Hello,
I wanted to ask where it is best to place the Wi-Fi mesh system in a new build.
We have a basement, ground floor, first floor, and attic. The internet connection with the main router is in the basement.
Where is the best place to position the mesh repeaters? One per floor?
Which mesh system would you recommend for a stable Wi-Fi connection?
I wanted to ask where it is best to place the Wi-Fi mesh system in a new build.
We have a basement, ground floor, first floor, and attic. The internet connection with the main router is in the basement.
Where is the best place to position the mesh repeaters? One per floor?
Which mesh system would you recommend for a stable Wi-Fi connection?
B
barfly66617 Feb 2022 21:35If my limited knowledge doesn’t deceive me, some terms are being mixed up here. “Mesh” simply means that I can move around the house with my Wi-Fi-enabled device and seamlessly switch from one access point to another without my device having to change the network. Mesh doesn’t care whether the access points are connected wirelessly or by Ethernet cable.
Whether you want to have the access points mounted on the ceiling with LAN cabling (which is a cost issue) or just place 2-3 old routers behind a cabinet depends on what you actually need.
Considering that I’m too lazy (or unwilling to cut slots for LAN cables) and I already had the devices lying around, I temporarily set up my mesh network with four routers: the one with DSL access is by the server, one is in the office (okay, here I already notice that a Wi-Fi connection is a bit problematic), one in the garage covering the entire driveway, one on the ground floor, and one in the garden… that works too.
Whether you want to have the access points mounted on the ceiling with LAN cabling (which is a cost issue) or just place 2-3 old routers behind a cabinet depends on what you actually need.
Considering that I’m too lazy (or unwilling to cut slots for LAN cables) and I already had the devices lying around, I temporarily set up my mesh network with four routers: the one with DSL access is by the server, one is in the office (okay, here I already notice that a Wi-Fi connection is a bit problematic), one in the garage covering the entire driveway, one on the ground floor, and one in the garden… that works too.
Ramona13 schrieb:
Mesh and access points are different, even though it might seem the same to the end user at first. With mesh, you basically send each data packet twice over the wireless network, once to the nearby mesh device, Now it gets tricky... my mesh box is connected directly to the wired network. No double data packets involved. And anyone using Powerline (dLAN) shouldn't be surprised by speeds around 30 Mbps.
Here is a measurement—unfortunately, my connection doesn’t provide more bandwidth. I think this is enough for me. I’m happy with my Fritzbox and the two access points.
barfly666 schrieb:
Fritz in the office (OK, I’m already noticing here that a Wi-Fi connection is not ideal) Always use wired connection in the office, no exceptions.
Just throwing it out there: What do you do with tablets, phones, laptops, or other devices when a basic 2 GHz Wi-Fi isn’t sufficient?
How do you handle situations where switching to a different access point would be problematic? (For example, video calls while moving through the house.) I’m a bit out of ideas.
K
karl.jonas18 Feb 2022 02:11Tassimat schrieb:
basic 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi If you use current devices (802.11ax), 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi is almost always the best option. The data rate is in the gigabit range, which is more than enough for any application (even if all four children watch Netflix simultaneously). At the same time, the range (wall penetration) is better than with 5 or 6 GHz. Only in apartment buildings with a dozen neighbors using the same channel should you look for a less congested frequency band.
Tassimat schrieb:
reconnecting to another access point is disadvantageous The switch between two access points is so fast that you should only notice it in exceptional cases.
@barfly666 You are mistaken. The client device decides when to switch from one access point to another.
With mesh networks, the Wi-Fi is extended to another access point wirelessly. In poor conditions, it costs half the bandwidth, which is already lower than with wired Ethernet. If multiple devices are connected to the Wi-Fi, this effect becomes even more pronounced.
Better or high-quality mesh access points have an additional wireless channel for this purpose.
It was not only about maximizing the internet connection load. There are also tasks within the local network (LAN).
@karl.jonas Which access point offers Gigabit speeds on the 2.4 GHz band? And that’s not full duplex. Devices only achieve these data rates theoretically. In Ethernet LAN, each port offers full duplex...
For streaming services like Netflix, 20 Mbps is usually sufficient. But if 10 devices (TVs, several laptops and tablets...) are connected to one access point, the bandwidth can quickly become insufficient.
I also work a lot with my NAS, including large files. That’s why data throughput within the LAN is important.
So, connect all stationary devices via Ethernet. Install enough access points. Then you get a stable and fast network.
With mesh networks, the Wi-Fi is extended to another access point wirelessly. In poor conditions, it costs half the bandwidth, which is already lower than with wired Ethernet. If multiple devices are connected to the Wi-Fi, this effect becomes even more pronounced.
Better or high-quality mesh access points have an additional wireless channel for this purpose.
It was not only about maximizing the internet connection load. There are also tasks within the local network (LAN).
@karl.jonas Which access point offers Gigabit speeds on the 2.4 GHz band? And that’s not full duplex. Devices only achieve these data rates theoretically. In Ethernet LAN, each port offers full duplex...
For streaming services like Netflix, 20 Mbps is usually sufficient. But if 10 devices (TVs, several laptops and tablets...) are connected to one access point, the bandwidth can quickly become insufficient.
I also work a lot with my NAS, including large files. That’s why data throughput within the LAN is important.
So, connect all stationary devices via Ethernet. Install enough access points. Then you get a stable and fast network.
Video streaming is a simple application. The data rates are not particularly high, and there is significant buffering over time. If the network briefly goes down, you usually don’t notice it. A video meeting with Zoom and similar platforms is much more demanding. You immediately notice when a home office participant is only using Wi-Fi.
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