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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is setting up a new wireless network…
A technician is setting up a new wireless network for a small office. The office has three access points (APs) that should allow seamless roaming. The technician configures all APs with the same SSID and security settings. What additional configuration is necessary to prevent clients from staying connected to a weak signal?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse channel planning (Option A) with client roaming mechanisms, assuming that avoiding interference automatically solves sticky client issues, when in fact roaming requires signal-based triggers like minimum RSSI.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Adjust the minimum RSSI value on each AP
Adjusting the minimum RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) value on each AP forces clients to roam away from an AP when the signal drops below a configured threshold. This prevents sticky clients from holding onto a weak signal, which is essential for seamless roaming in a multi-AP environment with the same SSID.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set each AP to a different channel to avoid interference
Why it's wrong here
Setting each Access Point (AP) to a different, non-overlapping channel (e.g., 1, 6, 11 for 2.4 GHz) is crucial for minimizing co-channel interference and improving overall network performance. However, this configuration alone does not actively force client devices to roam or disconnect from a weak AP. Clients often "stick" to an AP until its signal becomes critically low, even if a much stronger signal from another AP on a different channel is available.
- ✗
Enable WPA3 encryption on all APs
Why it's wrong here
Enabling WPA3 encryption on all Access Points (APs) significantly enhances wireless network security by providing stronger authentication and encryption protocols compared to older standards like WPA2. While essential for protecting data privacy and integrity, encryption mechanisms like WPA3 operate at a different layer of the network stack and do not directly influence a client device's decision-making process regarding when to roam or associate with a different AP. It solely secures the connection, not manages its handoff.
- ✗
Configure the APs with different SSIDs for each AP
Why it's wrong here
Configuring each Access Point (AP) with a unique Service Set Identifier (SSID) would effectively create multiple distinct wireless networks. For seamless roaming, client devices expect to see the same SSID across all APs within the extended network, allowing them to transition without re-authentication. Using different SSIDs would force clients to manually disconnect from one network and then discover and connect to another, completely disrupting any attempt at a smooth roaming experience.
- ✓
Adjust the minimum RSSI value on each AP
Why this is correct
Adjusting the minimum Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) value on each Access Point (AP) is a direct method to influence client roaming behavior. When a client's signal strength drops below the configured minimum RSSI threshold, the AP will actively disassociate or deauthenticate that client. This action effectively forces the client device to scan for and connect to another AP with a stronger, more acceptable signal, thereby promoting efficient and timely roaming within the wireless network.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Configuration: IP, DNS, DHCP
Key term
Received Signal Strength Indicator
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is a measurement of how strong a wireless signal is when it reaches a receiving device, like a laptop connecting to Wi-Fi.
Key term
Service Set Identifier
A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the public name of a Wi-Fi network that devices use to identify and connect to it.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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