Request about enhancing home network performance
Request about enhancing home network performance
Hey there, new here! Sorry if I’m off the right page, but I’m glad to get this back where it belongs. I’ve been working with an old Nighthawk—ugh, not great—but it was affordable back then. Right now I’m using my internet through my brother’s apartment (a duplex setup). Because the walls are all concrete and the router/modem is on his side, my signal is pretty weak. We managed by drilling a hole between our buildings and running a single Ethernet cable from the router to a switch. That switch handles two PCs plus a work laptop that connects weekly while I’m working from home (three ports used).
I’m thinking about improving this for better stability, so I’d love your thoughts. What you have now: Modem ARRIS (SB6190), Nighthawk XR500 AC2600, Netgear router with Gigabit Ethernet switch. I’m considering the GL.iNet GL-MT6000 from Flint 2 as a possible upgrade. Could we explore using mesh networking to expand the Wi-Fi range? I’m worried about bottlenecks and want to set up the switch and router properly.
My current plan: If I connect the router directly to the switch on my side, then the mesh device joins the switch. Ideally, the mesh would only let people access Wi-Fi, while the router handles regular Ethernet traffic. I’m not sure if this makes sense yet, but I hope you can guide me.
I’ve had a working Google Nest setup before and it performed well. Any advice on modern mesh options would be great. Budget-wise, I’m aiming for $300–$400, though I’m open to cheaper picks if they work. Thanks in advance, and have a nice day!
I believe the key point is that with a mesh system, it functions like a router. You won't require a separate router and mesh setup. Simply use the mesh and link the main node to the Ethernet coming through the wall. This keeps costs low—aim for $200 to $250. Since the router/mesh generates a new subnet, your network stays independent from your brother's. You won’t be able to access each other’s devices directly. You’ll still share the internet connection. Be aware that many mesh systems only support one Ethernet port; if you need to connect two devices via Ethernet, you’ll still need a switch. Don’t link the mesh to the switch—connect the switch downstream of the mesh. Otherwise, your wired devices won’t detect your Wi-Fi devices. Also, the mesh won’t help your brother at all. To improve his setup, replace his main router with the primary mesh node and connect a secondary mesh node to your side switch. This way, both networks remain connected without splitting them. You’ll need to instruct your devices not to connect to your brother’s Wi-Fi to avoid weaker signal connections.
Hey thanks for answering! I sincerely appreciate it. Well the goal is to have one router if possible, the one we currently have only supports a weak encrypted password. So from what you've mentioned it would be better to have just a Modem into several mesh devices? Each of these mesh devices would need a second port though since I'm assuming I'd want to connect the main mesh system (A) into the modem, then the other port would be used for the switch. Then the other mesh systems would connect directly to that switch that's being used by mesh system (A). The walls are all made of hard concrete and we own the apartments (renting from a family) and since ISPs around my neighborhood have been monopolized, I'm stuck with using his because we can't have the same one within the same address unfortunately. So trying to figure out a real way to have great WiFi for him, for me, and for more my partner is the goal. While also being able to supplement two gaming/workstation PCs on my side and his own on his part. The idea at least for me is to limit anyone from being able to freely access the Wifi and only use the mesh networks connection, and have the Router supplement regular traffic from ethernet connected devices to help offset load. What I meant was I didn't want the router to be the main channel of providing WiFi connectivity and traffic- though with your advice we can scratch this whole thing. If the information I've provided has changed how to go about this then please by all means, let me know! No worries on the budget, I'm willing to fork up some funds if it makes everyone on each side happy and it isn't too intrusive to our foundation and setup with the cables already ran through the walls. Thank you again for voicing your feedback, truly!
Wouldn't it be simpler to attach an access point to the switch on your side? Are you using mesh networking? Do you often move between your apartment and your brother's place? You definitely require a router, not just a modem—though if it's a true modem, it can't assign IP addresses. If you want just one device to function as a router, make sure the other router is disabled for routing and used only as an access point.
The setup will include an Ethernet port for internet access—connect the modem there. It’s likely to have one downstream connection for linking to a switch, which can then extend to other Ethernet devices. The smaller nodes will connect back to the central node using WiFi, though some may support wired links via Ethernet sockets. As mentioned, you might achieve this by adding a Wireless Access Point, but since you prefer replacing the router, a mesh network could be ideal. Your choice hinges on whether your networks need isolation: if yes, you’ll require a secondary router device; if not, a single router suffices across the entire system.