Trying to learn all the ins and out, pluses and minuses, and differences between "best ever" and "you won’t like this" is making my head hurt.

What should i look for, what should be avoided, why shouldn't the highest costing one be considered and why should the least expensive be skipped over?

Any advvice for a 2,700 sq ft two story with attached garage and backyard - and home office?

Here is some basic advice that I can offer.

Wired Access Points will generally be better since each will have a connection to your switch. Mesh will back haul to the Access Points that is connected to the switch. The more expensive ones will use separate radio for that back haul. If you have the ability to have wired connection, put 1 on the first floor and the other on the other. Used the same network name for both, but different channels (1, 6 or 11 for 2.4) and the devices will connect to the closest (strongest) signal.

Newer versions will also have 2.4, 5 and 6GHz radio frequencies. Labeled as WiFi 6. Most devices today only support 2.4 and 5, you are paying for some future proofing. But technology changes and newer models will be available tomorrow. Do you need WiFi 7 today? Do your devices support WiFi 7? If no, then you can save a few $$ and not get the latest and greatest.

As for costs, it’s all about your budget. Set your spend and you can find a capable product. I’ve installed a TP-Link Deco for a friend and they have mixed results. Most of the issue here is the building construction. They wanted to have access in an adjacent building, problem is the house is aluminum siding and not great for getting the Radio signal outside. Placement of the access points to find optimal signal and bandwidth. Not wired speeds, but ok for what they wanted.

PM me if you would like discuss anything in detail.

I upgraded to a wi-fi mesh from having a router and two wireless access points.

Old: I used wired backhaul (i.e. data flows from access point to router over Cat 6 cable), but had to do a bunch of settings tweakings (i.e. mainly channel selection) so that they all had the same name and password. For some reason, several times a year I had to tweak things as they slowed down.

New: I bought a Deco system that had wired backhaul. I plugged in all 3 to the exact same cat 6 outlets and in about 5 minutes everything worked. I never have to tweak things.

The wired backhaul was one of the buying points I was looking for. I had looked at data on wireless backhaul and to get good performance meant a lot of extra money. Also, I would've had to position the device locations differently (e.g. halfway between router and home office) due to distance which means I wouldn't have as good of outdoor signal that I enjoy today (ie device is on exterior wall of office near a window).

Several years ago, I bought the Google Mesh system with two access points and have been very happy with it. I have acceptable coverage both in the house and garage as well as the back yard.

2800 Sq ft house.

RMD

WOOT! has a NetGear MESH system (router and two satellites) on sale periodically. I have one of these systems, it has been just fine.

We use PoE systems at work, but have limited 110v in much of the building.

I will concur with the preference for a wired "backhaul" (a terribly inaccurate term that should never have seen the light of day). Why sacrifice half your radio bandwidth to distribution? Most houses have ample options for wiring low-voltage distribution systems, although they can sometimes be a challenge. If pulling cable is not your thing, then "mesh" distribution (another inaccurate term) might be in order, but will always be less performant than a wired system simply because copper is better conduit for electrons than radio waves. It is also possible to distribute via cable to one remote location and radio to another.

Read mkueffer's post above twice, he knows whereof he speaks.

Don't be beguiled by manufacturer claims of "higher power" radios. In most cases, the limiting factor will be the power that the end-user device (e.g. cell phone) can sustain. Building construction affects transmission of radio waves a lot, simply moving a device a couple of feet can make a huge difference (due to interference patterns causing "dead spots"). Use a phone app that will show signal strength to reduce the trial-and-error process of finding a good location.

I have the Eero 6+ and they work great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z..._fed_asin_title&th=1

I initially tried a TP Link Deco that continuously dropped devices.

In understanding what WiFi is ~ it is just a substitute for a cable between two points.
Such as a device to the Wifi AP which then connects to the your router which then connects to either other devices your local network or to connections beyond aka the Internet.

"Mesh" used in most consumer installations are just a slightly intelligent extenders that are a WiFi to Wifi connection.
In commercial installations they incorporate some logic that will find the best path back home (so to speak). Normally more beneficial to extend coverage in large areas with lots of mobile clients.

However, in most all home installations it is because of the ease of installation.

Having multiple AP's hard wired to the router will provide the most performance and reliability when properly installed and configured.

An analogy of WiFi is like a Loudspeaker ~ the sound will vary if you are in the next room, outside or there are obstacles between you and the speaker.
Same for WiFi, If you are too far or there are barriers between you and the AP then the signal can deteriorate.

The physical location of this AP can make a huge difference in performance.

However, it is not always practical to run wires everywhere so hence the MESH networks for consumers.

Generally in a 2700sf home I would imagine one or two AP's would be fine ~ depending on the location.
Substitute one or two Mesh devices for every actual AP.

There are a plethora of factors to consider in any installation so there is no one single solution without know all the requirements and even some trial and error or what we do from an IT preceptive is a site survey (measures signal strength/ noise an output to a "heat map"}.

Also what was mentioned is absolutely true ~ you are limited to what your client device capability is , however most devices now days have at least WiFI 6.

Good Luck

We have a three TP Link mesh system. Works great for us. Rarely have an issue. It’s a WiFi 6 setup if irc. I’m real knowledgeable with it if you can’t tell. Lol

I recommend that you enjoy Wi-Fi from a single access point, whenever possible. I installed the Verizon FIOS router in a hall closet on the first floor, essentially the center of the house. No issues connecting at all, within a half-acre footprint. Gigabit speeds.

I've tried Google mesh, years ago. To me, it is a solution in search of a problem.

Many of the ones suggested work just fine. Depending on the layout of the house and the construction. Sometimes more then 1 AP is required. even if its a powerful one, the device your using (phone/tablet/etc) cant transmit at the same power level leading to issues/performance problems.

i prefer ubiquiti networks. they are expensive, but the wifi, cameras, door access, and so on can all be controlled/managed by one system. Easy to teach my family what do use etc. depends on what else you want besides wifi. for just wifi, i think many mesh systems are great and you can save money over ubiquiti system.

Thank you all. Went with a Deco 3600 dual band. Kind of cool watching them learn each other.

Next question, can i lock it to prevent an unauthorized on from joining?

^^ At the very minimum, require a password to get on your network. Easy to set-up on the Deco app under "Wifi Settings" on main page.

You can also set-up a guest network and only let visitors use this network. Then, when you don't have guests you can turn off the guest network.

In your Deco app, there is a 2nd option for even more security:

Click "more" in lower right corner

Click "wifi access control"

You'll see that mode is set to "Block List Mode". This is what the app has had since i started using it, but I just realized today that they've added a 2nd option which is "allow list mode." People not only need a password, they need to be on the allowed list. I'm still using "Block List Mode."

So, got all the above done (thank you very much fir the walk-through) next, do those settings also prevent another mesh node from joining the collective?