I want to start over with my home network. What gear should I buy?

[Xanthe_2871]

I'm tired of half way measures that don't fix the issue. My internet is plenty fast, and most devices aren't using the internet at once. The issue is entirely with local bandwidth and wireless connectivity, because I have 30+ wireless only devices. 

 

I've tried adding a new 2.4 GHz AP as suggested here. Devices connected to it, almost a perfect 50/50 between it and the router/AP combo upstairs. But things would still say they couldn't connect to WiFi.

 

Then I tried moving as much as I could over to 5 GHz in case the issue was just too many things talking at once. The router upstairs had it, but not the new AP downstairs. Then the router gave up and just turned off it's 5 GHz band. It says it's on but the SSID doesn't show. Restarting fixes it temporarily but it again turns off the band after a while. 

 

I'm ready to spend money and replace the entire home network. I get my internet through an ARRIS modem router combo box which I currently have set to just act as a modem. I'd prefer to not mess with that. I have one cat5e (or cat6, not sure) ethernet run to my kitchen from upstairs where the modem is. This has a 5 port gigabit ethernet switch on it which should not need replacing, and a 2.4 GHz tp-link AP which may or not be part of this new setup, dependoing on your suggestions. Then from the kitchen to the garage I have a ethernet powerline run, which is stable but caps out at about 130 Mbps, and is used by two computers which run all the time (for stuff like uploads and whatnot). That has a 10/100 4 port ethernet switch. It doesn't advertise gigabit speeds but I do get 130 Mbps transfers from computer to computer over that device. This also has an open port.

 

Here is what I'm thinking:

 

• A new router as suggested by the LTT community. One with 2.4 and 5 GHz, and if possible a single box with more than one 5 GHz AP, since that might help with lots of 5 GHz non mimo devices.
• A new 2.4/5 GHz AP only box for the kitchen, again one suggested by you guys. If possible, one with more than one internal AP. I only have the 2 non-bottlenecked ethernet locations, so maybe more than one AP in the same box will help since I can't run 4 or 5 separate boxes throughout the house.
• My existing 2.4 GHz tp-link AP in the garage, running through the bottlenecked ethernet powerline for older and less used devices, with it's own SSID to keep those devices from hopping onto the faster network inside the house.  

 

Please, if you would, tell me if this all makes sense, if so what router and AP should I buy? If not what approach should I use? If possible I'd like to avoid replacing the ISP modem or the two ethernet switches. I'd also like to make the recently bought tp-link AP of some use if I can, so that's not a total waste of money. And I'd rather not reuse my Linksys Router, after it just gave up broadcasting it's 5 GHz band I don't have a lot of confidence in it.