Summer house network for two buildings, TUF ax-3000 v2 up to the task?

[Orfantal]

So I am looking to add wifi and mobile broadband internet to the summer house. I am looking for a router to provide the wireless network, it will get a 4g modem into the WAN port.

The house is maybe 80 Sq meters and 4 rooms. It is fairly thin drywall as inner walls and wooden clad outer walls.

The router will only be used for easy loads at the moment. Cell phones and one work computer is all. Later on maybe also a NAS and carrying surveillance camera feed to the NAS.

The only complication really is that I would like to have good wifi coverage also in a small one room building 10-15 meters away from the main house. That is where the "office" and work computer will be.

I have also bought a 1Gbit powerline adaptors to get wired connection to this small building. Wiring the houses proper is not an option at the moment. But I would like to have good wifi coverage there also.

I already bought the TUF ax3000 V2. The specs looked okay to me at first. But I was a bit sad after reading it is only 2x2 streams. It is one of the cheapest out there so I should have known it would be something that was not up to spec with the higher end ones of course. Besides cpu and memory.

I don't need more streams for throughput. I think, as per the use cases described above.
But my concern with 2x2 is that it will have less speed at range than a 3x3 or 4x4 radio would. Is this a correct assumption?

I have tested the wifi coverage earlier with a smaller "pocket" Hotspot router of wireless N tier. The ZTE MF910 (https://www.4gltemall.com/zte-mf910-4g-lte-mobile-hotspot.html).
It failed to carry the signal unless I placed it and my cell phone window to window between the houses.

I will test with the TUF Ax-3000 now and see how it goes. Where to place it etc.
Perhaps it is strong enough to carry two outer wooden walls and maybe an inner wall as well and 15 m. That would be the best placement wise.

Any thoughts or suggestions on a good setup would be appreciated. Maybe someone has experience of a similar two building scenario.

If I find I need another wifi router to cover the small building. What suggestions for a aimesh to pair it, another TUF AX-3000 v2? Or go for a more higher end router instead?

Use powerline as backhaul a good idea?

 

[OzarkEdge]

So I am looking to add wifi and mobile broadband internet to the summer house. I am looking for a router to provide the wireless network, it will get a 4g modem into the WAN port.

The house is maybe 80 Sq meters and 4 rooms. It is fairly thin drywall as inner walls and wooden clad outer walls.

The router will only be used for easy loads at the moment. Cell phones and one work computer is all. Later on maybe also a NAS and carrying surveillance camera feed to the NAS.

The only complication really is that I would like to have good wifi coverage also in a small one room building 10-15 meters away from the main house. That is where the "office" and work computer will be.

I have also bought a 1Gbit powerline adaptors to get wired connection to this small building. Wiring the houses proper is not an option at the moment. But I would like to have good wifi coverage there also.

I already bought the TUF ax3000 V2. The specs looked okay to me at first. But I was a bit sad after reading it is only 2x2 streams. It is one of the cheapest out there so I should have known it would be something that was not up to spec with the higher end ones of course. Besides cpu and memory.

I don't need more streams for throughput. I think, as per the use cases described above.
But my concern with 2x2 is that it will have less speed at range than a 3x3 or 4x4 radio would. Is this a correct assumption?

I have tested the wifi coverage earlier with a smaller "pocket" Hotspot router of wireless N tier. The ZTE MF910 (https://www.4gltemall.com/zte-mf910-4g-lte-mobile-hotspot.html).
It failed to carry the signal unless I placed it and my cell phone window to window between the houses.

I will test with the TUF Ax-3000 now and see how it goes. Where to place it etc.
Perhaps it is strong enough to carry two outer wooden walls and maybe an inner wall as well and 15 m. That would be the best placement wise.

Any thoughts or suggestions on a good setup would be appreciated. Maybe someone has experience of a similar two building scenario.

If I find I need another wifi router to cover the small building. What suggestions for a aimesh to pair it, another TUF AX-3000 v2? Or go for a more higher end router instead?

Use powerline as backhaul a good idea?

Since you already have the equipment, I would test with the router in the house connected by powerline to a wired laptop (wired for testing the powerline) in the outbuilding. The electric wiring in the two buildings should share a common Earth Ground connection, which they should if the outbuilding electric supply comes from the house. Evaluate performance of the cellular Internet service, the house router WiFi range, and the powerline backhaul.

If the powerline backhaul works and you need more WiFi coverage in the outbuilding, add a wired Access Point/AiMesh node in the outbuilding to connect wired and wireless clients. If the powerline backhaul proves problematic, the next option might be a wireless backhaul to an AiMesh node, ideally not shared/used for client connections (requires tri-band equipment).

If a wireless AiMesh node in the outbuilding, the more matching antennas/streams there are on the router and node, the stronger the wireless backhaul connection will be. (Most client connections are 2 antenna streams max; a higher end laptop may connect with 3 antennas/streams, if available.)

Incidentally, my house windows with metal screens attenuate a WiFi signal more than drywall with brick fascia.

OE

 

[Orfantal]

Since you already have the equipment, I would test with the router in the house connected by powerline to a wired laptop (wired for testing the powerline) in the outbuilding. The electric wiring in the two buildings should share a common Earth Ground connection, which they should if the outbuilding electric supply comes from the house. Evaluate performance of the cellular Internet service, the house router WiFi range, and the powerline backhaul.

If the powerline backhaul works and you need more WiFi coverage in the outbuilding, add a wired Access Point/AiMesh node in the outbuilding to connect wired and wireless clients. If the powerline backhaul proves problematic, the next option might be a wireless backhaul to an AiMesh node, ideally not shared/used for client connections (requires tri-band equipment).

If a wireless AiMesh node in the outbuilding, the more matching antennas/streams there are on the router and node, the stronger the wireless backhaul connection will be. (Most client connections are 2 antenna streams max; a higher end laptop may connect with 3 antennas/streams, if available.)

Incidentally, my house windows with metal screens attenuate a WiFi signal more than drywall with brick fascia.

OE

Thanks for that information packed reply. I have now tested both powerline and wifi from the router placed in the main house. The powerline worked and luckily also the wifi.

I could only test the internet speed at the different setup and points. I hade 70 Mbit at the 4G router. And similar when measured right at the Asus TUF ax-3000.
With the powerline in the out house I got 25-40 Mbit. And the powerline units got hot enough that I was not comfortable leaving them in during the night. Maybe they just run hot but I would rather not take a chance. I bought them used also.

I found a spot for the Asus router in a corner of the main house that is maybe 12 meters from the out house.
In the out house I got 2 out of 3 wifi bars on the phone.
I first tested 2.4 GHz, and got very bad speed, like 2-5 Mbit. This surprised me since I thought my issue would be to get the signal to carry longer and therefore I assumed 2.4 would be best.
But the 5 GHZ band proved to have sliced through one inner and two other walls easily. Got 50-60 Mbit, so I am really happy.
Maybe the porous wooden walls and no neighbors/interference just gave good conditions.

I stopped the testing there and will keep using it as it is. And just plug in the powerline whenever I need wired.

I will keep your advice in mind if an Aimesh becomes needed. Matching streams for node and router. Matching antennas. And I would consider a tri band, though they don't appear to be as common now.

Regarding windows attenuating the signal more than walls. A friend who works in construction said the same thing. Modern windows, often with triple glass also, stop radio signals more than walls... Best to try both walls and windows now and not assume anything.

Cheers and have a good weekend!