Re: NM and exposing bgscan roam threshold

[Shawn Adams <shawn_adams web de>]

Thomas,


What you wrote is correct  - to be carefully considered if one
configures this globally, or profile-specific.


Since the parameters are designed to handle roaming within an ESSID,
indeed one could have

this in a "enterprise-work" profile , and differing values for "at-home".

I think the global would be the way to go.

It's just about exposing the parameter to be easily changed. granted -
the user needs to know what they are doing.


The need behind this request is this - i work with many enterprise
networks which are often well built

based upon coverage and overlap specifications from industrial VOIP
units, primary coverage -60dBm, secondary a nice -70dBm

However; the same networks are more often using android and the like -
flexible, cheap, sexy.

However; default - android starts roaming at around -75dBm. when
favorite android-du-jour doesn't roam well, the

net admins start suspecting the network...

Linux is a great tool to prove network design and roaming
characteristics are right, and that given client roaming behavior is
sub-optimal.

One demonstration using Linux can save days of arguing about some horrid
driver used by other OS

from 1995...

it would be great to be able to easily configure roaming thresholds to
demonstrate, rather than hacking

wpa_supplicant.conf files - or rooting android - which are tactics I use
today.


Just another way of making Linux more useful and easier to use.

Best Regards,

Shawn



On 18.05.2018 16:21, Thomas Haller wrote:
> On Tue, 2018-05-15 at 13:27 +0200, Shawn Adams wrote:
> > All,
> >
> >
> > I see some great work in the latest 1.8.6 - thank you !!!
> >
> > * Implemented support for Wi-Fi PMF (Protected Management Frames,
> >     802.11w), which can be configured via the wifi-sec.pmf property.
> >
> > * Background scanning is now disabled for non-WPA-Enterprise Wi-Fi
> >     networks
> >
> > * Always enable Proactive Key Caching (PKC, also called OKC) for WPA
> > Enterprise
> >     WiFi configurations
> >
> > How feasible would it be to allow the user to use nm-cli or the UI to
> > configure
> >
> > the bgscan roam threshold ?
> >
> > # read, set:
> >
> > wpa_cli -p /run/wpa_supplicant -i wlan5 get_network 0 bgscan
> > "simple:30:-65:300"
> >
> > wpa_cli -p /run/wpa_supplicant -i wlan5 set_network 0 bgscan
> > '"simple:30:-55:300"'
> Hi,
>
> IMO, optimally this should not require configuration but works well by
> default.
>
>
> Exposing a roam threashold seems much too specific. If at all, it
> should be a more general option, that affects the eagerness to
> scan/roam.
>
>
> But I am thinking, maybe we wouldn't want to configure this in the
> connection profile either. Because during one associtaion, the user's
> preferences might change (e.g. is he currently in a VOIP call, maybe
> he wants to do less scanning and less roaming). This preference seems
> volatile, meaning NetworkManager (and even more supplicant) should just
> do the best possible job autonomously.
>
> Of course, more concrete suggestions are welcome :)
>
>
> Maybe you can elaborate on the issues that you have?
>
>
> best,
> Thomas