Not a problem - Just curious re WiFi

[stanl]

My ISP is Verizon FiOS. My downstairs neighbor's ISP is Spectrum. My /etc/hostname.iwn0
consists of 2 lines - first my connection, second her connection (she allowed me to connect to her network for a short time several months ago when I was having problems). My router sits on my desk less than 18 inches from my laptop. Her router is downstairs on top of a dresser in a back room.
Question - why, when given a choice does wifi always connect to her network instead of mine? Both are 5G, my dBm= -27 her dBm= -73.

Thanks

[jggimi]

Are you using join?

[jggimi]

Oh ... and 5G is a term for cellular technology, not WiFi.

[stanl]

/etc/hostname.iwn0:
join FiOS-5G wpakey fios-password
join Spectrum-5G wpakey spectrum-password
dhcp
up powersave

[jggimi]

The ifconfig(8) join list does not have a way to indicate priority if two or more networks are available to be joined at the same time. You might reverse the order of your two networks in the list to see if that switches which network will be used. If that works, that would solve your problem.

If switching the order doesn't work, then you might consider using other parameters such as chan to force the favored network selection. The ifconfig(8) man page states:

Because multiple access points may exist in a given network, the mode (11a/11b/11g/11n), chan, and bssid parameters cannot be stored with join. However, they may be used separately to force the selection of a particular access point when the automatic access point selection turns out to be suboptimal.

[stanl]

Reversing the order as you suggested works. Logically, it makes no sense. I may know next to nothing about networking but if I have 2 available networks, logic would dictate I join the one closest, no? The order in which they are listed should make no difference and if it does make a difference (as it apparently does) then one would expect the network listed first to be the one joined, not the one listed second.

Oh well... As always thanks for taking the time to assist.

[jggimi]

The common use case is a traveling laptop. The different networks (examples: home, workplace, coffee shop, airport, ...) are usually separated by distance. Some of these networks (workplace, airport) may have multiple access points with the same network name, so that your mobile device is within range of an access point throughout the time you move within a large facility.

Your use-case is different from the typical. You have two separate networks, a primary and a backup, which are colocated.

I suggested reversing the order to see if the join list entries are simply tested in the order they are link-listed by ifconfig(8), looking for the first match. They are, using LIFO (last in first out) ordering.