Roaming Compatibility Between MR44 and MR46

[lc-gabriellima]

Hi everyone, hope you're doing well!

I’d like to ask for the community’s help.

Currently, I have MR44 access points deployed in an environment, and for a new project, we’re considering using MR46, all managed via the Meraki cloud.

My question is: will there be any roaming issues between these two models, or does everything work seamlessly?

Thanks in advance for your support!

[RWelch]

If in the same network and configured the same, yes, it should work fine.

One thing to be mindful of is how long you plan to use the MR44s in the future as at some point their firmware will only be supported to a point (as of today the MR44s can upgrade to the current firmware) but that might not be the case down the road.  

You can find more about the Product Firmware Version Restrictions.

Roaming is ultimately a client-side decision. Client hardware and drivers can impact how smoothly they transition between APs. Some devices may hold onto an AP longer than optimal or require adjustments to roaming aggressiveness settings.

Ensure adequate signal overlap between APs to minimize potential roaming issues.
It's recommended to do a site survey for adequate AP coverage overlap.

Another document to take a peek at would be the MR Mixed Firmware Networks for your consideration.

[bperezgo]

To reiterate what's been stated, unexpected behavior could occur when mixing old with newer firmware on the same network, just something to keep in mind!

"First, make sure you keep all of your APs on a single firmware version." Reference: https://documentation.meraki.com/Architectures_and_Best_Practices/Cisco_Meraki_Best_Practice_Design/...

[cmr]

@bperezgo please re-read @lc-gabriellima's post, he is planning on using two APs from the same generation.

[cmr · Accepted solution]

@lc-gabriellima you will be absolutely fine.  The MR44 and MR46 are from the same generation of Meraki access points (certified WiFi6).  The only difference between them is that the MR46 has better 2.4GHz maximum performance as the MR44 only has 2 streams on that band.  The 5GHz radio on both models has 4 streams.