Wifi Roaming Fix

Heleron

About this app

This app is for network administrators as it requires technical knowledge about wifi configuration. Most of the negative reviews are from people who have not configured their network correctly for roaming operation. There is a forum on heleron.com which provides help.


This app only works in wireless networks where the routers / access points (AP) are configured according to the wifi specifications for roaming as follows:
• The SSID of each AP is set to the same value (i.e. the network name is the same for all APs).
• The security settings of each AP are the same (i.e. the same password and encryption type).
• Each AP is set to a different channel/frequency as required by the wifi specifications for roaming.

If you have two (or more) routers or wireless access points (AP) in your home or office, then this app selects the strongest one as you move around the building ... if your network is configured appropriately.


To use this app:
• Install the app from Google Play.
• Select your wifi network from the Android settings like you normally do.
• Run the app (you can set it to automatically load on startup).
• The app will show how many APs it has found in the current network.
• If it has found two or more APs, it will automatically select the strongest.

If the app only finds one AP then it means your other AP is not configured with the same SSID (network name), or it is out of range.


This app will not do the following:
• It will not switch between networks that have a different SSID, because this is not allowed for in the wifi roaming specifications.
• This app does not replace any Android functionality - you select which network you are using as before.
• This app will not work on all phones, it depends on the wifi drivers. See the forum on heleron.com
• This app will not fix the wifi battery consumption display bug! Some phones show a high level of power consumption by wifi.

The phones with the battery consumption display problem incorrectly calculate wifi battery consumption due to a driver bug, and might show figures as high as 30%! In reality the app does not use that much power, and can save power and give a longer battery life because when the wifi is connected to a stronger AP, your device uses less transmit power. The power consumption depends on your wifi chipset - in the Galaxy Nexus it is shown around 2% - 5%.

The app is very lightweight - it sits in the background receiving measurements from the Wifi drivers. It only does something when the signal level is weak and there is a stronger signal from another AP in your network.

The app includes an algorithm to prevent frequent changes when two APs have a similar signal strength.

In many mobile phones this functionality is performed by the wifi drivers. However in some Android devices this does not work, which is why this app was developed.

If it works without problems on your phone, please leave a comment below (with your phone model and Android version).

This app is only developed for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, though we have made it available to owners of other devices to try out. If it doesn't work on your phone then please don't leave negative feedback, because it discourages those who have the real problem that this app fixes. Instead you can report your problem in the forum on our website (heleron.com), where we might be able to find a solution. There is also a beta version available.

You could also try the previous version of this app "Wifi Strongest Signal". Try disabling Bluetooth to see if it makes a difference.

Ratings and reviews

Update: Doesn't work anymore. Says, "Off." Reinstalling didn't help. Previous: Allows me to roam around my home and seamlessly transition between access points on an AmpliHD system. Prior to using this app, my Galaxy S8 WiFi radio was too "sticky" and would hang on to a weak access point even when directly next to an access point with a much stronger signal. If there is a way to program the OEM S8 WiFi radio to switch to another AP without an app like this, i am not familiar with it.

Great! does exactly what it's supposed to, no ads or anything else. Suggestion, since you already have all the data, why not display it on the main screen? Also, if I could manually add another SSID to one set, that would be neat Update 2021: Used to work great, sadly useless now, this app is no longer being maintained.

Not a bad app if you aren't the network administrator. After looking into the wifi roaming issue myself while configuring my mesh network of Mikrotik routers and Access Points, I found out that the threshold for Wi-Fi roaming is well-defined and is public information for both Apple and Android. TL;DR: If you ARE the network administrator, adjust antenna strength to achieve roaming at -70dB. If you aren't and dealings with poorly set up network, this app is great.