No, it's not advisable to search for weak WiFi access points.
No, it's not advisable to search for weak WiFi access points.
It seems you're exploring ways to improve your home network setup. You're considering adding more WiFi access points—six in total, with two per room—to enhance coverage and reduce interference. The current setup uses a single router in the living room and a VPN router as an alternative, but connectivity in the bedrooms can be inconsistent. You're looking for solutions that limit signal spread outside rooms, minimize neighbor disruption, and prevent internal network conflicts. Thinking about alternatives like directional antennas, mesh systems, or optimizing placement could help achieve a smoother experience without overwhelming your neighbors. Would you like ideas on specific access point models or placement strategies?
Typically, most Wi-Fi access points adjust power by certain methods. You can achieve similar results without using two separate access points with VLANs. I’ve configured several networks where one AP manages multiple Wi-Fi networks, each linked to its own subnet.
Optimised access points for single-room setups are usually wall-mounted units. These are directional to prevent signal overlap with neighbours; place the AP’s rear facing away from others. You won’t need extra APs or switches—this is the purpose of managed switches. Create two distinct VLANs, assign them to ports, or tag VLAN traffic at the AP level so each operates on its own SSID. For instance, on my network I have a main LAN, an IoT LAN, and a dual-stack (IPv4 & IPv6) LAN, allowing flexible selection per client. VPNs are handled differently; they run on pfSense and follow specific routing rules, while VLANs simplify managing multiple physical devices for VPNs and assigning clients accordingly. You could also combine everything into one router with OpenWRT if you need centralized control, though it’s not required to replace your primary router. Bandwidth demands matter, as running VPNs on routers can strain CPU resources.
I believe the setup might work as you described. A managed switch can serve both regular network and VPN functions. Right now we use a separate router for the VPN to prevent certain devices from accessing services without going through it first. Switching to one device could change that dynamic. I’m still thinking about needing several wireless access points with this configuration. Also, if you meant to configure the access points to handle both networks, there’s a risk they might drop the VPN temporarily, leading devices to connect to services they shouldn’t. That possibility is worth considering.
A managed switch supports VLANs, which essentially lets you divide them into several virtual switches. This is possible either per-port or via VLAN tags, enabling you to route those virtual LANs through a single port and direct them elsewhere—like an Access Point that places them on separate SSIDs. Running two Access Points together works just like having two distinct ones, except they’ll typically share the same WiFi channel since each uses only one radio frequency. The network you connect to is unique; your clients will only join the ones you’ve configured and traffic remains fully isolated as if devices were separate. Whether a VPN is active depends on the device handling it, otherwise any data simply has no destination.