Best Mesh System (WiFi 6, 6E, 7) for End of 2024?

[NJRonbo1]

I tell yuh, nothing has been more stressful lately than trying to pick a reliable mesh system to replace my 2nd Generation Eeros.

I have a large, multi-level home. Let's say just under 3,000 square feet but not sure of that number.

I have, for years, had a 2nd generation Eero mesh unit. 5 units total strewn across my home.

2 of the 5 units are connected by ethernet, at opposite ends of the home, from the same router. I am guessing that is what is called ethernet backhaul.

With all those Eeros across my home, with a 1GB Incoming connection, I get 400mbps wireless download close to the wired Eero and 190mbps download close to the unwired Eeros.

Those are not great speeds

So, I want to upgrade to get better wireless speed results on my iPhone (WiFi 7) and Macbooks (Wifi 6)

I was going to go with the TP-LINK BE95 of BE85 (WiFi 7) 3-pack. However, having 5 Eero units scattered across my house, I don't know how well just 3, supposedly more powerful, TP-LINK units are going to boost my speed.

Then I thought since they are on sale and very cheap right now, I could buy 2x3packs of Eero 6E pro and scatter those across my home, 6 nodes total, closer together, and hope for improved speeds.

Any suggestions?

Can I get at least 600mbps+ wireless speeds anywhere in my home merely moving up from a 2nd generation Eero mesh (5Ghz) to a more modern 6E or 7 mesh?

Can 3 of the Eeero 6E or 3 of the TP-LINK units (with Ethernet backhaul) do the job of the 5 I currently have?


Finally? Which mesh unit? The professionals love ASUS. However, read reviews and so many people have problems with installation or dropouts. The YouTubers love TP-LINK DECO but most professionals refer to them as crap routers.

 

[Tech9]

The professionals love ASUS

No. Asus doesn’t have any professional gear. They just started marketing the new ExpertWiFi as such, in reality the same hardware as consumer gear they already have running similar Asuswrt firmware.

 

[degrub]

Just replace your Eeros with Eero 6

Amazon.com

.

 

[tgl]

If your goal is 1Gbps throughput, you're probably not going to be happy with any mesh (that is, wireless backhaul) setup. You can get to 1G real throughput from client to AP if you are using a 160MHz channel, which is mostly unworkable in the 5GHz band but is available in 6GHz (either WiFi 6E or 7 standards -- experts note I'm assuming a 2x2 client). The trouble is that you also need a separate backhaul channel to carry the data from AP to base router. Okay, those TP-LINK units are ready for that, they've got two 6GHz radios. But that means they are relying on 6GHz for backhaul, and 6GHz does not go through walls very well at all. If you've been needing 5 APs to cover your space up to now, I'm betting you've got lots of interior walls? It's likely that a 6GHz backhaul channel will not be able to reach its nominal performance through a wall.

It's really impossible to say how many APs you need with no data about the shape of the space or the interior walls. But however many it is, you'd be way better off performance-wise if you can run wired backhaul to all of them, or at least all the ones you demand top-shelf performance with.

Having said all that, if you abandon the idea that you must have 1Gbps performance everywhere, you'll probably be perfectly happy with newer eeros. You can spend a lot of money and effort chasing that number, only to find that it doesn't make any noticeable difference in real life. How many websites (speedtests don't count) do you use that can saturate even a 200Mbps link?

 

[NJRonbo1]

Thank you, everyone for taking the time to chime in and offer your thoughts.

No. Asus doesn’t have any professional gear. They just started marketing the new ExpertWiFi as such, in reality the same hardware as consumer gear they already have running similar Asuswrt firmware.

When I mean professionals, I am referring to people have talked to in groups like this who do home installations. They tend to like Asus routers. Yet, I read reviews on Amazon and BestBuy and it seems like their units are plagued with issues, either constantly disconnecting or dying.

Just replace your Eeros with Eero 6

Amazon.com

.

Those are Eero non-Pro units. I would need to replace it with Eero Pro 6E, which is doable, but reading reviews (which becomes daunting), it seems like nobody likes Eero anymore since Amazon took over the brand. TP-LINK and ASUS are generally considered more powerful.

On the other hand, Eeros are cheaper to the point I could blanket my home with 6E modules (4-5) and call it a day. Just not certain if too many nodes will kill Internet speed.

If your goal is 1Gbps throughput, you're probably not going to be happy with any mesh (that is, wireless backhaul) setup. You can get to 1G real throughput from client to AP if you are using a 160MHz channel, which is mostly unworkable in the 5GHz band but is available in 6GHz (either WiFi 6E or 7 standards -- experts note I'm assuming a 2x2 client). The trouble is that you also need a separate backhaul channel to carry the data from AP to base router. Okay, those TP-LINK units are ready for that, they've got two 6GHz radios. But that means they are relying on 6GHz for backhaul, and 6GHz does not go through walls very well at all. If you've been needing 5 APs to cover your space up to now, I'm betting you've got lots of interior walls? It's likely that a 6GHz backhaul channel will not be able to reach its nominal performance through a wall.

It's really impossible to say how many APs you need with no data about the shape of the space or the interior walls. But however many it is, you'd be way better off performance-wise if you can run wired backhaul to all of them, or at least all the ones you demand top-shelf performance with.

Having said all that, if you abandon the idea that you must have 1Gbps performance everywhere, you'll probably be perfectly happy with newer eeros. You can spend a lot of money and effort chasing that number, only to find that it doesn't make any noticeable difference in real life. How many websites (speedtests don't count) do you use that can saturate even a 200Mbps link?

