Advice on WiFi System / Mesh that uses Ethernet Backhaul?

[intelCore]

Hi, I'm fairly newb to this stuff and I just read this article:

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33125-wi-fi-system-roundup

And while it's great and informative, I couldn't figure out which system is best if I'm using wired backhaul instead of wireless?

We plan to remodel our home next year and I'm putting in CAT6 ethernet throughout the home.

The article did mention this:

By the way, if you have Ethernet where you want to place system nodes, you should perhaps be looking building a less expensive system using conventional access points, like Ubiquiti's UAP-AC Lite or PROs...
​

But are AP's as seamless as WiFi Systems/Mesh when moving from one AP to another? Don't AP's also each use their own SSID so the user has to manually disconnect and connect to the one with the strongest signal?

Thank you.

 

[thiggins]

But are AP's as seamless as WiFi Systems/Mesh when moving from one AP to another? Don't AP's also each use their own SSID so the user has to manually disconnect and connect to the one with the strongest signal?

APs are no more or less "seamless" as Wi-Fi Systems. It mostly depends on the clients.

Support for 802.11k,v and r makes roaming faster, but the client still decides when to roam and what criteria to use to select the new AP.

No, each AP doesn't use a different SSID. Maybe you are thinking of BSSID, which is basically the MAC address of each radio...

 

[intelCore]

APs are no more or less "seamless" as Wi-Fi Systems. It mostly depends on the clients.

Support for 802.11k,v and r makes roaming faster, but the client still decides when to roam and what criteria to use to select the new AP.

No, each AP doesn't use a different SSID. Maybe you are thinking of BSSID, which is basically the MAC address of each radio...

Thank you. So, after asking around, a WiFi System (aka, mesh) is probably not what I need since I plan to use an ethernet backhaul. But, I'm confused as to what I would need for an "AP system"?

I think our house will need 2-3 "WiFi points."

So, would I just buy a router and an AP? Would they both use the same SSID?

 

[pete y testing]

But, I'm confused as to what I would need for an "AP system"?

what you are after is wireless access points , we usually point to the ubiquiti unifi wireless AC lite points as they are cheap and work well , for the router the ubiquiti edge routers go hand in hand with the unifi ap's

the access points are usually ceiling mounted but can be run on a wall or even on a desk top


you can however just get a few stand alone wireless access points ( or wireless routers in AP mode or wan bypass mode )

of course you will need ethernet runs to the location you want the access points to run and a router where the ethernet converges

Would they both use the same SSID?

yes , just different channels

for 2.4 gig something like

http://www.thedigitalmediazone.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/SNAG-0103.png

for 5 gig

set ch to something like ch 44 , 149 , 161 ( depending on country location and ch availability )

the above wireless access point systems have been run in school and offices etc for many years and its not a new thing , we just need to down scale it a bit to now work in larger homes

 

[intelCore]

Thank you!

 

[ikjadoon]

I didn't see a budget mentioned, so I might be going off on an expensive tangent: depending on your house layout, budget, and comfort with Ubiquiti's setup, I might consider a router plus an access point instead of the Ubiquiti. The Ubiquiti series are engineered (and their results show) to provide tight wireless in a relatively smaller area--they also cost less, too, though, so you can buy more of them. If you're wiring lots of drops, the Ubiquiti setup is probably the targeted solution.

Read this part of the review.

So, are you better off ditching your distributed Wi-Fi / mesh system and replacing it with a three-pack of Ubiquiti UAP-AC-Lites or PROs? For performance, if you have a NETGEAR Orbi or Google WiFi, keep it. Their client radios clearly have far and away better performance.

Then realize the Orbi itself is bested by many other standalone routers. Router plus access point (i.e., two high-performance routers) give you Ethernet backhaul and longer range; it's what mesh systems wish they could be. IMO, these are the stronger prosumer upgrade instead of Ubiquiti or all these 2x2 mesh units.

But, it's a balance: too high of an "AP density" will cause roaming and interference issues (the same as having too many of your neighbors shoving wireless networks into your house--except these extra networks are already inside and thus worse). I have a similar thread here where I debated the same topic: in our scenario, I'd rather have too much range and dial it back via software (i.e., transmit power) than try to string up extra Ubiquiti APs and "enjoy" their relatively complex software.

Both of these options, though, are pretty well-proven over the mesh units (which all, sans the eero, are in their "first generation" and it's arguable even the eero 2nd gen is an evolutionary update).

---

And, actually, that just hit me. I think WiFi is going to have a strong year next year, presumably with updates to all mesh systems at CES 2018 (the big electronics trade show where lots of companies launch/tease their new routers--see all the articles posted around January 4th-7th, 2017). I don't see why they wouldn't want to rapidly iterate on these systems (except the high initial cost and thus expectation to support previous-years systems).

I would ask this question again once you've finished remodelling as they'll probably be better and stronger WiFi options available.