Wifi extender - SSID same as router or different?

Ant555

Should a wifi extender have the same SSID as the main router or a different one?

I originally set up my TP-Link homeplug wifi extender system to have a different SSID in the conservatory at the back of the house.  It works well but I do have to manually change the wifi network I am connected to on laptop/phone/ipad when I am at the back of the house.
Does anyone have any comments or recent experience on whether modern devices may work best with this extender set to the same SSID as my main router - will modern devices simply auto connect to a WIFI network device of the same SSID if it detects a stronger signal?

Uptown_Boy

Are your devices not switching to the other SSID because they can still see the main SSID, even at the back of the house? A quick Google search yields results which mostly suggest the SSID should be different - unless your master router/WAP seamlessly hands off connections to the other access point:

Router Guide
Quora

Ant555

The router signal can be seen at the back of the house but is poor.  None of our devices, iPhones, iPads, Android phones, lap tops etc auto switch to the stronger different SSID.  
Its no big  problem swicthing manually, I just wondered if I went through changing everything to be the same SSID then would I be any better off.

poppellerant

I always thought that you gave the extenders the same SSID as your router and your devices would automatically connect to whichever has the strongest signal.

Mickey666

I doubt the naming of the SSID makes any difference.  The issue here seems to be more to do with automatic switching.
What happens when the device is taken away from the house?  Will it automatically connect to other wifi points or does it always need to be manually switched?

debitcardmayhem

Mickey666 said:

I doubt the naming of the SSID makes any difference.  The issue here seems to be more to do with automatic switching.
What happens when the device is taken away from the house?  Will it automatically connect to other wifi points or does it always need to be manually switched?

It won't switch to another SSID unless the one it's connected to disappears. Often if you have the same SSID then depending on the devices they may switch to the stronger signal, my ipad and android phones and laptop do it automatically, but the wife's phone doesn't .

Cisco001

I am not aware device would switch with wifi extender. 
I knew mesh system would work that way