Help me build a Top of the Line Setup

[spiXel]

Hi there, I have spectrum 1 gig internet and a 15-20 year old really crap router currently and I am looking to redo my entire setup. Currently I have many devices hard wired (cat6) which are going to a switch that is set up in my networking closet (My tv's, desktop, and some cat 6 jacks are connected to this switch). I have 2 ethernet jacks in my room as well (currently unused).

I live in Southern California (USA). My 5 bedroom house is 3200 sq ft. I live in the house and rent out the other 4 rooms. The house is 2 stories, however the only things that are upstairs are 2 of the roommates rooms and 1 bathroom. I am looking for the fastest possible wireless internet for myself for my laptop, phone and other wireless devices, and wireless internet (any speed) for the roommates. At the most there are about 20-30 devices connected at a time, with up to 8 devices streaming netflix, youtube and the like at one time. More commonly however there is about 5-6 devices streaming at once. Pretty much all of the time I'm using the wireless internet in my room and I do not move from room to room very often when using wifi. The internet speeds for the roommates do not matter as long as they have wireless internet. I do not have a VPN, but may get one years down the line.

Cost is no object for the devices, however I cannot do any further hard wiring. I am looking for the fastest possible wireless internet for myself and the devices I'm using. I also want to be sure that the ethernet speeds are as fast as possible. To be clear, I'm looking for the best possible options and I do not care about the most cost effective options. I would like to "future-proof" with this set-up so I don't have to upgrade for years to come.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

EDIT: BUDGET will now be $1000.

 

[System Error Message]

top of the line can mean many things, are you willing to buy a cisco blade server used in T1 internet exchanges ? Because thats top of the line.

 

[spiXel]

top of the line can mean many things, are you willing to buy a cisco blade server used in T1 internet exchanges ? Because thats top of the line.

Good point. Let me rephrase and say a budget of 1000$

 

[System Error Message]

Whats your skill level? can you create your own firewall logic? your own firewall rules? How much do you know about networking?
There are plenty of solutions, the best ones cost less but also need effort to set up.

How much wiring can you do ? i mean running cables under doors as an example.

 

[spiXel]

I currently don't know what firewall logic/rules are, but I'm open to learning and would say I'm a fast learner. I know about routers and mesh systems but not a ton. I'm open to doing a lot of set up, that doesn't bother me. Anything is learnable with enough time in my eyes. As far as wiring, honestly I can do as much cabling as needed including hardwiring since I own the house. I just was trying to avoid doing more cabling work if possible. But if that's the route that would be best I'll do it. What did you have in mind?

 

[coxhaus]

The top of the line will be to run a wired router and separate wireless APs. Brand varies from user to user like Chevy vs Ford.
I would use Cisco small business solutions and I do. I like the Cisco RV340 router with separate Cisco APs clustered together. They would connect to your house wiring to create a cluster. The number would vary based on whether you only want 5Ghz and not 2.4Ghz, the way your house is laid out, and the house Ethernet connections points.

If you want the best security and/or a separate guest network then you need a managed switch so you can create separate VLAN networks to isolate guests, maybe home automation, smart home devices. The best switches are layer 3 switches. They are complicated to setup and not necessary but the best and the fastest.

The Cisco 345P router may be a better fit for you. You need POE power to run wireless APs. There is a review on this site. You do not need to buy all the licenses for the router, just run without them. I do. I have a RV340 router which is almost the same with only 4 Ethernet ports.
I don't know what switch you have? If it is 15 years old it needs to be replaced.

 

[System Error Message]

I would recommend a much different setup. pfsense, using a quad port NIC (you can get an intel one 2nd hand cheap), wire them to a couple of asus routers that support mesh.

 

[umarmung]

Router: Mikrotik CCR1009-7G-1C-1S+PC (best performer but you better be very technical) OR Ubiquiti USG Pro 4 (ease of use and integration with APs) OR pfSense AES-NI box (if you need additional application flexibility and VPN)
APs: 2x Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Pro (3x3 WiFi SOHO APs)
Main Switch: Cisco SG300-10MPP (incredible value L3 managed switch with PoE support)

All that should fit a $1000 budget.

 

[System Error Message]

Router: Mikrotik CCR1009-7G-1C-1S+PC (best performer but you better be very technical) OR Ubiquiti USG Pro 4 (ease of use and integration with APs) OR pfSense AES-NI box (if you need additional flexibility and VPN)
APs: 2x Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Pro (3x3 WiFi SOHO APs)
Main Switch: Cisco SG300-10MPP (incredible value L3 managed switch with PoE support)

All that should fit a $1000 budget.

