SSID Strategies for Multiband Deployments

SSID Strategies for Multiband Deployments

There are special considerations for planning your SSIDs when deploying multiple bands, especially when implementing 6 GHz. As different clients support different standards and bands, it is often desirable to have coverage across the bands while enabling clients to connect to the higher-throughput bands when possible.

6-GHz–Only SSID

The first option we will discuss is configuring a new SSID dedicated to 6 GHz. In this option, you leave the existing network configuration as is and configure a dedicated WLAN for 6 GHz. This is the simplest and the least risky option for enabling 6 GHz without causing disruption to the existing network, as you do not require to reconfigure clients that do not support 6 GHz or WPA3/OWE.

Clients that do support 6 GHz must be reconfigured to connect to the new SSID, but this can be performed over time and left as optional for the users. One issue with this is the users may not realize there is a new SSID, or may choose not to migrate over, leaving the 6-GHz medium underutilized.