I think what you are saying in the last paragraph is that speed is only limited by how quickly a website can be loaded. Good point.

I think I have become fascinated with the dozens of YouTube videos of people who switched from 5Ghz to 6Ghz and 7Ghz mesh units and are seeing substantial increases in wireless speeds in more remote areas of their homes. In other words, going from 350mbps to 600mbps+

That is my goal

I can only wire two mesh units together from the same router at opposite ends of my home. That's the backhaul. If I am understanding you correctly, I need a mesh with 2 6GHz radios to handle that backhaul connection. So, I am assuming that is my priority in selecting a mesh unit, correct?

I am not certain the Eero Pro 6e has that backhaul. I am guessing, no. So, my choice looks like a TP-LINK WiFi 6 or 7 system.

And I guess it will be a crapshoot as to how well the signal travels through walls, but if I can boost my wireless speed by 200mbps around most of my home, I will be a happy camper.

One additional question: Most of the newer mesh systems have two types of ethernet ports (for example 2x2.5Gbps and 1x10Gbps). Which port do I use from my router into the mesh unit? I am guessing 2.5Gbps, but if I had to use 10gbps will it affect my speed?

Thank you for the help. This has been a learning experience

 

[Tech9]

When I mean professionals, I am referring to people have talked to in groups like this who do home installations.

A professional will come to your place, do proper assessment, suggest proper hardware, install it for you and guarantee the work. If really so many APs are needed in a tough to plan environment no professional will recommend consumer routers with limited configuration options for APs. You can get suggestions like this online, you pay the bill, install whatever was suggested and hope for the best.

 

[NJRonbo1]

A professional will come to your place, do proper assessment, suggest proper hardware, install it for you and guarantee the work. If really so many APs are needed in a tough to plan environment no professional will recommend consumer routers with limited configuration options for APs. You can get suggestions like this online, you pay the bill, install whatever was suggested and hope for the best.

Thank you, Tech9!

Going to go a cheaper route and try a more powerful mesh system. Of course, I am going to get what I pay for.

Right now I am just trying to find the most effective mesh system where I can "hope" to increase my wireless speed.

 

[degrub]

If your rates are limited when the unit backhaul is 5Ghz, any unit using 6GHz will very likely be no better due to the absorbance of the signal by the obstacle. A separate radio on 5GHz may reach slightly further or the same as 6GHz. But the key is to have a separate dedicated radio for the backhaul on each unit. That avoids the 50%+ penalty on throughput for wireless clients. So a three radio unit will be the most effective at raising your available bandwidth.

BTW, there is flat ethernet cable available for running on the surface of walls. You can also use "panduit" to hide a cable or two.

 

[NJRonbo1]

If your rates are limited when the unit backhaul is 5Ghz, any unit using 6GHz will very likely be no better due to the absorbance of the signal by the obstacle. A separate radio on 5GHz may reach slightly further or the same as 6GHz. But the key is to have a separate dedicated radio for the backhaul on each unit. That avoids the 50%+ penalty on throughput for wireless clients. So a three radio unit will be the most effective at raising your available bandwidth.

BTW, there is flat ethernet cable available for running on the surface of walls. You can also use "panduit" to hide a cable or two.

Thank you degrub!

I am presently considering a 3-pack the TP-LINK BE95 or the TP-LINK BE85. The 95 was recommended for the extra dedicated backhaul channel. I know very little about these mesh units and extra radios so I am going to assume it has an extra channel to handle a wired backhaul.

 

[degrub]

wired backhaul does not use "wireless channels". It uses the ethernet port (RG or fiber sfp). Most reliable and highest speed. Always strongly preferred.
From their sales blurb, it appears that they use all three frequency bands (2.4, 5, 6 GHz) for wireless back haul. This is also paired with ethernet (wired backhaul) if available.

For wireless backhaul, unless there is direct line of sight between the units, the 2.4 GHz band will carry most of the communication. Per their blurb, up to roughly 1.2 Gbit/s or up to 600 Mbit/s effective for throughput. Isn't this close to what you are seeing ?

If the 5GHz band is usable (best if line of sight between two units or no more than one gypsum board wall), that will add bandwidth. 6GHz will likely only be usable with direct line of sight. The use of extra wide bands 160, 320 MHz to facilitate "high speeds" will probably hurt the situation if trying use for wireless backhaul and blocking obstacles such as walls. Also, the added RF reflections will make the signals noisy and less reliable. But, that is where TP-Link's secret sauce may come into play. IN my opinion, the extra 6 GHz radio may not help unless you have direct line of sight and short distance. If trying to go through walls, not so much. Only beneficial if a large number of clients with direct line of sight to a wired deco AP..

What do your wireless clients (devices) have for wireless communication ? Wifi 5, 6 , or maybe 7 ? Are the radios in those clients 2x2 or 3x3 ?

Don't forget, wireless is a two way communication. If the client does not support wifi 6 or now more rarely wifi 7, AND have direct line of sight on the deco Access Point, the possible bandwidth ( speed ) will be close to the same as what you already have. In other words, if the clients don't support the newer standards and increased number of radios that the Deco's support, you likely won't see a dramatic change.

So, add wires if you want to see the largest (up to the client's capability) speed gain and highest reliability. If not, just expect it is going to be hit and miss and maybe not so much different effectively.