Need help with building mesh system

[fknz]

Hi. I got 1Gbps fiber and I'm trying to build home network from scratch because I currently have ASUS TUF-AX5400 as the main router connecting via PPPoE and an TP-Link Archer C6 v2 (abandoned by TP-Link) as AP on second floor and with that 4 different wifi networks and I want to do a single mesh 5ghz network at home with good coverage + two separate 2.4ghz SSIDs for my Roborock vacuum cleaners on both floors.

Concept posted above with already owned ASUS router in mind if it didnt load for somebody:

https://imgur.com/a/JjpADdA

And heres my previous little concept with TP-Link:

https://imgur.com/4uhJ07j

At first I wanted to buy four TP-Link Archer AX53 routers (the second revision because it supports ethernet backhaul since then), but the more I read about it I don't think it will work as planned.

I don't know if it will simultaneously work with ethernet backhaul between the two units and the third one via wifi backhaul + from what I read the one on second floor would have to be hooked up as a router and not an Access Point because EasyMesh won't work on AP mode. Well but if I hook it up as a second router I guess it will collide with the first unit on first floor and it will cause "double NAT" or something like that?
ASUS on the other hand is supossed to work within its AiMesh while on AP mode.

I looked at TP-Link Deco X50 4pcs as well - in theory this thing could probably meet almost all my requirements but im not sure. I don't know if one of these dummies is capable of serving as the main router or if I still need to have some kind of additional modem beforehand. My next gripe with it is that each piece has only 3 ports so if one is used for ethernet backhaul then I am left with only two ports and on second floor I want to connect 3 devices via ethernet.

TP-Link could not have messed up more with these Mesh systems.... OneMesh, EasyMesh, Deco and Omada. And together they of course don't want to cooperate as one mesh environment + TP-Link loves to make a lot of revisions of one model and abandon completely the older one as it happened with mine.

Maybe i shouldnt get rid of my ASUS TUF AX5400 and build network with AiMesh from ASUS in mind? ASUS would give me use for my existing router + a lot more customization than TP-Link but from I read here and there ASUS handles roaming within Mesh worse than other brands.

My knowledge on networking is limited and I'm completely lost at this point.


Im from Europe (Poland) and TP-Link dominates the market here, any ASUS is easy to get too but maybe I should buy some other kit from another company? Something that would be available from any EU Amazon if i need to buy outside my country.

The budget is not rigid but I would prefer to stay below 500€ for everything

Thats a lot of read so thank you in advance for your help and I'm more than willing to paypal some beer money to the person who gets me through this mess.

 

[tiddlywink]

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[fknz]

1. Asus router #1 as router
2. Asus router #2 as wired node
3. ASUS TUF AX5400 as wired node

Thank you very much for your reply!
My TUF AX5400 is nearing its warranty period, I think I will get rid of it, either sell it or RMA it.

Currently im thinking about buying:
#1 AX88U Pro as main router on first floor.
#2 AX88U Pro on second floor as wired AiMesh node.
#3 RT-AX52 as wireless AiMesh node on first floor
#4 Second RT-AX52 as wireless AiMesh node on first floor
#5 Third RT-AX52 as wireless AiMesh node just outside the house for garden coverage.

I dont think i wanna splurge on WIFI 7 routers, i dont even have a single device capable of utilizing it + from what i can read firmware of these routers still have some teething issues, not sure if thats still true tho.
Single BE88u goes for whopping ~374€ in my country.

AX88U Pro goes for ~257€, while one of the newest and cheapest ASUS routers RT-AX52 goes for 47€.
Single AX88U Pro should be enough for coverage of whole second floor, walls are thinner there.
But on the first floor AX88U Pro definitely wont be enough so im thinking about adding RT-AX52 at the center as AiMesh wireless node, second RT-AX52 also in that mode at the most distant corner of the house from the #1 AX88U Pro and lastly third RT-AX52 just outside the house also as wireless AiMesh node.

Im thinking about ordering all these 5 devices on monday. I can always return all of them within 14 days if this wont work.

What do you think?

 

[degrub]

What are the building dimensions and what are the 1) interior wall construction and 2) exterior wall construction ?
If you have windows facing the garage/back area, many times you can get adequate wifi coverage through the window.

These consumer units are designed to blast out RF, so having 4 covering 2 floors may be too much and can make it worse, particularly for the 2.4 GHz band. 5GHz will penetrate 1 gypsum sheet wall, won't do well going through 2 walls.