He doesnt have the technical skill required for mikrotik or ubiquiti, thats why i suggested pfsense because out of many configurable routers, pfsense is the most user friendly, coupled with asus routers/tplinks because its not only the wifi performance but you also get a 4 port switch to use. Some asus routers also support LACP which can be useful for some as well.

The other reason to this is that if you get a wifi router that supports openwrt for instance, and it has a decent CPU and a compatible wifi chip that has no known issues (tp link is notorious for their many hardware variants), then you can pass VLANs as well so you get a router that can perform tasks like printer sharing, basic NAS/file server and also a smart switch setup with decent wifi although i havent seen mesh in openwrt yet.

I do agree with the switch.

 

[sfx2000]

He doesnt have the technical skill required for mikrotik or ubiquiti, thats why i suggested pfsense because out of many configurable routers, pfsense is the most user friendly

The wizards are nice - but getting into details with pfSense - it's like the others... many options, some better than others.

It's like eating tasty babies compared to consumer-land router/AP's

If one doesn't have some networking background - stick to the consumer stuff.

 

[tannebil]

Or you could take the easy way out and not become a part-time network administrator.

1. Get the combo modem/router/WiFi box that Spectrum rents.
2. Buy a multi-pack of one of the many mesh systems. Make sure it can be configured for bridge mode. You’ll need 3-5 units most likely.
3. Turn off WiFi on the Spectrum box and connect one mesh unit in your room to Ethernet and the other two (not plugged into Ethernet) in other parts of the house following the manufacturer’s location recommendation.
4. Switch the mesh units into bridge mode.

You will get great performance in your room since that mesh unit will be connected to the wired network and decent performance in the rest of the house.

My personal experience is with both generations of both Plume and eero. With Plume, I’d go with a lifetime sub and the one SuperPod + four Pod bundle ($300). With eero, I’d do an eero + two Beacons bundle ($400). In either case, if you have dead spots, you can add additional units.

Don’t worry about the future. If new tech arrives that does a better job for you, just buy it and replace the existing stuff.

The one weakness is that everyone in the house will be on the same network. Most mesh systems have a guest network capability that would provide some isolation between owner and roommate (guest) networks but if you want something serious, you’ll need to go down the rabbit hole of non-consumer solutions. But I don’t see you asking for that.

 

[coxhaus]

There is probably nothing wrong with a mesh system. I just don't consider it top of the line. Top of the line is a real network with all the bells and whistles of a real network.

 

[Trip]

Considering the stipulations, I'm going to have to agree with @tannebil, save the substitution of the Spectrum all-in-one unit with just a plain-Jane Spectrum cable modem and a well-reputed consumer router like a Netgear R7800. Reason being: the Spectrum AIO's are often a flake-show for packet handling and overall stability. Don't leave your routing and switching to their units... just trust me. To start off, you may have to call Spectrum and give them the MAC ID off the back of the modem to get it activated. Then power it up connected to the cable line, let it get connected, and then wire the modem into the WAN (Internet) port of the router. Then simply follow the setup instructions that come with the router, plus turn off wireless on the router if it comes built-in (most all consumer all-in-ones do have built-in wifi), then setup your wifi mesh product of choice (Eero, etc.) in bridge/pass-through mode (to allow for your Netgear/Asus/etc. to be your router/firewall), then connect those mesh endpoints, walk through the mesh setup guide, and you should be good to go. *That* is probably the easiest way to get yourself the best possible network with as little work and sub-$1,000 possible.

And yes, as @coxhaus and others eluded to, you can definitely go more pure-breed top-of-the-line, but considering the context, it would most likely require you pouring a ton of time at the project yourself (and time is money, even if it's your time, too) or hiring a networking pro or IT/AV shop to come in and do a full build out for you, including running cable as necessary, putting in a proper patch panel, enterprise switch, enterprise router and enterprise wifi. And that level of project is overkill and most likely not worth it for 90+% of houses. Doable? Sure, anything is doable (for probably 5-10X the total landed cost). But I would start on the consumer side of fence for now; I think you're be pleasantly surprised as to how well it performs for your needs.

 

[spiXel]

Thank you all for the wealth of information! I really appreciate it. I'm going to take some time to do my research on what you all have suggested before I ask some questions.

