Sticky handhelds on a fire-station voice SSID show choppy audio while captures reveal aggressive power-save with TIM/APSD buffering behavior. What is the expert takeaway?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Power-save is great for battery life—like a handheld dozing between pages—but voice hates waiting for the wake-up bell. When TIM/APSD buffering shows up beside choppy audio, the sleep schedule is a suspect, not just the far sticky AP.
Full Explanation
802.11 power-save mechanisms buffer downlink traffic and rely on TIM indication and APSD-style triggers for delivery. Those delays can degrade latency-sensitive voice even when association and RSSI look acceptable. Protocol analysis should evaluate power-save behavior on voice SSIDs alongside roaming and QoS markings.