I would just get 2 routers hard wire them to your network set them up with separate SSIDs use channel 1 for router A and channel 14 for Router B hardwire them together. Use seprate SSID for 2.5 and 5 GHZ and you should be fine for less than 200 bucks. So you will have 4 SSIDs A 2 A5 and B2 and B5 connect each device to the best signal it can see and you are all setif you have devices that can hardware do that.
I have a real hodgepodge at my house and it all works fine, mesh system triband, single Linksys triband router, 2 extenders, hardwired small router to TV and Cable Box, powerline to another router for 2 hardwired cameas and my garage door opener.
I do a fair amount of testing only paid for 2 small routers.
This is not a very wise idea. Channel 14 is not well supported or available… 11 would be a better choice. List of WLAN channels - Wikipedia Also, it’s fine for you to have a plan for YOUR devices, but you have no control over what your neighbours do, and you have no way to block their broadcasts from interfering with your well laid plan.
Mesh networks automatically listen to the airwaves and determine the best channels and negotiate them for each node within your network. I live in a standard open plan bungalow in a suburb, and I can see at least 10 other neighbour’s networks. If you live in an apartment complex, you might have a LOT of neighbours to deal with.
sorry for some reason I thought it was 14 you are correct I am in suburbs neighbors signals (7) are not very strong, daughter’s condo has over 30 SSIDs that I can see with decent strength I have her router set for just enough power to reach her 3 rooms.
For anyone using a mesh network with a single SSID, how does that work? I get the concept, but is there a hickup when it decides you’re too far away to switch bands?
As long as you leave some overlap there is a setting for the mesh setup that quickly switches to the strongest signal, I never really see any issue or even really notice it.
When the network (all the mesh nodes) decide your signal would be better on a different node, it can attempt to steer your device to the correct node. Unfortunately I don’t think that client steering is an official part of the WiFi spec, so some clients may not want to co-operate.
Has anyone tried using Linux firmware (AP) meshing between machines to do the mesh networking?
At some point AdHoc meshing was added to the Kernnel and I haven’t bothered trying it for so long but it just popped into my head the other night.
I’m going to attempt this with some desktops and laptops at home.
I started this lengthy thread in September, and I thought I would just update what I decided to use. We bought the Google Nest 3 pack. The main unit sits next to my iMac, which is hardwired into it. It is one the main level of our house. Another unit is in the family room next to the outdoor place my wife needed wifi, and the 3rd unit is in the basement. The second floor has no issues pulling signals from the 2 units on the main level of the house.
Set up was really simple, and, knock on wood, it’s been very reliable. The Google Home app is very simple to use, and really useful. Our speed test is around 350 mbps download and 22.1 mbps upload. We have 12 devices connected, not all using wifi at the same time of course. We have Comcast. To be honest, that was about the speed I was getting with a single Netgear router, but the signal didn’t have nearly the reach of the Nest.
I certainly appreciated all the advice I received here, and have followed the subsequent posts with great interest. Anyway, just thought I’d chime in with what we ended up using.
I think I talked myself out of the larger asus mesh (ax6100 2 pack). Instead looking at the single asus rt ax3000. Our router is years old, but the house isn’t that big (2000 Sq ft). Hopefully the wifi enhancements over the years will improve coverage enough. Plus saving some $ I can put towards an M1 Air
