Hello all, I have a general question about alternatives to mesh wifi systems, and then I would appreciate any recommendations for my specific circumstances.
For the general question, I am seeing a lot of dislike for mesh wifi systems among the pros on this forum, but I am not exactly clear on what the alternative looks like.
With that said, here are a few specifics on my circumstances. Any recommendations on what to do, or how to configure the network, would be appreciated!
For the general question, I am seeing a lot of dislike for mesh wifi systems among the pros on this forum, but I am not exactly clear on what the alternative looks like.
- If I want a home wifi system with seamless transitions between nodes, what do you recommend instead of a mesh system?
- Does it differ in performance, or just setup?
- What would an alternative to mesh look like in terms of cost and setup?
With that said, here are a few specifics on my circumstances. Any recommendations on what to do, or how to configure the network, would be appreciated!
- I currently have two old routers (circa 2013 and 2015) connected via ethernet. The goal was to have them distribute a single wireless network in our two-story townhouse, but it does not hand off between routers nicely (perhaps a setup problem) and the networks fail sometimes (which I am guessing is a router problem). It feels like time to upgrade.
- The main router needs to be in a closet where the ONT and ethernet cables are, so signal strength is valuable
- Any secondary nodes would be on the second floor, connected via an ethernet backhaul. The second router would be at one end of the townhouse, so the signal has to go through a long hallway.
- If it matters, we are near a large apartment building and so there are lots of other networks around.
- I am looking to upgrade to get a stronger, seamless connection. Our current internet is 300mbps, so we do not need gigabit speeds today, but I am willing to pay for quality and signal strength. Futureproofing has some value for us.
- Expensive mesh systems (e.g. Asus ZenWifi) are well-reviewed and would probably solve all of the problems, but they may be overkill and, as asked above, there may be practical alternatives.