How to Configure Load Balance Function on TP-Link CAP/AC Serial Products

Load Balance is to avoid a single CAP to have too many clients while other CAPs are idle. In the topology below, we have CAP A and CAP B, because of the random distribution of wireless clients, there may be too many clients connected with one single CAP (like CAP A). At this time, we want to “Balance” and “Guide” newly-added client to connect to CAP B.

This document will introduce how to configure load balance function on TP-Link CAP/AC serial product with one configuration instance based on the topology above to achieve load balance between CAP A and CAP B.

Based on the topology above: we can see that

1. A newly added client is within the wireless coverage area of CAP A and CAP B.
2. CAP A is almost overloaded with 20 clients connected, while CAP B is idle with only 3 clients connected.
3. At this time, we want this newly added client to connect to CAP B only.

Here are the configuration methods of Load Balance function on TP-Link AC serial product:

Explanations:

1. Threshold means the “maximum number of clients for each CAP” before Load Balance function is triggered. In this instance, we set it as “20”, which means each CAP can have 20 clients at most before Load Balance function is triggered. Here CAP A already reaches this limitation (20 clients). In other words, CAP A already has too many clients so that Load Balance function may be effective to guide newly-added client to connect to other CAPs.
2. Difference Threshold means the “minimum client number difference among adjacent CAPs” before Load Balance function is triggered. In this instance, we set it as “4”, and the client number difference between CAP A and CAP B is 17 which is larger than this difference threshold. In other words, CAP B has much fewer clients than CAP A, which means CAP B is idler than CAP A. In this situation, Load Balance function may be effective to guide newly-added client to connect to CAP B.

In a word, if Threshold and Difference Threshold are both satisfied, it means some CAP is almost overloaded while some other CAP is idle. At this time, Load Balance function will be effective, and guide newly-added clients to connect to idle CAPs with less clients.

Exceptions:

3. If newly-added client failed to get connected with CAP B for 10 times (Maximum Fail Number), CAP A will accept this newly-added client’s connection request even though it already has many clients and Load Balance function is already effective.
4. If newly-added client’s signal strength (RSSI) is less than “RSSI Threshold”, CAP A will not refuse this client’s connection request, which means Load Balance function is meaningless for client with signal strength less than “RSSI Threshold”.