Seeking recommendations for networking router mesh solutions
Seeking recommendations for networking router mesh solutions
Hello everyone, I’m seeking ideas for a new home network setup. My house is 1600 square feet, with my gaming and work PCs in the front, while my wife is at the back and reports weak signal strength from the ISP router in my room. The current connection offers 1 gigabit down and 35 megabits up, but I’m considering switching to a higher-speed ATT plan once installed. As a gamer, I use it heavily, and she relies on her PC for browsing and work. I’m open to spending a few hundred dollars or more if it improves the experience for her. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
This setup involves Cable internet services. Depending on the provider, you might be paying for a modem or an Internet Gateway, which includes a router. You can purchase a separate cable modem and router system to avoid monthly charges. Charter is the only cable company I’m aware that offers a free modem with a paid router rental. Others simply rent both devices, which often doesn’t work well. With AT&T, their Fiber service demands you use their gateway. You can turn off Wi-Fi and switch to pass-through mode because they don’t support bridge mode. This helps prevent double NAT issues. I’m not very familiar with mesh networks. My sister uses Google’s older mesh system, but it didn’t work well when she moved into a new home. If I tried mesh, I’d probably choose ASUS routers that support AI Mesh. I’d look for models with three WiFi radios—one 2.4 GHz and two 5 GHz—and use the 5 GHz band for wireless backhaul. This way you get strong 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz coverage. These routers vary in price, so you should find options that suit your needs. By the way, I own a Synology Rt2600AC that covers our 1300 sq ft house nicely, including part of the backyard. I’m not sure if they have a mesh system built into this model.
I own a deco M5 mesh with three nodes total. It works well. Our entire area is covered—seriously—though it gets really chaotic when one node drops. I’d suggest swapping the modem instead, as this dual setup is a real headache for me.
The issue for the OP, is if they do AT&T Fiber they WONT have that option.
I'd confirm the router functions as a bridge before any purchases are made. My ISP treats it as a service call to activate it, so I'm using DMZ hosting which handles port 25565 as intended. Ideally, it should operate like a single NAT instead of duplicating it.