Seeking guidance on optimizing your home Wi-Fi 6 setup.
Seeking guidance on optimizing your home Wi-Fi 6 setup.
I'm seeking guidance from fellow experts on improving my home network setup. I'm uncertain about the best path forward, so I have the following devices arranged as described. I’m using a Netgear Nighthawk AC3200 router (R8000) connected to the ISP gateway in the garage. I also have a Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh system with tri-band (2pk) units (RBK50), set up as access points in the office and living room. My internet speed is around 1GB per direction, which remains stable. At home, smart features like Phillips HUE lights, security cameras, and a NAS are in place for various uses. I experience minimal issues while at home—streaming with Plex works well, gaming online is smooth, and accessing security devices is mostly reliable. However, when away from home or working remotely, the network becomes less stable. Connectivity drops when using security cameras, doorbells, or transferring files via NAS. From what I've read, this inconsistency might stem from having many devices on WiFi 5 and needing a transition to WiFi 6/6E for better multi-device support and streaming performance. Additionally, my mother-in-law’s apartment has guests and is somewhat distant from the main coverage area, which may affect signal strength. The doorbell also suffers from intermittent drops and audio issues. I’m considering upgrading to a more robust solution—either a full WiFi 6/6E mesh like the Netgear Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (RBK853) with satellite extenders, or switching to a managed Ubiquiti router with three Wi-Fi 6 APs. I’d like to place the router in the garage, use two satellite units for office and apartment coverage, and connect everything via Ethernet for a stable backhaul. This setup should handle more devices and improve remote access reliability.
I’d choose the UDM pro along with some of their U6 APs. This UDM pro can manage all our Unifi devices, serve as a security gateway, handle routing, and connect to an 8port gig switch. We use Unifi gear in the office and I really like it.
I also suggest the Ubiquiti system. My setup includes an Edge Router 4 and two Ac-Pro devices, and everything has worked perfectly.