Why does my phone stay connected to the farther mesh unit?

The client ultimately decides when to roam. Steering can encourage a better node/band but cannot force every device immediately. Toggle Wi‑Fi or move briefly to trigger a rescan.

What to check

Client node/RSSI; roaming history; steering; firmware.

When to get help from a person

Escalate repeat stickiness across multiple modern clients.

Show the technical detail
On a managed Wi-Fi plan

Check client steering and node placement; avoid rebooting whole mesh first.

On another provider's router

Capabilities vary by ISP router.

What to be careful of

Do not state that the router has absolute control of roaming.

Where this comes from: Official · see the original source ↗ · Draft—technical review · checked 17 August 2026

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