Wifi Mesh system

[Quagsire]

I'm thinking about buying and setting up a wifi mesh system, but I don't know if ethernet cables are required for them? I live in a pretty old house and it doesn't have any ethernet ports. So are ethernet cables required? I only have ethernet ports on the modem and router that my isp sent me.

[kb5zue]

Not to worry.  I have a mesh system and it works great.  It is a Nighthawk MS60, comes with a base unit along with two satellites.  All you need to do is connect it to your modem and set it up.  Jump to the website that I have posted here and it will tell you all about it.  I have the base unit in my room, there is a satellite in the living room and another satellite hooked up to my son's X-Box.

 

Take care and good luck.

 

 

[Falcon1986]

5 hours ago, Quagsire said:

I'm thinking about buying and setting up a wifi mesh system, but I don't know if ethernet cables are required for them? I live in a pretty old house and it doesn't have any ethernet ports. So are ethernet cables required? I only have ethernet ports on the modem and router that my isp sent me.

By design, mesh works without wires. The only segment where an ethernet cable is needed is between the primary node and your router/modem.

 

Some mesh systems support wired backhaul between satellite nodes and the primary for improved speeds and latency, but at this point you essentially have a multi-AP system.

 

Mesh doesn't work in all scenarios. For the typical North American home construction, it should be OK.

[thevictor390]

2-piece mesh has solved all of the home wifi problems I'd been struggling with since basically the beginning of wifi, if you're always struggling on the edge of your wifi range, I can't recommend it enough. You do not need a wire between the units, but they do need to be close enough to pick up wifi signals from each other.

[NobleGamer]

I personally would only consider mesh with wireless backhaul (no ethernet) if you can ensure that the nodes are within decent 5 GHz range of each other. If that signal is weak, then that backhaul may rely on 2.4 GHz which is higher latency and subject to interference.

 

Some alternate backhauls include MoCA (using coax, thats what I have as backhaul) and powerline (uses power plug for signal). I don't have much experience with powerline, but I would consider it a last resort for wired.