Czy wolisz polską wersję strony elektroda?
Nie, dziękuję Przekieruj mnie tamThis answer, and your summary of this answer, wasn't really helpful. I have devices (internet electrical switches) that are at a distance requiring the use of an extender or a repeater. If the extender uses a different SSID name (for the lights in the garage) things start to break down. The light switches want to be on the SAME network.
• Smart-home switches must remain in the same broadcast domain (same IP subnet, no extra NAT) to discover each other and to be reached by your phone/app.
• A traditional Wi-Fi “range-extender” set with a different SSID usually creates a second network segment; the devices will therefore drop off.
• Re-configure the extender to pure bridge/AP/mesh mode and let it broadcast exactly the same SSID, security type and pass-phrase as the main router, or replace it with a wired access-point or a true mesh system.
Key points
Networking fundamentals
• Smart switches rely on Layer-2 broadcast/multicast (mDNS, SSDP, ESP-Touch, Tuya SmartConfig, etc.). These frames stay inside one VLAN/subnet.
• If an extender is left in router/NAT mode it creates a second subnet (e.g. 192.168.0.x vs 192.168.1.x) → discovery packets are blocked → device appears “offline”.
• Even with different SSIDs on the same subnet, very cheap IoT radios “memorise” the AP MAC seen during onboarding; changing that environment can break reconnection. Using the same SSID removes that variable.
Classic repeater drawbacks
• Half-duplex operation: one radio relays every frame, halving airtime. OK for low-traffic switches but fragile if RSSI is low.
• Hidden-node and overlapping channel problems if router & extender sit on the same channel but can hear each other poorly.
• No 802.11k/v/r assistance → many IoT clients stay “sticky” to whichever BSSID they saw first; you may need to power-cycle them after deployment.
Why identical SSID works
• The APs expose one ESS (Extended Service Set). Provided both APs bridge to the same upstream LAN and the DHCP server stays unique, the network appears monolithic.
• Most modern clients, including recent ESP32/RTL chips used in smart switches, reconnect automatically when they see the same credentials and a stronger RSSI.
Channel planning
• For 2.4 GHz limit yourself to channels 1, 6 or 11. Put router on 1, extender on 6 (or AUTO) if possible; overlap about 20-30 %.
• Keep transmit-power moderate to avoid “far-loud” syndrome that prevents clients from roaming to the nearer AP.
Typical D-Link DAP-1520 setup sequence (pure bridge)
a. Factory-reset; connect to its temporary SSID.
b. Wizard → choose existing router SSID → edit proposed “-EXT” SSID field so it is exactly the same.
c. Copy WPA2/WPA3 key verbatim.
d. Select “bridge” (not “router”) if the menu offers a choice.
e. After reboot, verify on your phone: IP address must come from the main router’s pool, gateway = main router.
Verification & troubleshooting
• Use a Wi-Fi scanner (e.g. WiFi Analyzer, AirPort Utility) near the switch: RSSI better than −65 dBm is recommended.
• Ping the switch from a device connected to the main router. >1 % loss or >50 ms jitter indicates a weak backhaul → move extender, or switch to wired AP/powerline.
• If devices still “stick” to the distant router, temporarily disable the router’s 2.4 GHz radio, reboot the switches so they associate with the extender, re-enable the router.
• EasyMesh-certified products (latest Wi-Fi Alliance program) allow multi-vendor mesh with a single SSID and automatic roaming control.
• Wi-Fi 6/6E mesh kits (Eero 6+, Deco X55, Orbi RBK-series) add 802.11r fast-transition plus dedicated back-haul radios, eliminating the half-duplex penalty.
• Matter (formerly Project CHIP) and Thread wireless are emerging for smart-home: they form an IPv6 mesh that automatically bridges over Wi-Fi/Ethernet; investing in Thread-capable border routers will reduce SSID headaches in future deployments.
Example analogy: think of your network as one wide hallway (broadcast domain). Putting the extender in router mode adds a door with a security guard (NAT) in the middle; your light switches are too “simple” to ask the guard to relay every time. Setting identical SSID in bridge mode keeps the hallway open—people just walk farther without noticing a doorway.
• Always enable at least WPA2-PSK (AES) to protect neighbours from controlling your switches.
• Operating on unlawful channels or at excess power violates FCC/CE regulations; stick to channels 1-11 (US) / 1-13 (EU) and factory power limits.
• IoT devices often phone home; verify the cloud service complies with regional privacy rules (GDPR, CCPA).
Implementation steps summary
Potential challenges & mitigations
• Weak backhaul → run Ethernet or power-line (HomePlug AV2/G.hn) and convert extender to a wired AP.
• IoT “stickiness” → periodically power-cycle devices or set router/APs to 802.11k/v so the infrastructure can direct roaming.
• Firmware quality → keep both AP and switch firmware up-to-date; vendors frequently patch Wi-Fi stack bugs.
• Single-radio repeaters like the DAP-1520 cannot match mesh performance; heavy interference or thick garage walls may still cause drops.
• Some very low-cost ESP8266 switches cache the AP MAC; if SSID-cloning alone fails, re-add the device via its app after you deploy the extender.
• WPA3-SAE may not be supported by older IoT chips; fall back to WPA2-AES rather than mixed WPA2/WPA3-transition modes if onboarding fails.
• Evaluate low-cost EasyMesh nodes (TP-Link OneMesh, D-Link EaglePro AI) for incremental upgrades.
• Investigate Thread border routers (e.g., Google Nest Hub 2, HomePod mini) for future-proof smart-home infrastructure.
• Monitor the forthcoming Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) multi-link operation—promises better reliability with simultaneous multi-band links, beneficial for edge IoT.
• Useful reading:
– Wi-Fi Alliance EasyMesh R2/R3 technical overview.
– Espressif IoT Development Framework (esp-idf) roaming guidelines.
– Home-Assistant “Network best practices” documentation for multicast-heavy smart homes.
Your switches fail because the extender, when broadcasting a different SSID or operating in router mode, separates them from the main broadcast domain. Put the D-Link DAP-1520 (or any extender) in bridge/access-point mode and clone the original SSID, password, and security type; keep everything on the same 2.4 GHz subnet. Position the extender for good backhaul quality, or upgrade to a wired AP or modern mesh kit if stability is still lacking. This preserves one cohesive network so discovery, control commands and cloud connections work reliably.
