Reverse MAC address blacklist? Network gurus please read

[steve62388]

Hi All,

Okay, this may be complicated but please bare with me. I have an ASUS RT-N66U router in one room and an Airport Express 2nd gen in another. Both have the same SSID because I really need wireless roaming. Different SSIDs cause me no end of trouble (devices don't hand off).

The problem is my mid-2012 rMBP intermittently tries to connect to the AE when it should be solidly connected to the ASUS because the rMBP does not move. This causes a conflict on the ASUS and it has to flush the ARP table (so I have been told) and I drop connection.

So the only way I can figure out to fix this is somehow set up via Automator a workflow that changes some sort of setting on my rMBP that is almost like a router MAC address blacklist. ie DON'T connect to the AE when I am playing (for example) Diablo. Removing the SSID or ordering the network preference order won't work because both the ASUS and AE have the same SSID.

I can't just blacklist the rMBP on the AE, because sometimes I want to connect to it.

Is this possible? Do you have any other ideas that can make my rMBP stick onto a particular access point?

Network map if you need it. Blue is Living Room. Green is Bedroom:-

 

[satcomer]

Make sure the DHCP server is off in the Airport Express. In apple devices that is called "Bridged Mode".

I say this because in any network only the main DHCP server that is closet to the modem should be doing DHCP. Any router after the main DHCP server should have NAT turned off.