Should I buy Zonedirector to fix dropped connections?

[scott_ragle]

I have 5 ruckus 7352 AP's. At times I can have multiple users connected flawlessly to each one...at other times, I can only get 10 or 12 users. If I unplug the AP it will allow connections but in a couple of hours it does the same thing. I have tried to avoid spending the money for zonedirector, but wonder how much it would help with connections. (The 5 AP's are scattered throughout 1 building. 1 in each hall.)

[michael_brado]

Having ZoneDirector management of your APs will allow for more seamless roaming, and gives you centralized monitoring capabilities. It has diagnostics
to help troubleshoot AP and client connectivity that individual standalone mode
APs cannot (easily).

From a ZoneDirector WebUI, you can easily access current AP RF conditions and
client statistics, from all 5 APs, see application usage (in latest firmware) and can
even use Mesh to maintain AP connectivity if an Ethernet cable or switch port
failed, which we cannot do with standalone mode APs.

[scott_ragle]

Discovered that I am having the most trouble with connections dropping from ASUS T100 computer/tablets running Windows 8.1 Now I'm wondering if firmware issues may be part of problem. Windows 7 and earlier connect better. Any thought?

[max_o_driscoll]

Are the users physically wandering from AP to AP but tablets/computers are not roaming properly.

In other words moves out of range of AP1 but still tries to connect to that one even though AP2 that they are now near would now give it much better provision.

Can you get into the configuration and increase roaming aggressiveness (or similar wording).

Default roaming settings on clients are often fairly passive.

Just a thought/guess.

=====
ZDs are good for control, grouping reporting, management but your problem might be more basic!

Fact that you have narrowed it down to a possible W7/W8.1 difference suggests driver issue and that a ZD wouldn't make a great deal of difference.

[scott_ragle]

This setup is in a school building. The students connect to specific AP's in each hall, so it is not that the are still trying to connect to a further AP. Some students will connect and others will get a message that says "limited" or not connected. Frustrating! I can connect easily with my phone or ipad or other device when they get this message. I am moving an AP with an older firmware to that room to see if I still have the connection problem. I don't think I will because I have never had complaints in that part of the building. Just wondering if firmware version is the problem with Windows 8.1