Improve WiFi Network configuration

Owned by Markus Heiss, created
Last updated: Jan 10, 2024

This article covers basic settings and improvments for WiFi network configuration, use the example of UniFi device.

Monitor IP Address Usage

Keep an eye on how many IP addresses are being used at any given time. If you're consistently running out, consider expanding the IP address range available on your network.

DHCP Lease Time

If the DHCP lease time is too long, it can cause an exhaustion of IP addresses, especially in an environment with a high turnover of device connections. Here’s how you can address this:

Reduce Lease Time

Shortening the DHCP lease time will allow IP addresses to be recycled more quickly. This is particularly effective in environments where devices connect for short periods. You can adjust the lease time in your DHCP server settings. A typical short lease time could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Static IPs for Permanent Devices

For devices that are always connected, assign static IP addresses. This will reduce the demand on the DHCP pool for transient devices.

Connection Limitations

There might be a limit to the number of concurrent connections the access point can handle. Once this limit is reached, it might not accept new connections until some of the existing ones are terminated.

Here are the maximum client capacities for some of the most popular UniFi access points:

  • UniFi AP-AC Lite: 200 clients

  • UniFi AP-AC Long Range (LR): 200 clients

  • UniFi AP-AC Pro: 250 clients

  • UniFi AP-AC HD: 500 clients

  • UniFi AP-AC SHD: 500 clients

  • UniFi AP-AC XG: 1500 clients

  • UniFi AP-Nano HD: 200 clients

  • UniFi AP-U6-Lite: 300 clients

  • UniFi AP-U6-LR: 300 clients

  • UniFi AP-U6-Pro: 300 clients

Adopt Connection Limits and Timeouts

In the UniFi Controller settings, you can set limitations on how long a device can stay connected and idle timeouts. This ensures that inactive connections are automatically dropped after a certain period, freeing up space for new connections.

The option to change the connection limits and timeouts is not available on all UniFi models.
If the option is not available manual disconnecting inactive clients a a maintaince reboot can help.

Scheduled Reboot

Although it's not an ideal solution, scheduling a reboot of the AP during off-hours can help clear all connections and refresh the system. This can be done through the UniFi Controller's settings.

 

Deploy More APs

Increasing the number of access points will help distribute the load, preventing any single AP from being overwhelmed with connections.

In Securaze Dashboard / Settings it’s possible to define multiple WiFi connections and for each Mobile station a different Wifi connection can be setup.