Mesh system or single Wifi Router

[L&LD]

One or two RT-AX86U's (don't open the second one until you test the first one's coverage in the home) will be all that is needed. Pick up a couple when they're on sale over the next few weeks. Well worth it.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/ax86u-review.68521/post-642498

 

[RogerSC]

Hate to not recommend Asus on this site, but even though my Asus RT-AX88U does a good job, the two eero pro 6's that I have connected via MoCA 2.5 do much better for my whole house (2000 sq.ft., 2 stories). I wouldn't recommend using the eero pro 6's without MoCA or ethernet cable connection at this point, but the performance with MoCA connecting the nodes is really good. Better than I was seeing with my efforts with AiMesh or anything else that I've tried.

The performance without wiring the remote nodes will most likely be fixed in the future, but at the moment I'd wait on the eero pro 6's if you need a fully wireless mesh. They've promised a firmware release in January aimed at fixing the current wireless mesh problems, but it's a future at this point. I've had good experience with eero firmware, so I don't doubt that they will fix the current problems, though.

You can get a 2-pack of eero pro 6's from Amazon at a discount from buying 2 individual units. I got mine at the Black Friday prices, which were at a considerable discount, and they are discounted occasionally as Amazon likes to do to attract customers.

 

[thiggins]

@RogerSC First, please don't hesitate to recommend anything you like. This is not an ASUS-only site.

I'm curious. If you use Ethernet backhaul, why buy a mesh system vs. multiple APs?

 

[Smokey613]

Good luck checking your eero unit if it loses internet connectivity. No way to access those units except by the app, which BTW is useless if it cannot connect to the internet. Ask me how I know this.....

 

[matt_pl]

@SteelSteve - Welcome. SMB/SOHO integrator here. I'd implore you put aside other suggestions for the moment and consider the following.

At a high level, I can tell you almost straight away you want to be broadcasting wifi from at least two, maybe three, equidistant places across the house, in order to ensure proper signal quality for all devices. That said, I would choose gear based on how much, if any, wired backbone there is, and/or how simple you want the solution to be:

1) If there is ethernet or TV coaxial cable (for use with MoCa) in the house, then I would skip the consumer gear altogether and run SMB-grade, discrete components. Properly installed, neither you nor your parents will ever have to touch it again (aside from configuration changes). Help calls should also be minimal, likely zero. The setup would consist of a wired router/switch (example: Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X - $60) and two or three controller-based access points (ex: Cisco CBW140AC ceiling unit ($110 ea) or CBW145AC wall-plate unit ($150 ea). If the backbone is ethernet, you can power the APs via PoE, centrally with a PoE switch or injectors, or locally with injectors or AC plugs. If backbone is TV coaxial, then you'll need MoCa-compatible splitters ($10-20 ea) in place of any non-compatible ones, plus one MoCa 2.5 adapter ($60 ea.) per wired equipment location. APs will need to be powered locally by injector or AC plug. Although this is a more complex setup, with added steps and gear if MoCa is involved, the end result will be a network that functions more like an appliance and less like a toy (think: hot water heater, HVAC system, etc).

2) If you can't create any wired backbone, and/or or just want to K.I.S.S. at all costs, the just go consumer wifi mesh, namely Eero (any hardware version). Why Eero? Unlike most consumer router firmwares with meshing added after-the-fact (ex: Asus AiMesh, Netgear Orbi, etc.), Eero 1) purpose-built, actual mesh, 2) uses QoS that actually works (to keep all internet activity snappy and buffer-free, regardless of what anyone else is doing on the network) and 3) can alter radio roles and channel usage in real-time to optimize traffic flow and keep all mesh links in-tact. No other product in the segment (or out of it, for that matter) does any of those as well, let alone all of them, and together they make a huge difference in the "it just works" factor. Eero also has dead-simple software that I've found to me much more stable, on average, than your typical Asus, Netgear or TP-Link all-in-ones. Granted, you can augment much of that last issue with stuff like Merlin for Asus, but it's one less thing to have to monkey with when picking a product that just works, non-stop, straight out of the box.

So that's your action flow to solve their issues once and for all. Any questions, feel free.

Thanks @Trip for that particular post and the further ones in this thread. I read it beginning of 2021 before moving to a new house and it changed the way I started to look at home networking. I then decided to build a network with a separate switch, separate router, access points and a controller. Eventually I chose used Cisco silent 2960x psql switch, and used ubiquiti usg router with ubiquiti nano-hd access points. I have never been more happy with home networking than I am now - once configured I never really had to touch the components, except for firmware and controller upgrades, which run effortlessly. Even my wife notices the difference. I have never restarted the switch, router worked for 9 months longest without restarting (was only restarted after energy shortage), access points are also super stable, no issues at all. I only logged in here to find your post from almost 2 years ago and say thanks.

 

[Trip]

@matt_pl - Glad you found the content useful. Quite frankly, that's the way something we rely on so heavily should work -- more like a carrier-grade appliance and less like a toy. Happy for you, and for your well being, via satisfaction of the wife as well.

 

[bdub76]

I’d start out by figuring out how much actual speed you need in each room of the house and work backwards from there.

I have used a r7000p in a 3000 sqft house. And I now use a AX86U in nearly the same size. All of my bedrooms get enough speed to stream and look at the Internet. But I do split everything up. I have a separate switch and router.

It really boils down to where your wet walls are at, how much interference from neighbors and airports, and how much speed you need in each room. Then, I’d look at different solutions mentioned above. Don’t get caught up in your ISP advertising. Make sure you get enough for your tasks, which is most likely far less than you think.