Band preference in wireless networks
Method, systems, and apparatuses are described for wireless communications. More particularly, a wireless station may connect to a wireless network using a first radio frequency (RF) band and detect a signal strength of the first RF band is greater than a roaming threshold. The wireless station may perform a plurality of scans for support by the wireless network of a second RF band in response to the detected signal strength. Each scan may occur when the signal strength of the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold. The wireless station may selectively connect to the wireless network using the second RF band based at least in part on the scanning and a throughput supported by the wireless network over the second RF band. The first RF band may be a 2.4 GHz band and the second RF band may be a 5 GHz band.
1. A method for wireless communication at a wireless station, comprising:
connecting to a wireless network using a first radio frequency (RF) band;
performing a first plurality of scans for the first RF band and a second RF band;
detecting a signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than a roaming threshold based at least in part on performing the first plurality of scans, the detected signal strength of the first RF band providing a reliable connection with the wireless network;
performing a second plurality of scans for the second RF band based at least in part on the detected signal strength being greater than the roaming threshold;
determining that a bandwidth of the wireless network over the second RF band is greater than a bandwidth of the wireless network over the first RF band based at least in part on the scanning; and
selectively connecting to the wireless network using the second RF band while the signal strength over the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold and provides the reliable connection with the wireless network based at least in part on the bandwidth determination.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold further comprises:
detecting a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a transmission using the first RF band; and
determining that the RSSI of the transmission using the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the roaming threshold corresponds to a fixed received strength indicator (RSSI) value.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the roaming threshold is a quantity of decibel-milliwatts.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the first RF band is stable based at least in part on the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold based at least in part on performing the second plurality of scans, wherein selectively connecting to the wireless network using the second RF band is based at least in part on determining that the signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the signal strength over the first RF band corresponds to a fixed received strength indicator (RSSI) value from the group consisting of: 60 decibel-milliwatts (dBm), 65 dBm, and 70 dBm.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the roaming threshold is less than 70 decibel-milliwatts.
9. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a processor,
memory in communication with the processor, and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
connect to a wireless network using a first radio frequency (RF) band;
perform a first plurality of scans for the first RF band and a second RF band;
detect a signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than a roaming threshold based at least in part on performing the first plurality of scans, the detected signal strength of the first RF band providing a reliable connection with the wireless network;
perform a second plurality of scans for the second RF band based at least in part on the detected signal strength being greater than the roaming threshold
determine that a bandwidth of the wireless network over the second RF band is greater than a bandwidth of the wireless network over the first RF band based at least in part on the scanning; and
selectively connect to the wireless network using the second RF band while the signal strength over the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold and provides the reliable connection with the wireless network based at least in part on the bandwidth determination.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
detect a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a transmission using the first RF band and determine that the RSSI of the transmission using the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the signal strength over the first RF band corresponds to a fixed received strength indicator (RSSI) value from the group consisting of: 60 decibel-milliwatts (dBm), 65 dBm, and 70 dBm.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the roaming threshold is less than 70 decibel-milliwatts.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine that the first RF band is stable based at least in part on the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine that a signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold based at least in part on performing the second plurality of scans, wherein selectively connecting to the wireless network using the second RF band is based at least in part on determining that the signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band.
15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the first RF band comprises a 2.4 gigahertz RF band and the second RF band comprises a 5 gigahertz RF band.
16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold is associated with an amount of change from the roaming threshold, the amount of change comprising at least a 3 decibel-milliwatt (dBm) change from the roaming threshold, a 5 dBm change from the roaming threshold, or a 10 dBm change from the roaming threshold.
17. A method for wireless communication at a wireless station, comprising:
connecting to a wireless network using a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band;
determining that a signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band satisfies a roaming threshold, the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band providing a reliable connection with the wireless network;
scanning for a 5 GHz band based at least in part on the detected signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band satisfying the roaming threshold;
determining a throughput of the 5 GHz band based at least in part on one of the group consisting of: a number of spatial streams associated with the wireless network over the 5 GHz band, an angle of arrival of a signal from the wireless network over the 5 GHz band, a number of connections associated with the wireless network over the 5 GHz band, an amount of interference detected over the 5 GHz band, an error receiving a beacon from the wireless network over the 5 GHz band, and a distance between an access point and the wireless station; and
connecting to the wireless network using the 5 GHz band while the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band satisfies the roaming threshold and provides the reliable connection with the wireless network based at least in part on determining the throughput of the 5 GHz band.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining that the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band satisfies the roaming threshold, further comprises:
detecting a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a transmission over the 2.4 GHz band; and
identifying that the RSSI is greater than a −76 decibel-milliwatt roaming threshold.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining that the 2.4 GHz band is stable based at least in part on the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band being greater than the roaming threshold.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
performing a first plurality of scans for the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band;
detecting the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz based at least in part on performing the first plurality of scans; and
performing a second plurality of scans for the 5 GHz band, the second plurality of scans based at least in part on determining that the signal strength of the 2.4 GHz band satisfies the roaming threshold, wherein the scanning for the 5 GHz band is based at least in part on performing the second plurality of scans.
21. An apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless station, comprising:
a processor,
memory in communication with the processor, and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
connect to a wireless network using a first radio frequency (RF) band;
detect a signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than a roaming threshold, the detected signal strength of the first RF band providing a reliable connection with the wireless network;
scan for a second RF band based at least in part on the detected signal strength;
determine a throughput of the second RF band based at least in part on one of the group consisting of: a number of spatial streams associated with the wireless network over the second RF band, an angle of arrival of a signal from the wireless network over the second RF band, a number of connections associated with the wireless network over the second RF band, an amount of interference detected over the second RF band, a detected error receiving a beacon from the wireless network over the second RF band, and a distance between an access point of the wireless network and the wireless station; and
selectively connect to the wireless network using the second RF band while the signal strength over the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold and provides the reliable connection with the wireless network based at least in part on determining the throughput of the second RF band.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
detect a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a transmission using the first RF band and determine that the RSSI of the transmission using the first RF band is greater than the roaming threshold.
23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein:
the signal strength over the first RF band corresponds to a fixed received strength indicator (RSSI) value from the group consisting of: 60 decibel-milliwatts (dBm), 65 dBm, and 70 dBm.
24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine that the first RF band is stable based at least in part on the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold.
25. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
perform a first plurality of scans for the first RF band and the second RF band, wherein detecting the signal strength of the first RF band is based at least in part on performing the first plurality of scans; and
perform a second plurality of scans for the second RF band based at least in part on detecting the signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold, wherein the scanning for the second RF band is based at least in part on performing the second plurality of scans.
26. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
determine that a signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold based at least in part on the scanning, wherein selectively connecting to the wireless network using the second RF band is based at least in part on determining that the signal strength of the second RF band exceeds the detected signal strength of the first RF band.
27. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein:
the signal strength of the first RF band that is greater than the roaming threshold is associated with an amount of change from the roaming threshold, the amount of change comprising at least a 3 decibel-milliwatt (dBm) change from the roaming threshold, a 5 dBm change from the roaming threshold, or a 10 dBm change from the roaming threshold.