Considering an Upgrade from Plume Wi-Fi 5 – Seeking Advice
Considering an Upgrade from Plume Wi-Fi 5 – Seeking Advice
Hello LLT community, I'm seeking some advice on improving my Wi-Fi setup. When Plume was first launched, my dad chose it as the top option available. Now it's clear an update is necessary. Plume only supports Wi-Fi 5, requires a subscription, and tends to be slow to start up. My connection comes via Comcast Business, which is great since it's a FAANG provider. We live in a medium-sized home with more devices, and three of us work remotely—having a strong, stable network is crucial. I'm thinking about switching to Wi-Fi 6E. It seems like a good fit considering its speed, capacity, and device support. But I'd appreciate your thoughts from the LLT group. Any suggestions, recommendations, or alternative ideas would be really helpful. Your input could make a big difference in deciding the best upgrade for our setup.
Some questions I have:
- Is Wi-Fi 6E truly the best fit for my situation?
- What routers or brands have worked well for you?
- Should I explore mesh networking for wider coverage?
- Are there any compatibility issues I should know about?
Thank you in advance for your help. Your guidance means a lot.
Best regards,
carbon
I’d consider sticking around a bit longer for WiFi 7 because it addresses some persistent issues with the technology. It allows smoother transitions between different frequency bands depending on your distance from the router and helps lower latency spikes by utilizing multiple bands simultaneously. This means any brief interference should only slightly affect performance. However, since you’re already paying for the service, it might make sense to invest in more affordable WiFi 6 devices now, with the possibility of upgrading later if needed. A paid subscription for WiFi feels excessive to me, but given your needs, I’d likely wait until WiFi 7 becomes available to compare alternatives. In a remote work setup, hardwired connections are usually the most dependable option.
Looking for affordable Wi-Fi 6 options to avoid subscription costs?
Ubiquiti offers excellent networking equipment for home users. What is your internet speed? Wi-Fi 6 or 6E won’t matter if your connection is the limiting factor.
6Ghz will offer shorter range and weaker signal penetration. Unless you require 6 Ghz, I’d recommend standard Wi-Fi 6 or follow @Alex Atkin’s advice in the UK to wait for Wi-Fi 7, which they’re improving significantly. Honestly, does one access point suffice? If coverage is limited now, a mesh system might be the way forward.
The timeline for Wi-Fi 7 is still uncertain. Currently, we use three mesh extenders from plume, though their coverage is limited. I believe two access points could suffice, and I might persuade them to switch to Ethernet, but it’s not assured. There are many options available, making it tough to decide what to choose.