[SOLVED] Can 1 new router with multiple connected switches handle 130 to 150 Users?

[k3use]

Hi! I'm looking to upgrade and replace our office's current network and the router I'm planning to install is the TP-Link Archer C5400X or the Archer AX6000.

We currently use a Google Wifi router (3 mesh setup), the main node connects an 8-Port Gigabit Switch and from that 8-Port there are three 24-Port Gigabit Switch, another 8-Port switch and 1 router in access point mode. I have noticed that once we reached over 100 simultaneous users, the connection seem to fluctuate. Now that we're planning to add more users/devices, I am now looking up a beefy router that could handle multiple users w/o dropping.

I saw a TP-Link Deco X20 that it can handle 150 devices, but sadly not yet available in our market, so I'm interested in trying out the C5400X or AX6000. I'm not sure where to buy Business grade equipment, it seems that Mesh or Gaming routers designed for Home are the ones really available in the market. I have been self-learning, but managed to keep our network up through simple daisy chained switches.

 

[Lutfij]

When you say in our market, what market would that be, i.e where are you located? You might also want to state what sort of hardware you have access to. Also, you should be in touch with Cisco or Linksys folks to understand what sort of a netwroking solution needs implementing in your office.

No offence, but if you're the IT guy for said office, you shouldn't be here.

 

[kanewolf]

Hi! I'm looking to upgrade and replace our office's current network and the router I'm planning to install is the TP-Link Archer C5400X or the Archer AX6000.

We currently use a Google Wifi router (3 mesh setup), the main node connects an 8-Port Gigabit Switch and from that 8-Port there are three 24-Port Gigabit Switch, another 8-Port switch and 1 router in access point mode. I have noticed that once we reached over 100 simultaneous users, the connection seem to fluctuate. Now that we're planning to add more users/devices, I am now looking up a beefy router that could handle multiple users w/o dropping.

I saw a TP-Link Deco X20 that it can handle 150 devices, but sadly not yet available in our market, so I'm interested in trying out the C5400X or AX6000. I'm not sure where to buy Business grade equipment, it seems that Mesh or Gaming routers designed for Home are the ones really available in the market. I have been self-learning, but managed to keep our network up through simple daisy chained switches.

I would not recommend a home WIFI router as your primary router for a business. A business needs different features than a home gaming router. For example, guest WIFI. You want guest wifi available everywhere you have WIFI. And you want that guest WIFI segregated from the rest of the office. You need a business WIFI system. I would recommend you look at Ubiquiti UniFI system. They have routers, access points, and switches that are intended for small businesses.

 

[k3use]

When you say in our market, what market would that be, i.e where are you located? You might also want to state what sort of hardware you have access to. Also, you should be in touch with Cisco or Linksys folks to understand what sort of a netwroking solution needs implementing in your office.

No offence, but if you're the IT guy for said office, you shouldn't be here.

Thanks for the advice, we are just in a rush replacing our Google Wifi right now. And I've planned on buying that TP-link C5400x as it is the most available one w/ the highest spec. So I'm asking if replacing it w/ the new router would actually just work, and if it has been done before?
Our office mostly are just desktops (probably 90 units) that are connected through switches, and the rest are just laptops and phones connected through wifi.

I would not recommend a home WIFI router as your primary router for a business. A business needs different features than a home gaming router. For example, guest WIFI. You want guest wifi available everywhere you have WIFI. And you want that guest WIFI segregated from the rest of the office. You need a business WIFI system. I would recommend you look at Ubiquiti UniFI system. They have routers, access points, and switches that are intended for small businesses.

Thanks. if it's not recommended, does that mean it is possible? that it can handle 100+ devices? From what I've searched, handling multiple sessions and devices require just good CPU and RAM from a router (and theoretically can route 250 IPs).
As for features, the router support Guest wifi, VPN, firewall and sharing capabilites, that would be more than enough for our needs

EDIT:
I found some business router models:

1. TP-Link ER6120 and TL-ER5120
2. Cisco RV340
3. D-Link DSR-250N
4. ASUS BRT-AC828
5. Linksys LRT224-AP

what do you guys think? w/c of them are good for 100+ connections

 

[bill001g]

You did not really understand some of the very basic issues kanewolf is talking about.

The so called "guest" function only runs on the main router. It basically is a firewall filter that prevent access between the networks. It is not actually a guest network. You can not run a guest function on the remote AP because all the data between the AP and the main router runs on the same network.

You must have vlans to make this work. Almost no consumer routers or switches support this. Now I suppose you could use consumer equipment and run separate wires/switches/ap to the remote rooms but that is one of the key differences.

Be extremely careful running anything other than simple NAT on your router. To get the high speed they offload the function from the cpu chip. As soon as you use any function that needs to look at the traffic all traffic must pass via the cpu. Even a very fast cpu like the one you talk about will cap at about 300mbps and it will be even less with many different open sessions.

There is a reason companies that make commercial routers can get away with charging 10 times or more the cost of a consumer router. You can use consumer routers in a business but you must be extremely careful what you attempt to do.

 

[k3use]

You did not really understand some of the very basic issues kanewolf is talking about.

The so called "guest" function only runs on the main router. It basically is a firewall filter that prevent access between the networks. It is not actually a guest network. You can not run a guest function on the remote AP because all the data between the AP and the main router runs on the same network.

You must have vlans to make this work. Almost no consumer routers or switches support this. Now I suppose you could use consumer equipment and run separate wires/switches/ap to the remote rooms but that is one of the key differences.

Be extremely careful running anything other than simple NAT on your router. To get the high speed they offload the function from the cpu chip. As soon as you use any function that needs to look at the traffic all traffic must pass via the cpu. Even a very fast cpu like the one you talk about will cap at about 300mbps and it will be even less with many different open sessions.

There is a reason companies that make commercial routers can get away with charging 10 times or more the cost of a consumer router. You can use consumer routers in a business but you must be extremely careful what you attempt to do.

so VLAN on a business router functions similarly like a Guest Network on a mesh setup? but the traffic or routing of all clients would still be on the Main router right?
or does an access point through a switch handle those that are connected to it independently? will this reduce CPU load on the main router

Anyways, thank you for the advise! we don't really need any special features, like VPN or VLAN (yet). We just need fast and stable internet connection on multiple users, w/c the Google Wifi can't handle steadily

 

[USAFRet]

Also consider that "150 users" may result in 200-300 "devices".
1 human = 1 phone + 1 tablet/laptop

 

[kanewolf]

so VLAN on a business router functions similarly like a Guest Network on a mesh setup? but the traffic or routing of all clients would still be on the Main router right?
or does an access point through a switch handle those that are connected to it independently? will this reduce CPU load on the main router

Anyways, thank you for the advise! we don't really need any special features, like VPN or VLAN (yet). We just need fast and stable internet connection on multiple users, w/c the Google Wifi can't handle steadily

The recommended number of devices on an access point is generally around 30 per radio. With 2.4Ghz useless in most situations because of over-saturation, that means you really want 5 or more access points for the 150 users. Using @USAFRet multiplication factor, you may be closer to 10 APs.
So your three WIFI sources from your Google mesh is insufficient. I will point back to my recommendation for Uqiquiti. Managing 5 or 10 APs with UniFI is simple.