One for the techies - Mesh Wi-Fi?

Going to overhaul our home network.

The extremes of the house are pretty much covered by data points back to a central hub where the NBN NTD box is (FTTC).

The Wi-Fi is all over the place, combo of the main modem wi-fi plus an old Unifi AP plus an extender half way up the house plus another old modem/router reconfigured as an AP and connected off one of the data points.

Dropped connections are frequent. There's no hand-over so you need to swap your device onto different networks as you move around the house.

I'm looking at pulling the lot out and starting again with a 3 point mesh wi-fi set up with Ethernet wired backhaul.

Currently looking at the Netgear Orbi 6 - Orbi WiFi 6 System AX6000 | Mesh WiFi | NETGEAR

My main question is, we don't have (or need ) a land line so VOIP is not an issue. From what I've read, the main Mesh unit replaces your current modem/router and connects directly to the NTD?

If that's the case, is the NTD/NBN already programmed with your ISP details and you literally just take out the old modem/router and plug in the Orbi instead, or do you have to program your ISP user name & password into the Orbi too?

Does anyone have experience of a similar set up, whole hose mesh, and has any comments on effectiveness or thoughts on equipment alternatives to the Orbi's? (noting I want to make use of the data points in the house so would want the Ethernet backhaul capability).

Cheers.

 

Hmmm... ok, so look s like the Orbi isn't a true mesh system, the Linksys Velop may be better but I can't definitely find out if the Velop can connect directly to eh FTTC NTD box, or if I still have to use the old modem in between?

 

You already have a Unifi AP? You already have Cat 6 running back to a rack where the modem is located? Seems to me you could simply add another Unifi AP and use a POE injector to power two of them and you'd have a commercial grade mesh solution. Just disable the wifi on your router and let the Unifi AP's do their thing .

Ubiquiti - UniFi® AP AC LR

Comes with a POE injector to power it .


Depending on what your existing AP model is, might just be best to buy 2 new ones. That would cost you @ $200 each.

I have 2 x Unifi AC LR's in my house. One is located upstairs. One is located downstairs. I have seamless handover wifi coverage within the house and coverage extends for a good 50 metres + outside the house in all directions...

 

Had nothing but issues with the Unifi's when adding more than one. Spent countless hours faffing about with their output strengths to get the handovers to work but just could't get the devices to pick up the closest AP's at the far ends of the house, the always wanted to stay connected to the "primary"one. Gave up, hence going back to a miss match of extenders and AP's.

Plus, when I changed my desktop PC I didn't realise the Unifi set up was all stored on that PC, I couldn't reconfigure them later from the new PC without installing a backup of their settings from the old PC (which I didn't have), so I had to factory reset them all and start again from scratch from the new PC just to modify the configuration, and got the same result, devices wouldn't hand off to the other AP's, they just kept trying to stick with the furthest/weakest primary node.

 

Unifi works very well for me - but I use a cloud key to manage it with the app on my phone. I think the new cloud key might be $$$ though.

What made a big difference to the problem you describe was switching to only 5ghz on my primary SSID - also much faster. I have 2.4 on a secondary SSID for the one device that isn't compatible and visitors.

Unifi also does mesh if you need to fill in non cabled black spots although I have not used it as I just have the APs in the ceiling space.

 

I've had no such issues... works seamlessly for me. Unifi AP's are considered excellent at what they do. It's certainly been my experience... but yes, I agree the controller software can be fiddly .

TP Link has some new products you may find interesting... well reviewed.

Deco | TP-Link Australia

 

Yeah, Unifi had awesome reviews which is why I went for those at he outset, probably 6 years ago now? They worked great in our old house (aside from the secondary node used to drop off pretty often). Looking back though,the house was much smaller than this one and it's possible we were only ever connecting to the primary node back then.

My sparky was here earlier, was talking to him about it, he's recently put a Velop 3x node install in a city Melbourne house (thick brick walls), and the client has been raving about how good it is. About to pull the pin on one now. Decided on the Velop over the Orbi as it seems the Orbi isn't a true mesh system.

 

Sorry @Propagate, this is no help...

 

Looks like there has already been suggestions for UniFi with the cloud key

UniFi really is awesome kit. Pretty much all the networking people I have worked with run these and/or sell/support them in their side businesses.

Cheers,
Inertia.