Consider which APs to purchase for your upgraded home WiFi setup.
Consider which APs to purchase for your upgraded home WiFi setup.
Seeking guidance on upgrading your home Wi-Fi setup. Current equipment includes cat5e cabling in every room and a Comcast 1Gb coax plan. Though the highest tier doesn’t support fiber yet, expect 2Gb fiber soon. You have three APs: one default Comcast AP feeding into a 10Gb switch, plus two Netgear Nighthawks placed at opposite corners. Each AP operates independently, causing over ten separate networks to show up on your Wi-Fi list. While this setup was intentional at the time, it’s becoming cumbersome and inefficient. My home is quite long—over 100 feet—and I suspect I’ll need only a few APs in key areas since the Comcast AP covers most of the house. Signal strength drops at the far ends, especially with phones, which has been a recurring issue. Recently, people have mentioned 6E and mesh networks as promising alternatives. Ideally, I’d want three networks: one fast for immediate family, another guest-friendly without passwords, and a third for IoT devices like Roku or TVs. Budget is around $500, which should cover a solid upgrade. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated! Thank you!
To handle it properly, you’d require a router that supports VLANs. I’ll explore a comprehensive network configuration. Their latest all-in-one router, along with some switches and access points, would be the plan. I’d begin searching online and watching tutorial videos so you can get a clear understanding and start asking detailed questions.
Visiting without a password isn't wise. Your 2gig connection might feel slow once you open up to the internet. I own an X60 mesh I purchased a few years back; it works well for me. If it fails, I’ll probably upgrade to the latest model. Just my own opinion.
It seems you're discussing your experience with a Deco x60 and a nearby house. You mention the distance to the closest house is over 100 feet through woods and 300 feet on grass, while the next closest is much farther—about four times that. You also recall a poor mesh connection from eight years ago, particularly with Wi-Fi.
I'm really happy with it. It's enough to say I'd buy it again. The quality is decent, especially for videos. I don't usually use it for Wi-Fi calls, but I might try a FaceTime call tonight.
I possess a complete Unifi configuration with a comparable VLAN arrangement (your guest network should follow the same rules). My setup includes a Unifi UDM SE for routing and NVR functions, a 24-port PoE switch, and two Unifi APs. I've found this arrangement very reliable. Depending on your traffic volume, you might need a different switch size, though the overall structure remains consistent. Staying under $500 is achievable with a basic Dream Machine and a few APs. If you plan to connect to 2Gig in the future, it's worth checking their router restrictions. I'm certain the UDM SE I own supports up to 3.5Gbps with IDS and IPS, but I'm unsure about the maximum limits for a simpler Dream Machine.