Multiple devolo dLAN 500 wifi with iOS devices

Question

Recently splashed out on a set of Devolo dLAN 500 wifi adapters which, using "WIFI Move" automatically share the same SSID and password to each of the adapters.
In theory this seems like a good idea as your devices see a single SSID and connect to the strongest signal as you move around your house.
So much for theory. I find iPads and iPhones routinely get confused and connect to the weakest signal  - even if you're standing right next to one of the adapters.
For now the only work around I've found it so have different SSIDs on each devolo and manually switch networks when iOS refuses to.
Cant believe I've the only person seeing this!
FWIW Devolo tehc support pretty useless, but given my static desktop PC and Mac don't have a problem it looks to me perhaps more like an iOS/devolo specific thing.

Answer 1

I can explain a little, as I explain, IOS and Mac OS X are not using the same roaming solution, and are not even storing the Access Point information in the same way ;-P
and before I forgot, if you don't have the BSSID identical, then you need to sign in to all the access point one by one, so it'll store the info SSID/BSSID/security info for each ofr them and roaming is possible, this is probably why you have this issue, and I suppose your installation hase an issue : you need to be sure your laptop connect to ALL the access point one by one Avoid giving your wireless network a common name (SSID) - Apple Support (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201307), and store all the crendential at least one time ;-)
After, to optimize your connection, it seems your "radio" plan is working ;-)
as mentioned before, on iOS, especially, it's a fix logic without real empiric testing it seems, and is hard to manage except if you have a network assisted roaming (802.11k and 802.11r), as wifi roaming have been devoted to be a end point task, and not a network task (the opposite of your mobile phone, where this is network assisted task, the network help you and have capability to roam without network interruption, even calls or data interruption !)
on Mac OSX, this is different, and here is the solution to make your macbook "smarter" when connecting to the wifi and handling roaming
first, you have a tool to check how your mac is deciding the network and fallback /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/airport
This tools, allow you to configure it's behavior, and check if first
admin$ sudo /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/air port en0 prefs
AirPort preferences for en0:
DisconnectOnLogout=NO
Unable to retrieve JoinMode
JoinModeFallback=DoNothing
RememberRecentNetworks=NO
RequireAdminIBSS=NO
RequireAdminNetworkChange=NO
RequireAdminPowerToggle=NO
WoWEnabled=YES
By default, here, on Yosemite, the JoinMode is not set, meaning, it use the default, which is "Ask"
  prefs If specified with no key value pairs, displays a subset of AirPort preferences for
  the specified interface.
  Preferences may be configured using key=value syntax. Keys and possible values are specified below.
  Boolean settings may be configured using 'YES' and 'NO'.
  DisconnectOnLogout (Boolean)
  JoinMode (String)
  Automatic
  Preferred
  Ranked
  Recent
  Strongest
  JoinModeFallback (String)
  Prompt
  JoinOpen
  KeepLooking
  DoNothing
  RememberRecentNetworks (Boolean)
  RequireAdmin (Boolean)
  RequireAdminIBSS (Boolean)
  RequireAdminNetworkChange (Boolean)
  RequireAdminPowerToggle (Boolean)
  WoWEnabled (Boolean)
So, to be sure the macbook is roaming properly, you need to :
   _ have the access point accessed alreayd ont time (same SSID, BSSID and security would be perfect, if only SSID and security, this is good enough normally)
   _ change the JoinMode and JoinModeFallback to the following settings :
         _ JoinMode=Strongest
         _ JoinModeFallBack=KeepLooking
it works actually well in a non assisted environment, enterprise wise (with more than 200 access point from Ubiquiti), so, you give it a try, and let me know if you behavior is the one expected, and you can try actually multiple combinaisons for the joinMode, as every environment, especially house, are different, and others "rogue" access point maybe causing issue to Mac OS X.
take care, have a great day
Fabien.
PS : if you need to check the quality and power of the different access point, you can simply press the wifi icon in the menu bar with the "alt" pressed, or use /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resourc es/airport -s to have the listing of the wifi SSID and BSSID around.