Legacy Open Mesh: How Do I Configure Roaming VLANs on Managed Switches?
Question
How do I configure roaming VLANs on managed switches?
Environment
- Open Mesh Switches
Answer
The access point firmware will attempt to allow client devices to roam between different access points on non-bridged SSIDs via the SSID's "Roaming VLAN". On managed switches these VLANs need to be enabled on the ports the access points are connected to. Nothing needs to be enabled on an unmanaged switch, as VLAN traffic should pass through such switches.
Roaming VLANs are not used for bridged SSIDs, as traffic is sent straight to the local network.
On a manged switch you'll need to allow the following VLAN IDs on the ports the access points are connected to:
VLAN IDs:
- 991 - Used for SSID 1 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
- 992 - Used for SSID 2 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
- 993 - Used for SSID 3 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
- 994 - Used for SSID 4 roaming, when bridged mode is disabled
If you have two or more switches connected into each other, the VLAN IDs should be enabled on the uplink ports connecting the switches. No other devices should use these VLANs, and there shouldn't be any DHCP servers operating on the VLANs.
Regardless of roaming method used, roaming performance can vary, as it is heavily dependent on the client device. Please also review the Client Roaming Frequently Asked Questions.
