Is it time to upgrade

[Fisherp93]

I've run a netgear X6 for a good few years now and recently started looking at changing to a mesh network just for a bit of better coverage. 

 

I'm looking at the gen 2 Google nest WiFi system will I notice much of a difference.  Is it even worth it.  Are there better options

 

I know with alot of home networking it tends to be alot of "I've used so I reccomend" type deals so curious on others thoughts

[Shimejii]

i avoid Google Nest products, usually go with  what works best in your use case. How many rooms does it cover, where are you dropping out that you could use a boosted signal etc. Is there in house wiring or is everything through wifi? 

[Fisherp93]

6 minutes ago, Shimejii said:

i avoid Google Nest products, usually go with  what works best in your use case. How many rooms does it cover, where are you dropping out that you could use a boosted signal etc. Is there in house wiring or is everything through wifi? 

How come you avoid google nest? Everything's through wifi apart from my computer,  a few things drop out down stairs every now and again

[Shimejii]

12 minutes ago, Fisherp93 said:

How come you avoid google nest? Everything's through wifi apart from my computer,  a few things drop out down stairs every now and again

Just privacy issues, collection, and support. I pretty much avoid using any google based hardware or smart devices like that. 

 

Wifi setup can be simple, or can be complex, it all heavily depends on the house and what is wired and whats not. If you have in house wiring and you can connect routers its easy, if you have to boost signal through the house with only wifi signals, it is gonna be a bit hit or miss. Most mesh networks like this generally have a central hub which requires a wired connection, where would that be located for you in the house? Then you have to position the mesh nodes in a efficient proximity to the node and that generally just depends on the layout of the house, materials and appliances in the way such as a microwave. For instance most of my internet came through the basement in a crawlspace that was made of stone and concrete, making it quite hard to do wifi mesh systems. I had to do a LOT of work and checking walls and spaces to get wiring done, but it did work out in the end. So its gonna be a pick exactly where you are starting and figure out which mesh based system works best for you based on what they give.

[BiotechBen]

If you're already familiar with Netgear and like them, would something like this be of interest to you? 4.3 stars on 307 reviews from best buy. The Netgear equipment that I've worked with in the past has given few headaches so based on experience and reputation, I generally look at Netgear for no hassle operation.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/netgear-nighthawk-ax1800-dual-band-mesh-wi-fi-system-3-pack/6452544.p?skuId=6452544&ref=212&loc=1&extStoreId=448&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxveXBhDDARIsAI0Q0x0WWSyRJeUDoDK0mFuhhRSygYfipNQ93j4b0MCmfEsoYaeQgt6H6GIaArzOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Allan B]

I am very happy with the Deco X20's, they support wired or wireless backhaul and most devices move between them without issue (I got a 3 pack).  Only problem I had was with a Chromecast 4k.  To join it to the network I had to disable the mesh for that device (a option in the apP) and also disable the 5Ghz radio just for the "initial" config, then i could turn the 5ghz back on (may have been the wpa2\wpa3 security settings not sure)

 

If you are going wifi only mesh, (not using ethernet backhaul), then there are many options like google that will work.  I went with the Deco's as it was the most flexible at a reasonable cost.  They can act as wifi mesh AP only, can be wired AP Mesh, also can act as the router as well (I am using them as AP's only).  I have not used or tested the router features so i cant speak to it.

 

[TomChaai]

I’m still using Airport AC generation and it still hasn’t bottlenecked my network performance to this day.

Do you have more than 1Gbps internet connection or frequent LAN NAS transfer that would need this fast WiFi? If not I think your current router works just fine. 

[LIGISTX]

On 8/18/2022 at 6:19 PM, Fisherp93 said:

I've run a netgear X6 for a good few years now and recently started looking at changing to a mesh network just for a bit of better coverage. 

 

I'm looking at the gen 2 Google nest WiFi system will I notice much of a difference.  Is it even worth it.  Are there better options

 

I know with alot of home networking it tends to be alot of "I've used so I reccomend" type deals so curious on others thoughts

I have google Wifi deployed at all my family’s houses and business, and a bunch of friends have it as well. It’s solid, works well, coverage is good, wireless backhaul is very solid, and the mesh-ness of it works great. 
 

I usually recommend it to folks looking for a solid, easy to set up and use mesh system.