium can also work in the network control mode without a controller. At Cambium, this ecosystem is called AutoPilot, it supports up to 32 network access points and up to 1000 wireless customers. It is functionally almost not inferior to the version with the controller, besides, it does not require any investment, in addition to the purchase of access point themselves, you do not need to buy licenses, service contracts and their updates.
Is it necessary faster, higher, stronger? You are welcome! Free cloud cNMAESTRO controller supports up to 4,000 access points and up to 25,000 wireless customers. The software can be completely installed at your own server, if the beliefs do not allow you to use cloud solutions. With the functionality of Cambium, too, everything is in order: there are also centralized management of the ecosystem, and geolocation services, analytics, radio analysis, integration with adjacent systems ... In general, everything that the soul wants.
The disadvantage of Cambium can be considered a relatively poor line of access points :. Although everything you need in it is present: there are access points with sectoral antennas, with support for 802.11ac Wave 2, MU-MIMO 4x4: 4, street and for premises. In general, a complete gentleman set to your service!
3. In the budget segment, competition is significantly higher, but we allocate TP-LINK among other audacious Chinese. This is the main and most interesting Ubiquiti competitor (which will be below), although this comparison in 2019 is not flattering for TP-LINK.
To begin with, let's figure it out with the TP-LINK label itself: actually two of them. There is a TP-LINK that makes cheap home routers and plastic switches, and there is a TP-LINK that makes the products of the Enterprise line - WiFi systems, SMART series switches, accessories to them. This, in fact, 2 different companies, because between these two directions no intersection points Neither in the field of scientific research, nor in production lines. And, objectivity for the sake of Enterprise TP-LINK is much higher than the quality than his younger fellow, specializing in products for Soho.
Now to WiFi. TP-LINK has a lineup auranet cap - Currently in some forgotten (but it is temporary). Ceiling solution - 500 access points, 10,000 wireless clients. Controllers are only hardware, 50 or 500 access points. Access points - in a fairly old, "Topoon" design, but with support for honest seamless roaming in accordance with 802.11k / V standards, Beamforming, Band Steering, AirTime Fairness - In general, the set is completely complete. High Density on TP-LINK, of course, not to provide, but the activities of 200-300 users in one hall were already served, and the customers did not cause any complaints.
The second ecosystem at TP-LINK is called OmadaIt presents the access points of the EAP series. The controller - Omada Controller - is available in hardware version (with a limit of 50 access points in the 1st network), but there is also a software that can be installed on a Windows or Linux server. Access points EAP look modern, and, by itself, you can know everything that you need to be able in 2019 by self-respecting access point.
4. Our next patient - Ubiquiti Unifi series. This is when I want to be beautiful and cheap. And "beautifully" with ubiquiti will be constantly, because They all have been subordinate to design: from packaging before design interface design. And the design is really hardly the best in the industry. In general, the products of ubiquiti are characterized by an extremely low price with a fairly high quality product as a whole.
The main minus ubiquiti is that the WiFi is truly seamless roaming in accordance with IEEE standards, he still does not support, offering in return to its proprietary implementation. Which works, well, let's say so so. Therefore, if you need to organize impeccable WiFi client roaming with voice or video applies, then ubiquiti, as it is sad, you will not work. The same applies to High Density - this is not about ubiquiti. In general, the radio frequencies of Ubiquiti are far from the ideal, but thanks to a powerful component base, a very wide range of equipment and proper marketing policies, they are still one of the most popular WiFi-solutions manufacturers. In Russia, Ubiquiti has another 2 significant disadvantages: the lack of official service and representation. The first means that the warranty on the territory of the Russian Federation works a little better than in any way, and the second is that you will not have technical support, nor certificates for equipment (which closes him the road to state enterprises and to telecom operators).
