ePMP 1000 Perferred AP

With al the frequencies checked in the frequency list - If one programs a 1000 SM (example 5 Ghz Force 180) to connect to a Preferred AP - and at some point that AP dies (so that the Force 180 can no longer register with the Preferred AP) - isn’t the firmware in the SM supposed to start scanning again to allow the SM to lock onto another AP that it can see?

We are using version 4.56 and what we are seeing on multiple radios is that the SM’s will never lock onto another AP that is on the same tower and has good signal strength at the SM.

We are seeing multiple Force 180 with 4.56 have this problem. We have to drive to each customers location, log into each SM, take the Preferred AP out of the SM and reboot - to get each SM to register with another AP.

Anybody seen this problem?

Assuming that you’ve entered the secondary/other AP’s SSID’s into the SM SSID scan list… yes, that is how it works. We’ve used this feature before in migrating or splitting up users on a sector.

1 Like

Are you saying that a second AP (that is on the same tower) HAS to be listed as a second line item in the Perferred AP List in each SM in order for it to get it to register with another AP with a strong signal that is on the same tower?

I would expect SM’s that can no longer register with the single AP that is in the Perferred List (due to a catastropic failure with the primary AP) - to try to register with other SM’s that it could see on the same tower.

It that is the case, then one has to go to each and every customer was originally registered with the failed AP and reprogram each and every SM for the customers to regain connectivity.

This is what we are having to do after their primary AP failed.

Is this normal?

Hi. If you leave the list blank, then they will register with the strongest AP, and if that one reboots or whatever, they will register with the next strongest, and so on. However, if you populate the list with anything, that becomes a “everything in this list, but nothing else” situation.

So, yes… if you want an SM to the West of your tower to normally associate with the West Sector, but if you want it to connect to North if West is down… then yes, you’d need to put WEST and then NORTH in the list.

The problem with that, is that they don’t ‘rescan’ - ever. So if West reboots, or if you do a firmware upgrade and reboot it (or whatever) then all the stations will go over to NORTH, and they will never come back on their own.

The feature request to automatically rescan and climb back up the Preferred AP list has been ‘under consideration’ for years, so I wouldn’t expect that idea to see the light of day anytime soon.

2 Likes

Biggest fault of epmp imho.