When you move around an area with multiple access points (like an office or a large home with extenders), your device must decide when to "let go" of its current connection and "jump" to a closer one.

is a setting on your Wi-Fi client device (laptop, phone, tablet) that determines how easily it will let go of its current access point and "roam" to a different one with a better signal.

A common mesh system or a router plus an extender, with a “dead zone” in the middle. Medium or Medium-High is optimal. Too low, and you’ll get stuck on the distant router. Too high, and devices will roam in the overlap zone, causing instability. The goal is to create a decisive “handoff zone” where the old AP is weak enough to leave, but the new AP is strong enough to justify the cost.

| Level | Behavior | |-------|-----------| | | Roam only when the current signal is very poor. High “stickiness” — minimizes unnecessary switches but risks staying on a bad connection. | | Low (2) | Roam when signal degrades moderately. Good for stationary or low-mobility devices. | | Medium (3) | Balanced approach — default on many devices. Roams when signal drops to a reasonable level. | | High (4) | Roams quickly when a better AP is detected. Best for fast-moving devices (walking through an office). | | Highest (5) | Very aggressive — roams with even slight signal differences. Can cause “ping-ponging” (constant switching between APs). |