BiPac 880AXL R2 guest access points on 2.4 & 5 gHz are being detected as better signal than the main SSID

[Ksaro1]

I've enabled guest SSIDs on both the 2.4 and 5gHz channels of my BiPac router and set the passcodes to an easy to remember passcode so that when I have visitors they can connect their mobile devices to my BiPac with an easy to remember passcode. However, I then find that my own mobile devices' WiFi connections detect the guest SSIDs as all having a better signal than the main SSID and they then auto-connect to the SSID with the best signal.

Now, I can remove the guest SSID's from my own devices' list of SSIDs, but that still doesn't explain why these devices all detect the guest SSIDs as having a better signal than the main SSID.

Has anyone else noticed this behaviour? And, is there any explanation for this?

[billion_fan]

I've enabled guest SSIDs on both the 2.4 and 5gHz channels of my BiPac router and set the passcodes to an easy to remember passcode so that when I have visitors they can connect their mobile devices to my BiPac with an easy to remember passcode. However, I then find that my own mobile devices' WiFi connections detect the guest SSIDs as all having a better signal than the main SSID and they then auto-connect to the SSID with the best signal.

Now, I can remove the guest SSID's from my own devices' list of SSIDs, but that still doesn't explain why these devices all detect the guest SSIDs as having a better signal than the main SSID.

Has anyone else noticed this behaviour? And, is there any explanation for this?

I have your config loaded here and all the guest wifi networks show the same dbm (this is expected as the guest wifi networks are virtual SSID's so running from the same 5ghz chip)

See attached screen shot

I would advise you, to remove the main SSID or forget this network, and add it again on your devices, this way your devices will connect to this network first (as it was the last one added) and it will be at the top of the stored wireless profiles. (just like on a windows PC they have a list stored wireless networks, and list them from top to bottom windows try to connect to the SSID at the top of the list first)

[Ksaro1]

@billion_fan - I've done as you suggested and my phone still shows the main SSID as average quality and the other SSID's as good quality.

[billion_fan]

@billion_fan - I've done as you suggested and my phone still shows the main SSID as average quality and the other SSID's as good quality.

The virtual SSID's run off the same chipset so they should be the same signal strength when checking with wifi app/analyser (just like the picture I posted above)

[Ksaro1]

@billion_fan - I understand.

Can it be my phone? I'm using a Huawei Honor 9 Lite.

Screenshot_20201014_115619_com.android.settings.jpg

[billion_fan]

@billion_fan - I understand.

Can it be my phone? I'm using a Huawei Honor 9 Lite.

Screenshot_20201014_115619_com.android.settings.jpg

I would use a app for more accurate results, you should be able to get wifi analyser from the play store.

[Ksaro1]

@billion_fan - Maybe I'll bring this up on the Huawei forum. My question isn't about the real signal strength. It is about why the Huawei thinks the main SSID is a lower signal strength than the other SSID's on the same band. As you point out, they are all the same module on the 8800AXL that is putting out the signal, so they should all be equal in strength. And I have used an analyser app on the phone and it does show, like yours, that the signals from all 3 guest and main SSID are the same strength. Where the difference shows is in the available networks on the WiFi section of the Wireless & networks section of the Settings on the Huawei phone. Perhaps there is some mismatch between Huawei and what the 8800AXL provides?

[billion_fan]

@billion_fan - Maybe I'll bring this up on the Huawei forum. My question isn't about the real signal strength. It is about why the Huawei thinks the main SSID is a lower signal strength than the other SSID's on the same band. As you point out, they are all the same module on the 8800AXL that is putting out the signal, so they should all be equal in strength. And I have used an analyser app on the phone and it does show, like yours, that the signals from all 3 guest and main SSID are the same strength. Where the difference shows is in the available networks on the WiFi section of the Wireless & networks section of the Settings on the Huawei phone. Perhaps there is some mismatch between Huawei and what the 8800AXL provides?

Well I think Huawei will have to check that