Fighting an old Linksys router… What do I need to know to go mesh?
Pros and cons?
Who do you like and are any VPN sw friendly?

TIA!

This is my second house where I have installed an Orbi RBR750 3 unit router from Costco. I have had no problems over the past 3-5 years with this system and have great coverage in a 3,800 sqft home and surrounding grounds.

I am using the eero 6 system. Wifi 6, 1 "router" and 1 extender. Covers my entire 1/2 acre. Always flawless.

My son installed the eero 6 pro with equally good res.

I wouldn’t think the mesh setup would have any issue with a VPN. I have a Google branded setup that’s probably 5 years old and it works fine. App on my phone manages all the parameters.

Not currently meshed, but compatible.
I've been happy with Ubiquiti, same models we use at work. We have a 3 AP setup at the office (long & skinny office layout).

Will probably add an AP or 2 at home to cover the guest house & office, if I don't just run hardwire to both.

Google setup here and it has been good.

RMD

quote:

What do I need to know to go mesh?
Pros and cons?

Pros: Easy to set up
Cons: Performance is much less than a properly designed multi-AP network but better than a simple wi-fi extender.

My best buddy built a new house and had ethernet ran to all rooms. He had an Orbi that he ended up giving to me.

Its been great in the last three or so years we've been using it. I have the router and two satellites. The router is by my modem and living room TV and one satellite is downstairs in the mud room just inside from the garage. The other satellite is upstairs in our loft.

There are many many threads on mesh routers. Most often there are comments about such hardware when people ask about WiFi with a traditional router. People say “go mesh” instead of giving advice about incredibly better traditional routers.

Anyway, PCMAG has the latest and greatest reviews with full test data on traditional WiFi routers. There is a new protocol. As usual. Expensive hardware. But, often the reviews say “covers my entire house.”. So, no need for a $450 EERO brand mesh system, or similar Google mesh hardware. Mesh works, to be sure, but is not always required. I hated the Google mesh once I saw how they were listening to me. And still are. Through my smart TV.

I use Verizon Gigabit and I connect the attic WiFi via a backhaul to the main WiFi. I can be anywhere in my yard, and halfway around the block before the WiFi drops out. Costs me $20 a month to rent these two. So, spending $400-500 for a mesh trio has a payback of 25 months.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Not currently meshed, but compatible.
I've been happy with Ubiquiti, same models we use at work. We have a 3 AP setup at the office (long & skinny office layout).

Will probably add an AP or 2 at home to cover the guest house & office, if I don't just run hardwire to both.

My Ubiquiti AP decided to go on strike today.
Super weak signal when 2ft away from it, not visible at all to some devices.
Reset it, updated firmware, can see it on my laptop, but not my phone, nor the alarm panel, so all my cameras are down.

For several years, I had a wireless router and two wireless access points (WAP) to cover my large single story house. Both WAP were wired backhaul (i.e. connected to CAT5e cable) and all had the same SSID so I could seamlessly move about the house.

My neighborhood ISP kept increasing the speed every year, and pretty soon my wifi was holding me back from using what I was paying for.

I started looking at installing ceiling mounted WAP (something prosumer) and a fast router. It was going to cost 2.5x what I ended up spending, and I was going to have to crawl around in the attic running new CAT6.

I started reading reviews on mesh networks with wired backhaul as wired backhaul is almost always faster that wireless backhaul. Ended up finding excellent reviews on a WIFI6 TP-Link mesh 3-pack. Even better it was on sale. Plugged into the same RJ45 jacks I had been using with the old system so I was up and running in no time. Huge increase in speed.