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What is Load Balancing and do I need it?

Load Balancing attempts to spread out wifi traffic, but often causes performance issues.

Load Balancing is a feature that attempts to reduce channel contention by spreading out clients between APs on the same channel. 


In practice, Load Balancing can cause a number of issues. One concern is that client devices may be kept from connecting to their preferred AP due to traffic patterns and signal strength changes. Roaming performance can also be worsened. 


In general, it’s recommended that Load Balancing only be used in areas where there are a large number of access points that you control and you want to evenly distribute clients among them.


Click here for more information on 2.4 GHz channels and here for more information on 5 GHz channels.