 

[RogerSC]

I'd also suggest an eero gen 2 wireless mesh system. If you can add MoCA 2.0 for the remote nodes, so much the better...MoCA uses the coax cable in your walls that are for cable TV in a similar way to the way that ethernet cables is used to hard-wire mesh nodes or AP's. I've used both the Orbi and eero, and have found the eero to be more reliable and trouble-free for my house. The eero worked well for me before I added MoCA, the MoCA just provides a bit faster backhaul than the native wireless-style backhaul. The eero firmware is auto-updated, and this has not been a problem for me through several upgrades. I did have some problems with the auto-upgrade of firmware on the Orbi, not with the eero. I went with the "Pro" system, since having the LAN ports on the remote nodes was important for me. However, the system with two beacons would also have covered my house wireless needs *smile*.

I've used the eero in both AP and full router mode, and each one has its pro's and con's. Using the eero in AP mode with a router with its wireless radios turned off gives you local control of your network, plus all the functionality that a good router supplies. The eero as a router is working well for me at the moment, I like how little admin it takes, and with the wired-equivalent backhaul is hard to beat for wireless performance. Features are being added, the latest being "smart queuing" for QoS, band steering, and local DNS caching. But no USB functionality or traffic metering. I don't use USB functionality on my router anyways, so I don't miss that. I do miss traffic metering, I believe that they're considering adding that from what I've read on the eero "suggested features" forum. But if you absolutely have to have traffic metering, then I'd suggest using the eero as an AP with a "wired-only" main router. The router that I use the eero with when it's in AP mode is a Netgear R7800, which has per-IP traffic monitoring with LEDE firmware.

 

[spiXel]

Thanks for the recommendation! I am still doing research on all the recommendations so far, so it'll be a bit before I know what questions I want to ask. I do have more information however on my switch.

It's a: Netgear Plus Switch JFS524E (24 port). Currently 8 of my ports are in use.

EDIT: Also, I'm perfectly okay learning the complicated parts of the set-up. My current level of knowledge on networking in general is minimal, but I am open to doing hours & hours of research and learning if it gets me a better end result. I'm willing to invest the time. I am not looking for something that requires frequent upkeep however.

-Also, does anyone have any links that can help me go from having minimal knowledge to moderate knowledge about networking and the like? (for the purposes of my upgrade)

 

[Trip]

You're welcome, @spiXel. Just a note, and I'm sure you're aware, your switch is a Fast Ethernet model (100Mb/s). Assuming your cabling is Cat5e or Cat6, I would recommend investing in a Gigabit (1000Mb/s) switch for the significant speed bump. If you have no desire for management and 24 ports is still a good maximum, then the Netgear replacement would be the GS324. Alternatively, a Cisco SG-110 or HPE 1420 would be rock-solid alternatives.

As a side note, @RogerSC - did I read that right? Eero has added "smart queuing", as in fq_codel + HTB?! Like the way UBNT does it in the EdgeRouters? Because if that's true, that would be sweet.

Anyways, plenty of options, are you can see. Enjoy your time researching. I would suggest plenty of Googling, Reddit, more SNB posts and ServeTheHome forums is also good. Good luck!

 

[coxhaus]

Dump your switch it is too old. If nothing else replace your switch. If you want cheap Fry's has D-Link 8 port gig switches for $19 on sale. This is far from top of the line but it will give you gig connections for cheap. But you need to decide if you are going to buy a high end switch. You probably will not need the D-Link if are going to build a real network. The D-Link is a non-managed switch which will not support VLANs. If you are going to buy a consumer router then the D-Link will work.

 

[CrystalLattice]

Top-of-the-line in an expensive home today would only be: Ruckus 12 port POE+ switch, Ruckus R510 or R710 AP's, and your ISP's router(so you can blame them). If you want high security, flash OpenWRT on a
Linksys WRT1900ACS. If you want to brag overall enterprise level quality, use a Peplink router or Cisco router.

 

[coxhaus]

Top-of-the-line in an expensive home today would only be: Ruckus 12 port POE+ switch, Ruckus R510 or R710 AP's, and your ISP's router(so you can blame them). If you want high security, flash OpenWRT on a
Linksys WRT1900ACS. If you want to brag overall enterprise level quality, use a Peplink router or Cisco router.

This is definitely ONLY your opinion. I would go with Cisco gear. I run a pretty high end network at my home. It is a RV340 router with a Cisco layer 3 switch and 3 Cisco wireless APs that roam using 5 GHz only.

I have a Cisco 10 gig layer 3 switch, I just cannot get the high speed internet to go with it.