Need to Pick One of Two options for Wifi Extension: Ubiquiti UAP-AC-M or Asus AiMesh w/RT-AX1800S

[Bobbize]

Hello! I am new here. Currently using a single ASUS RT-AX86S as wifi router at one end of the house. Wifi signal is very weak outdoors, at the other end of the house. I recently helped a friend who bought a house set up a Ubiquiti UAP-AC-M and was quite impressed with the form factor. I should be able to run an Ethernet cable from the RT-AX86S to the UAP, which I would place as close as possible to the backyard, but indoors. The other option considered would be to add an ASUS RT-AX1800S and use it with AiMesh to extend the network towards the backyard. No Ethernet backhaul in this case due to placement limitations. The reason for me to consider AiMesh is because the price of the RT-AX1800S is about half of the price of the UAP-AC-M. Which way should I go? Thank you so much.

 

[tgl]

Welcome to the forums!

Mix-n-match wifi setups aren't ideal. If you run two ASUS units, you can use AIMesh to configure them. If you run two Ubiquiti units, you can use one of Ubiquiti's controller solutions to configure them. If you've got one of each then you're stuck configuring and updating them independently. Maybe if you value your sysadmin time at zero that doesn't sound bad. But even then, there's a downside: you will not get 802.11k/v roaming support between two independent APs. It'll still work, but transitions between the two areas might be less than seamless (for example, you might find that wifi phone calls drop when walking from one end of the house to the other).

Independently of that, mesh (a/k/a wireless backhaul) is very substantially inferior to wired backhaul for both performance and reliability. Don't go that way if you can possibly run an ethernet cable to the remote AP, or even some other kind of cable such as powerline or MoCA. I'm not quite understanding from your description why you think you'd have to use wireless backhaul if you go with the second ASUS unit?

 

[Bobbize]

The reason for the different approach is that the Ubiquiti AP uses POE for power. This means I can run an Ethernet cable in the ceiling of the basement and simply install the AP in a window close to the backyard.
If I go the ASUS AiMesh route, the additional router will be going on the ground floor, near a power outlet. I'm not sure I'm able to run an Ethernet cable to that location (I'm not really good with these things).
Thank you for your welcome and your input.

 

[Bobbize]

I picked up the term "wired backhaul" on this forum yesterday. I hope it didn't make me look like an expert, because I'm not. In order to achieve this wired backhaul between the two ASUS units, do I simply need to connect them together using one of the LAN ports?

 

[tgl]

Ah! I'd not thought of the whats-powering-it difference, but I believe you're right that ASUS doesn't make any PoE-capable APs. So that might be a good reason to go with two different makes of AP, and just live with the extra configuration complexity. (Once it's set up, that won't really be a huge deal.)

One bit of advice now that you've provided some more detail: don't assume without testing that that window is wifi-transparent. If it's modern construction with "low-E" glass, it's actually going to be substantially less radio-permeable than most walls. I don't think this affects your big-picture choice of which floor the new AP should go on, but it might affect the precise placement.

As far as ASUS wired-backhaul setup goes: you run a cable from one of the main node's LAN ports to the remote node. I don't remember whether it matters if you use the WAN or LAN port on the remote. The important thing is to explicitly enable "ethernet backhaul" mode (I think that's what AIMesh calls the setting) after you've configured the two units as a mesh. Pro tip: complete the software setup and configuration with the units close together so you can reach their reset buttons at need, and install the remote in its final location only once everything's operating properly.

 

[tiddlywink]

..

 

[tgl]

Expertwifi units should work just fine as aimesh units even on consumer routers.

Cool, I wasn't aware of that. This looks like a good option for a single-manufacturer solution.

 

[Bobbize]

@tgl, great point about the windows. They are triple-pane glass, low-E, and I've always found that network strength dropped significantly as soon as I walked outside anywhere around the house. This is why the Ubiquiti solution, which is made to go outside, is probably the best performing option. However, I looked at range extenders from ASUS (thank you @tiddlywink) and I think it's worth trying the RP-AX58 placed halfway between the router and the outside location where the signal is poor. It's cheaper than the Ubiquiti option and won't require much setup. It's worth a try. Hopefully enough signal can move through the glass.