AX58U + AX56U Mesh System Downside?

[JHZR2]

Looking to build a mesh router system in a relatively large single story concrete block home. It’s an island home so some block has rebar, and this reception from a single router isn’t great, but there is a reasonable distance and path from the modem/entry, to the wired main router, then mesh to the second router. Service is 75Mbps down/10Mbps up. The house is spaced far enough from others that there is no other WiFi traffic from other peoples’ equipment competing.

I’m thinking of using an AX58U as the “main” router, wired to the modem, and then an AX56U as the mesh router.

The primary bandwidth users (streaming TVs) are in proximity that they would connect to the AX58U primarily (I believe, assuming I can force this connection bias), and the AX56 would be primarily for web surfing and occasional FaceTime as probably the biggest bandwidth consumer.

The one downside is that the AX56U doesn’t support 160Mhz. Not sure if/how much this matters. I’d think that given the actual network speed coming in, perhaps not so much. But what about for the mesh backhaul? Would 160Mhz somehow be beneficial for this backhaul? If so, is there a way to quantify what we would be giving up by keeping it on 80Mhz for the mesh between routers? Wired backhaul is not feasible.

Thanks!

 

[sanke1]

If you are still deciding to buy, then always buy 2 identical units for AI Mesh. I would recommend getting 2 x RT-AX58U because 160Mhz doubles bandwidth.

 

[JHZR2]

Thanks. Is the matched pair recommendation for hardware functionality or bandwidth? Is it a function of the ax58’s 160Mhz capability, or just general best practice? I thought I had seen elsewhere that “lower rated” routers could be used for the mesh capability.

Reason I ask is that it seems like the 160Mhz channel is good for max speed but can have other baggage (my interpretation), since the number of channels is reduced severely.

Thus my curiosity. Since I can’t have a wired backhaul, and wireless backhaul in mesh systems seems to be a performance limitation, does that practically make 160Mhz for this mandatory? Or for the 75/10 speed available from the provider, does this not much matter?

thanks!!!

 

[Jayce Ooi]

+ 1 for 2 RT-AX58U. 160Mhz backhaul connection is much better.

 

[sanke1]

Thanks. Is the matched pair recommendation for hardware functionality or bandwidth? Is it a function of the ax58’s 160Mhz capability, or just general best practice? I thought I had seen elsewhere that “lower rated” routers could be used for the mesh capability.

Reason I ask is that it seems like the 160Mhz channel is good for max speed but can have other baggage (my interpretation), since the number of channels is reduced severely.

Thus my curiosity. Since I can’t have a wired backhaul, and wireless backhaul in mesh systems seems to be a performance limitation, does that practically make 160Mhz for this mandatory? Or for the 75/10 speed available from the provider, does this not much matter?

thanks!!!

No baggage. Just that your clients need to have 160 Mhz support as well. For example, Intel AX200 PCIe or m.2 cards support 160 Mhz but iPhone 11, Galaxy S10 and possibly S20 do not support 160 Mhz channel width. So it's yet to trickle into phones.

 

[Jayce Ooi]

So far HUAWEI P40 series is the only smartphone that support 160 Mhz.

 

[sanke1]

So far HUAWEI P40 series is the only smartphone that support 160 Mhz.

That's nice but who has Huawei P40 anyways?

 

[Jayce Ooi]

That's nice but who has Huawei P40 anyways?

Hehe... One of my friend does. Look forward for all other smartphone companies to adopt 160 Mhz soon. You lose half performance without 160 Mhz.

 

[RMerlin]

So far HUAWEI P40 series is the only smartphone that support 160 Mhz.

The P30 also does.