Roaming
Also known as: Wi-Fi Roaming · Fast Roaming
Roaming is a Wi-Fi device switching from one access point to another as it moves, without the connection actually dropping.
Roaming describes how a mobile device, walking through a building, automatically hands off from an access point with a weakening signal to a stronger one nearby. Without roaming working properly, the connection briefly drops at every handoff, or the device gets stuck on a signal that's too weak.
In practice, this relies on standards like 802.11r (fast handoff without a full new login), 802.11k (the access point tells a device about its neighbors), and 802.11v (the access point can actively nudge a device to switch). A device that clings to a distant access point even though a closer one is available is called a 'sticky client'.
A common edge case: not every device supports 802.11r/k/v equally well — older handheld scanners in particular can be noticeably slower to hand off than modern smartphones. And even with those standards enabled, roaming only works cleanly if every access point shares the same SSID and security settings.
What it means in practice
For warehouse handheld scanners, reliable roaming is essential: workers keep moving, and every dropped connection means a failed scan. NDVDL plans access point count, coverage overlap, and configuration so that handoffs actually happen seamlessly in daily use.
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