New home WiFi advices

kecskeimavevo · October 29, 2022

Hey there LTTers!

I'll be moving into my first home i actually own and I want to create a solid WiFi/network setup.
The new place isn't very big, but has some rooms and I feel like 1 WiFi router/AP would not be enough.

I'll have 1Gbps internet connection (I'm in Europe, it's kinda cheap and very stable), so I'll want to use all the bandwidth I can.

I and my wife have some phones, tablet, work notebooks, raspberry pies (DLNA streaming to TV), PCs and a tv + ps4. Also there is some smart home hardware like cameras, smart shutter, lights, outlets. So there will quite some devices on WiFi (at first the PCs too, because there's no UTP outlet on the side of the room we'll be putting the gaming stations, but later I'll be sure to get some UTP cables there).

With the many devices I'd need a reliable router or a mesh system that can support everything without breaking a sweat. Currently I have a TP-Link Wireless Router Archer C1200 which was good for a time, but a couple months ago, suddenly the most of the LAN ports stopped working and WiFi got slow over it. Also the WiFi signal is basically dead in my kitchen, so don't make me comment on this router.

I've been thinking on a mesh system, because I need WiFi setup that can won't interrupt my work if I have to go to the other room, which is farthest from where the WiFi router / AP would be.

So just to summarize: I need a reliable router (APs or mesh) for lots of devices, streaming to TV. It'd be super handful to have seamless transition to a second AP / mesh device so my connections are not interrupted during work.

What are your thoughts on this? I appreciate all help!

PS: i just checked my notebook: according to "netsh wlan show drivers" it does not support 802.11 k/v, so mesh is useless for that case i suppose. right?
PS2: hmm, according to the internet, my notebook should have 802.11 k/v (it's a Thinkpad P1 gen3. The Wifi modul in it is Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, which should support roaming. But the netsh command still didn't list k/v, so it's strange.

ZetZet · October 29, 2022

I might be biased, but tp-link has never let me down. Deco X75 looks nice, affordable too.

DrMacintosh · October 29, 2022

I have two of the Linksys Velop AX4200 which both cover a massive two story with home 5 rooms. Hands down the best router I've ever owned.

https://www.linksys.com/tri-band-ax4200-mesh-wifi-6-router/MX4200.html

The companion app is great, its got a sleek design, and the performance is stellar. I have not had any network hiccups at all with these units, even with a wireless backhaul.

Great feature set, great interoperability with other Velop branded routres (can mesh Wifi 5 and Wifi 6 Velop nodes), great design. Price is a bit on the higher side, but worth it imo. If you look around you can probably find deals on a two pack.

kecskeimavevo · October 30, 2022

Thanks for the responses @ZetZet and @DrMacintosh.
I checked both tips and they seem good (to be hones, my tp-link router might be been just an unlucky piece with its issues).

One thing i noticed: The Deco x75 doesn't have wifi 6. Should I set WiFi 6 as a requirement? I mean a normal 5Ghz WiFi router should be good enough, but it's bandwidth at 867Mbps for single channel use, whereas WiFi 6 routers has 1.2Gbps. Also for my smart home devices I'd be better with Wifi 6, right?

DrMacintosh · October 30, 2022

3 hours ago, kecskeimavevo said:

whereas WiFi 6 routers has 1.2Gbps. Also for my smart home devices I'd be better with Wifi 6, right?

Wi-Fi 6 is a game changer. The biggest thing about Wi-Fi 6 is that it can communicate with multiple devices at the same time. For IoT devices, it also has scheduled check in times so all those smart bulbs and Alexa’s don’t crowd the network bandwidth. Though you’re going to need Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices to benefit from this the most.

I’d definitely go Wi-Fi 6 if possible.

Falcon1986 · October 30, 2022

4 hours ago, kecskeimavevo said:

One thing i noticed: The Deco x75 doesn't have wifi 6.

Are you sure about that?

kecskeimavevo · October 30, 2022

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

Are you sure about that?

Ahh, feel like an idiot now. I opened the 1st result which was a local shop and WiFi 6 wasn't there.

Appreciate all the responses, I'll invest into a better product this time!

wseaton · November 1, 2022

Mesh is not required for seamless roaming. I can walk from one side of one of my large venues running a mix of Ubiquiti APs with no mesh, and download a large file while crossing from 3 different APs and not interupt the download.

Base your wifi network on the devices with most demand. Multiple APs > single wizbang router with wifi bolted on.