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[jethrogc]

Hello, anyone know if it's possible to have, say, 2 DIR-885's operate in a mesh fashion where the client is automatically switched to the router with the best signal? Can extender mode be used here? If not, does the DIR-885l support the 802.11k specification (making it compatible with the Netgear EX8000 mesh extender)?

[FurryNutz]

I don't believe so. the DIR-855 only supports main host router and AP mode and wireless bridge mode:
 Bridge Mode vs Relay vs Access Point (AP) / Routers vs Dedicated Access Points (AP)

You can make a LAN to LAN AP mode router by doing this:
Turning a router into an AP.
You can do this for multiple APs however you would need to ensure that each is using a different channel.

Roaming behavior is at the client side HW and not the router side.

[jethrogc]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
I'm curious though what the big deal is about these mesh networks if roaming is only handled by the client. Their claim to fame is that the client can be oblivious to the network, with all nodes sharing the same SSID, and is automatically being redirected to the router with the best quality signal.
I think that when roaming is handled by the client, it's the case of having two routers with different SSIDs and the client will switch to the other one once the signal drops near the point of disconnect. My Nexus 5 is a bit smarter than that, but my laptop with its Intel 7260 isn't.
I know that the Netgear EX8000 is supposed to work with any router and supposedly works in a transparent fashion. This would be good news as I've been debating on returning my DIR-885l to get a slightly lower performing ASUS (perhaps the RC-AC3100 or 88U) since ASUS routers now have meshing built into their firmware.

[FurryNutz]

The 885 is a stand alone router. D-Link COVR-3902 there version of MESH. Works nicely.

Regardless of MESH or not, most devices handle the changing of connections and where they get connected. It's not up to the routers.