Can I use same SSID for router & mesh

granturismo

Hi, I have a Virgin router and a TP M5 mesh. I recently got an EV wall power supply and the installers asked me to input the wifi access. I stupidly put in the router SSID & password. The wall charger app is intermittently giving a notification that the wifi signal is weak. I've tried choosing an uncluttered strong wifi channel and using the dynamic channel selection but the app still occassionally gives the notification.

I can add another TP unit close to the wall charger to give a stronger signal but I cannot access the EV power supply installer software to change the wifi source to the TP mesh and their helpline is useless.

My question is - can I rename my TP mesh to the same SSID and password as the virgin router? Any devices previously linked to the router or mesh should just link to either the mesh or router?

thanks.

macchoille

Personally IMHO if you have a third party mesh you should be disabling your WiFi on your internet provider’s router.

Not a good idea to be sharing a SSID between managed nodes (mesh) and a unmanaged node (the router) as the mesh can’t do the handovers etc or dynamically manage/balance the channels.

Can’t help you with the EV charger bit but this is something you’ll need to be able to change (the SSID).

Inviere

Set the tplink mesh unit up in access point mode, hardware it to your router, set the name and password of the mesh SSID to match that of your router wifi details, then disable the router wifi. Your mesh system will then take over as the only wifi in the house, and you can add more mesh units as necessary.