Compact (internal antennas) wall mounted wifi router recommendations

Larderetto · January 31, 2023

I'm currently using my ISP's provided wifi router. It's pretty long in the tooth, short in features and fairly slow - I'm not really taking much advantage of my gigabit internet at the moment.

Due to space constraint reasons where the ISP's cabling comes into my flat, I can only use a compact, wall-mounted wifi router. I can't rig up a whole palaver with separate devices for each concern, as ideal as that might be. I just don't have the space on the place it needs to go.

I'm a bit lost as every router I see out there has multiple, gigantic external antennas that just won't work in my case. I could totally do with some help from the hive mind.

The requirements:

* Wifi 6

* Built in gigabit ethernet switch (WAN + at least 1 LAN port)

* USB port

* Wall-mountable

* Decent software

Any ideas?

MonkeyBomb · January 31, 2023

Is your current router a router/modem combo? If so, could you not just turn off the wifi in it and go with a wall mounted access point?

Alex Atkin UK · February 1, 2023

8 hours ago, MonkeyBomb said:

Is your current router a router/modem combo? If so, could you not just turn off the wifi in it and go with a wall mounted access point?

Generally the better option, as you can ceiling mount too which generally gives better coverage.

8 hours ago, Larderetto said:

* USB port

May I ask what for? If its to use as a NAS I would not recommend it, accessing files on it can slow down the Internet due to the huge CPU load.

Larderetto · February 1, 2023

It doesn't have a modem - I have fibre internet which comes to the house via ethernet. The USB port is to power a raspberry pi zero 2. As I mentioned I don't have the space for anything else other than the same sort of machine, just better. I cannot drill cabling and suspend stuff from the ceiling elsewhere as I'm renting. I know the setting is far from ideal, but I have work with what I have, and what I have are massive space constraints unfortunately.

A secondary access point is doable, but I don't want to add more electrics to what's basically the washing machine cupboard. I'd rather substitute the whole thing.

So, back to my original question. Recommendations please?