Mesh for home

[Bonefish Blues]

OK technology-literate colleagues can you help me out here as I'm hugely confusificated, and unusually, the more I read the more I am visiting the Dept of Muddlology.

Here's the scenario - it's quite a large house, with some thick walls. We don't have great broadband - 72mb is about as fast as it ever gets, and there are dead spots. I currently have a Ubiquiti node which does OK within the limitations of its capability. It's connected to the Vodafone router via ethernet cable, and there's a wifi zone from the VF unit.

I think a mesh system, likely 3 units is the way to go, but I am confused what I need/what's best. I've rejected a TP powerline solution because powerline seems to sap bandwidth and you end up with weak wifi everywhere.

I have the option of wifi 5 or 6 - I simply can't afford 6E or more, nor does my supply in any way justify it (oh and it looks like hell will freeze over before we get faster internet here)

I can't physically link the units via ethernet, so it will have to be wifi backhaul. The nub of my Q is, I suppose, would I be best going for a dual band wifi 6 set like this:

Amazon product ASIN B0B8F146PQView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B8F146PQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1


Or is there merit in staying with wifi 5 and going for a tri-band set like this as I read that tri-band helps maximise speed, especially if different devices are in use?

Amazon product ASIN B07WRDR22HView: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deco-M9-Plus-coverage-Antivirus/dp/B07WRDR22H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EVX6FLB55SIY&keywords=tp%2Bdeco%2B9%2Bplus&qid=1700312137&s=computers&sprefix=tp%2Bdeco%2B9%2Bplus%2Ccomputers%2C67&sr=1-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.cc223b57-2b86-485c-a85e-6431c1f06c86&th=1


...or a completely different solution?

Welcome any opinions from colleagues, thanks.

 

[BoldonLad]

I bought a Tenda Mesh system from Curry's. It has three plug in "things". It cost approximately £80, from memory, that was about two or three years ago, and, it has been working merrily ever since.I don't understand how it works, but, it does. Gives me good wifi throughout the house, and, out into the garden. Despite my lack of understanding of how it works, I was able to set it up myself.

 

[newfhouse]

Tri band is only of value if you have multiple devices In range of the 5GHz signal burning high bandwidth at the same time. You say you have relatively modest internet speeds but do you run (or contemplate), say, a media server within your network?

Even then, depending on how you place your nodes, interconnect between them may fall back to 2.4 GHz which may constrain maximum speed between devices.

 

[fossyant]

Tenda seems to get recommended alot. I've 3 BT Mesh discs and they work well.

 

[Drago]

PLT?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

PLT?

Why thank you Mr D, I am indeed a pretty little thing. Aw shucks

You what?

Tri band is only of value if you have multiple devices In range of the 5GHz signal burning high bandwidth at the same time. You say you have relatively modest internet speeds but do you run (or contemplate), say, a media server within your network?

Even then, depending on how you place your nodes, interconnect between them may fall back to 2.4 GHz which may constrain maximum speed between devices.

We're a pretty average bunch of 3 people. I'll be on the iMac (ethernet to router). My daughter will be watching Youtube content via a Fire Stick, and Mrs BF will be browsing on a tablet or phone. I'd like to embrace smart home in the not-too distant, but the smart things we've got are out of range of either network at the moment. We use Alexa services quite a lot. Nothing out of the ordinary, I don't think?

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry, I can't help answer the question!

We don't have great broadband - 72mb is about as fast as it ever gets, and there are dead spots.

Ha - I only get 16 Mb/s here, but at least that is consistent round the house.

I got an email from Openreach a couple of days ago saying that my part of Todmorden is being added to their to-do list for superfast fibre though, so I should get it in the next year or two.

 

[Emanresu]

Why not cable up using Powerline. Have the computers and the TV's cabled up over over the mains for years and have never had to worry about walls.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/powerline-adapters/b?ie=UTF8&node=430576031

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Why not cable up using Powerline. Have the computers and the TV's cabled up over over the mains for years and have never had to worry about walls.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/powerline-adapters/b?ie=UTF8&node=430576031

I have separate rings up & downstairs - would that introduce extra complexity?

 

[Bazzer]

We have one of the TP links sets similar to your first picture. I bought it because of a rubbish WiFi signal in our dining room. - The signal has to go through 3 brick walls from the Vodaphone router to where I wanted it receiving. The unit in the dining room improved matters considerably.
For comparison, we get a download speed of around 80Mb on wifi in the same room as the router.
Because our dining room faces the back garden, it also improved the signal when I'm listening to radio stations whilst in the garden.
Edited to include "sets"

 

[mistyoptic]

I have separate rings up & downstairs - would that introduce extra complexity?

It did for us. The extension is on a separate ring and so powerline didn’t work here

 

[lazybloke]

I have a 4 node mesh system from Tenda which seemed great value for money but still has some trouble with with range, and with penetrating 1920s supporting walls.

Had it about 3 and a half years, and have improved it by running some ethernet to join two of the nodes.
Am currently running more ethernet, as my office doesn't have a reliable signal for work.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I have a 4 node mesh system from Tenda which seemed great value for money but still has some trouble with with range, and with penetrating 1920s supporting walls.

Had it about 3 and a half years, and have improved it by running some ethernet to join two of the nodes.
Am currently running more ethernet, as my office doesn't have a reliable signal for work.

I could have cabled more ethernet in when we renovated 13-14 years ago, but who knew?

 

[newfhouse]

Nothing out of the ordinary, I don't think?

Agreed. Either set should work for you. I use six TP Link Deco units here to cover three floors plus the garden and a detached garage some distance from the house. I have a mix of M4 and E4 units that I bought as my needs grew. The different versions all work quite happily together.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I've ordered the X55, so let's see how we go