Wifi Router/Network question

[gjviii 48]

Its long past due for a new wifi router, so I bought a Netgear Nighthawk X6.  This router has 3 bands.   Can I name all the same?  my thought is if I do this, my numerious devices will connect to the 'best' one.  Does this make sense or is my thinking off?  My server would be connecting to one of the wifi, my server with my library would be hard wired to the router, my main htpc would be wired to a switch which is hard wired to the router, and I have a bunch of laptops/ipads and surfaces that would be connecting wireless. In the attached picture, I will be retiring the jodisp network and renaming the 3 netgear95 bands to the jodisp.

thanks for any feedback or thoughts

[swhitmore 781]

Can I name all the same?  my thought is if I do this, my numerious devices will connect to the 'best' one.  Does this make sense or is my thinking off?

Funnily enough, it's generally the opposite. If you use the same SSID your devices will actually pick which ever it sees first. If you have different ones, they can prioritise. I have mine setup with the one SSID though. Never really had issues. It's very dependent on the clients though. Different devices will prioritise different bands, and may handle this better.

Edited October 17, 2014 by swhitmore

[shaefurr 1340]

Yeah, the only time I ever use the same SSID is with multiple routers. If not it does what Scott said.

 

Though since its been mentioned, if you use the same channel + SSID across 2 or more routers, it makes a bigger coverage area, then your devices will switch between routers with better signals as you move around.  Great way to cover an big house without using those terrible bandwidth "wifi extenders".

[swhitmore 781]

Though since its been mentioned, if you use the same channel + SSID across 2 or more routers, it makes a bigger coverage area, then your devices will switch between routers with better signals as you move around.

 

You may find most devices won't automatically switch.