If you are turning off 2.4 GHz on two of the units, ok, can work, particularly if using ethernet backhaul. You may have to turn off the 5GHz radios on the two units devoted to 2.4 GHz service, however. Depends on wall/obstacle layout and construction and where all 4 units are placed.

 

[Tech9]

Currently im thinking about buying

This is an expensive dead-end experiment. Go full UniFi or Omada and forget about disposable consumer hardware with perpetual beta firmware. AiMesh with so many nodes - disaster.

 

[tiddlywink]

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[fknz]

What are the building dimensions and what are the 1) interior wall construction and 2) exterior wall construction ?

Not english native so sorry if i name something wrong:

Both floors have 150 square meters each. On the first floor there are many walls made of concrete blocks+gypsum boards, while on the second floor the walls are only made of gypsum boards with styrofoam in between and there is much more open space there compared to first floor.

If you are turning off 2.4 GHz on two of the units, ok, can work, particularly if using ethernet backhaul.

Only my two best units (router #1 and node #2 listed above) will be connected via ethernet backhaul, rest will be wireless nodes.

I plan on leaving 2.4ghz only on two units: the only node on second floor and wireless node at the center of the first floor. Both will be reserved for my two robot vacuum cleaners to have biggest coverage available cuz they dont work on 5Ghz and probably cant roam between nodes.

5Ghz would be turned on on all units in that scenario to have biggest coverage in that mesh system and rest of my devices will be on that network.

This is an expensive dead-end experiment. Go full UniFi or Omada and forget about disposable consumer hardware with perpetual beta firmware.

Sadly both UniFi and Omada gear are only available at niche retailers here, not any major shop. I have nobody to pay to set everything up for me, so with my limited knowledge in case shirt goes wrong returning all that gear will noticeably hurt this small niche retailer, where in case of going ASUS i can buy from major players and im only hurting big corpos profits by returning devices.

I can already tell you that five is too many unless you live in a concrete bunker.

Honestly when thinking about first floor that wouldnt be big exaggeration lol, both 2.4ghz and 5ghz from my current TUF AX5400 in one corner of that floor barely reach the other end of that floor and internet is unusable from there.

While my current plan may be exaggeration, one unit on second floor will be enough but first floor will need two nodes at least + third just outside the house near window for garden coverage.

So instead of buying 5 of these devices I will probably start with 4.

That is one of the newer filogic models that are very good. If you get those buy a filogic base to match the filogic ax52.

AX88U Pro = broadcom
TUF-AX4200 or TUF-AX6000 = filogic

My network is 3x TUF-AX6000's.

While AX88U Pro is 257€, TUF AX6000 is 163€ so if i were to get two of them instead two AX88U Pro that would be pretty big saving.

But doesnt AX88U Pro have some better firewall protections etc? Maybe i shouldnt cheap out and take some more expensive nodes to match Broadcom on AX88U Pro instead of these RT-AX52?

 

[Tech9]

Sadly both UniFi and Omada gear are only available at niche retailers here, not any major shop.

This doesn’t change the fact you have network ideas with limitations and incompatibilities right from the start. Too many nodes, some running Asuswrt 5.0, others Asuswrt 4.0, you can’t use main router features network wide, AiMesh has no per node power settings, AiMesh uses all the same wireless channels, etc. A public forum is not a good place for entire building projects help. For this you have to know what are you doing or hire a professional to do it for you. Otherwise all the free suggestions online will transform into real money out of your pocket for non guaranteed to work solution.

People trying to help you are in the US - different than yours region with different RF regulations. The same model routers are tuned differently for US and EU markets. You have limited channels selection and reduced power, on specific channels down to 10% of what’s allowed in the US. Advice provided is mostly unusable for you. If you insist on DIY approach - get ready for returns, refunds, exchanges, etc. trial and error time consuming process.

 

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[Tech9]

Sadly both UniFi and Omada gear are only available at niche retailers here

All you may need is actually available on Amazon.pl and with 2-3 days delivery time from a local fulfillment centre.

 

[fknz]

All you may need is actually available on Amazon.pl and with 2-3 days delivery time from a local fulfillment centre.

You are right, UCG Ultra isnt available there but is on one bigger store here.

But that doesnt change the fact that im completely lost what components to put together for my use case not to mention that idk if i will be able to configure it properly by myself.

Damn i wanted to order something from ASUS today already but now im torn, Unifi devices are damn clean and minimalistic and it doesnt look weird like ASUS router on the shelf lol

 

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