HOT 267: Wireless Access Points vs. Mesh

TWiT Shows Hands-On Tech
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Hands-On Tech #267 Now Available

Hands-On Tech episode 267 is available now, featuring Mikah’s guidance on improving WiFi coverage in multi-floor homes.

  • Mesh router systems vs. wired access points comparison
  • Multi-floor home WiFi coverage solutions
  • Ethernet cable installation for network infrastructure
  • Home network setup strategies and best practices
  • Pros and cons of mesh routers and traditional access points

#HandsOnTech #WiFi #MeshRouter #HomeNetworking #TechPodcast

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I’ve been using UniFi for nearly a decade. They used to be very unreliable, before around 2020 and I considered getting a different solution. But since then, they have been rock solid.

I currently have the Unifi Cloudgateway Ultra as a firewall and 3 older APs (WiFi 5 and 6, which I need to look at upgrading), but they all get regular security updates.

My current setup is:

AVM Fritz!Box fibre router (WiFi and telephons disabled, set to passthru to Ethernet 1) → Unifi Cloudgateway Ultra

On the Ultra, which is a cloud key (central management console, plus the ability to add it to a cloud account, but not required), does the firewall work and is also a USG (Unified Security Gateway) it does packet filtering etc. on top of plain firewall duties.

I then have a Unifi 8 port PoE switch attached to the Ultra and that power 1 Unifi APs directly over PoE and a third AP is in a mesh with the first 2, to provide access in the downstairs bedroom and upstairs bedroom.

That is an excessive setup, but I have expanded it over the years, from the initial 2 APs and CloudKey, using PoE injectors.

A CloudKey management console is a requirement, but it can run on a Raspi or as a virtual machine or even a container on Synology or QNAP NAS devices, you don’t have to buy a CloudKey 2, Dream Machine or Gateway.

But the Cloudgateway Ultra was so cheap (around $100, but now around $150) that it was a no-brainer, providing 4 Ethernet ports (1 or 2 for WAN and 2 or 3 internal), firewall with USG capabilities and the CloudKey functionality. It also supports Tailscale and WireGuard.

I have just seen that they now offer a fibre version, which offers 2 10G SFP+ ports, so I could, theoretically, drop the ISP’s Fritz!Box router from the mix and just use the fibre Cloudgateway… But at $250, that would be an extreme upgrade, unless the Fritz!Box or the Cloudgateway stop working.