The advantage of Ubiquiti - in their UNIFI ecosystem, which is now not only WiFi equipment, but also switches, routers, video surveillance, telephony, and recently even some of the components of the smart home. Moreover, the management of all this economy is available through very beautiful and convenient applications (including mobile), integrated with the "cloud" ubiquiti, i.e. "Challenge" Unifi Ecosystem You can from anywhere in the planet, and this is without any dancing with ports of ports, static IP addresses and other leaps. In general, it is really convenient.
5. MIKROTIK, EDIMAX, WISNETWORKS, TG-NET, etc.The 5th point in this list we will be adding only because the number 5 is more beautiful than 4. Well, or the reputation is better. The objectively listed here, the vendors are not yet reaching even to the level of ubiquiti (they may not be worse, but by the aggregate of the factors of their perception by the market are not so significant), but they still take some kind of niche in the market and are some popular.
We boast bold: we have accumulated extensive experience in the deployment of large Wi-Fi networks, we have time to "touch" the most diverse solutions of most profile vendors, and we know their strengths and pitfalls. We are ready to apply your experience for designing and installing wireless networks at your enterprise. - Save your time and money!
In this article we will learn to create a single seamless wifi network On Mikrotik / Micro routers. Where can it come in handy? For example, in a different kind of café or hotels, where one Wi-Fi router is not enough to cover all rooms and accessing the Internet, and with a large number of access points there are constantly different kind of problems: the connection constantly disappears on laptops, and mobile devices do not switch independently on Nearest access point.
The solution of this situation is a seamless roaming WiFi network or Handover, which we can get thanks to the Capsman functionality from several microtic routers, one of which will be WiFi controller, and the rest of the access points controlled by this controller.
The first thing to do is to upgrade to the latest version of software. Firmware can be downloaded on the official website. Next, going to the Mikrotik interface, drag it to the Files section and overload the router. Together with the firmware, you also need to download the Wireless Caps MAN package, drag to the same place and overload. After the actions produced, you can go to the setting.
Let's start with the controller. Open the Capsman section by clicking the appropriate button in the main menu. In the Interfaces tab, click the Manager button (turn on the controller mode) and in the window that appears, we put the jack of Enable, saved OK. After that, go to the Configurations tab.
Configuration settings will be distributed to all access points connected to the controller. Click on the blue cross and in the Wireless tab, specify the configuration name (3), wireless network mode (4), network name (5), and also include all wireless antennas for reception and transmit (6), saved (7) and go to the Channel tab .
Here we indicate the frequency (2), the broadcasting format of the wireless network (3) and the channel (4). Store (5) and go to the Datapath tab.
Here we only need to put a tick in Local Forwarding - this will transmit traffic control points. It remains to fill out the latest tab of the Security.
In the Security section, select the authentication type, encryption method and password to the wireless network, click OK.
After you have created a configuration, go to the next item - deployment. In the same section of Capsman, select the Provisioning tab (1) and click the Blue Cross. The Radio Mac (2) field allows you to select a specific access point to which our deployment will relate. We leave it by default so that the deployment relates to all points of access. In the next Action field (3), select CreateDynamicEnabled, since we have a dynamic interface. In Master Configuration (4), specify the name of the configuration created above.
The Capsman section has been completed, go to the Wireless section (1). In the Interfaces tab, clamp the CAP button (3), we set the Enabled (4) tick, select the WLAN1 interface and specify the IP address of our main router, which is part-time the controller.
If we did everything right, then two red lines will appear in the Interfaces tab, which indicate that the Wi-Fi adapter connects to the controller and adopted all the necessary settings.
On this setting the main router controller is completed, and this network can be used to create a telephone network and connect to office PBX
Configuring access points that will connect to the controller by the Ethernet cable, quite simple. They also need to flash to the latest version and install CAPS MAN. Next, we combine all ports and Wi-Fi interface to one Bridge in the section of the same name.
The next step in the Wireless section is done by the same as on the controller, except that instead of an IP address in CAPS MAN Addresses, specify the BRIDGE-created point in the Discovery Interfaces field. After the manipulations have done, the access point will receive settings from the controller and will distribute Wi-Fi (the same two red lines should appear in the Interfaces tab).
