Wireless mesh network?

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    Wireless mesh network?

    Anyone setup a wireless mesh network at their house either using one of the new off the shelf packages or with a collection of wireless routers? I have a pseudo one at my house with my main wireless router connected to the cable modem and two other wireless routers physically connected to that one servicing other areas of the house. However, each router is a different brand and has different logins, etc. My wife hates it. The mesh packages are pretty pricey, though.
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I am not up to date with terminology but I have two 4 or 5 year old Apple routers in our house. They are connected by hard wire - my choice. In setting it up, I had the second one set up as an extension of the first. When I move from one end of the house to the other, or somewhere in between, I only see one network. No extra log in, no extra password needed. I move (and LOML and daughters when they come) from room to room with only the first initial log in years ago - even though our computers obviously swap to different router signals as they move. Somewhere in-between the computers change from one to the other but it is seamless.

    Several strong rumors lately that Apple was getting out of the router business as they have not updated in the past couple of years.

    Adding in - Apple has a wireless utility that lets the user set two wireless routers on a network as one or as two different router systems. That made it easy for me.
    Last edited by leehljp; 03-11-2017, 03:05 PM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

    Comment

    • tfischer
      Veteran Member
      • Jul 2003
      • 2343
      • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
      • BT3100

      #3
      I have a single ac router that covers our whole house and most of our .8 acre yard, and it's not even optimally placed. This is way better range than I ever got with g or n (or b)

      Comment

      • LinuxRandal
        Veteran Member
        • Feb 2005
        • 4889
        • Independence, MO, USA.
        • bt3100

        #4
        I believe there are a couple ways of doing it. Bridge mode is one (never messed with that) and the other that springs to mind, involves setting a secondary subnet. Never used the mesh thing and it has been a few years since I needed/did the separate subnet thing.
        She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.

        Comment

        • Carlos
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2004
          • 1893
          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

          #5
          I've built a number of mesh and traditional wireless networks covering anywhere from a few thousand feet to many tens of thousands of feet. There are many ways to do this, and the word "mesh" is abused and poorly understood. The "right" answer is based on your choice of compromises between the following:

          Cost
          Speed
          Coverage
          Consistency of speed
          Seamless handoffs

          The IDEAL network has wired access points positioned to cover the entire space. This is often the most expensive, due to cabling needs. Each AP is positioned to cover the space efficiently, and has a different channel from other APs (both your own and the neighbors'). This runs at full speed for each AP, and assuming it is multi-radio 802.11ac, will hold its speed even with a few concurrent heavy users.

          Another very good choice is one of the newer high-end access points that provide huge coverage, with multiple radio streams that maintain their speed to many clients. This is called MIMO/MU and beam-forming. I just recently picked up the fastest home router on the planet, a Linksys E9500. It has 8 radios/antennas for beam-forming and multiple gigabit streams. My house used to require three APs for full coverage, now this single one does it! So the cabling need is low, and although this router is expensive, I actually sold my three old ones for more than it cost.

          A traditional mesh used the same radios to both connect to clients and to extend the network. This is AWFUL for speed, and can have reliability impacts. If you buy a wireless range extender, this is what you get. And each one cuts the network speed in half. So two extenders leaves you at 1/4 speed.

          New "mesh" devices have a client radio, and a mesh-facing radio. This keeps the client at the max speed of the client radio, but those are always slightly slower than the newer 802.11ac routers. Still a pretty good, fast, reliable option.

          Comment

          • Carlos
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2004
            • 1893
            • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

            #6
            Do I give you antenna envy? This thing is a monster, but very very effective.

            Also...location and placement... Up high is usually good. Down in an entertainment cabinet full of metal/electrical gear is the worst. Keep it away from metals and other electronics. Keep it away from exterior walls where there me be electrical stuff, and in the case of stucco, a huge metal mesh. Central is a general guideline but a lot depends on specific house construction. Up high on the first floor can often serve both floors very well.

            Comment

            • tfischer
              Veteran Member
              • Jul 2003
              • 2343
              • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
              • BT3100

              #7
              That thing looks like a robot bug that died.

              Comment

              • capncarl
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2007
                • 3564
                • Leesburg Georgia USA
                • SawStop CTS

                #8
                Would that help with my provider speed of 1gps?

                Comment

                • Carlos
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jan 2004
                  • 1893
                  • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                  #9
                  It's hard to give a direct answer without knowing what routers/access points you have now, and what "help" you are wanting. This is the fastest router on the market with the maximum range possible. If you have issues with range and/or speed, then this is likely to improve things.

                  Comment

                  • atgcpaul
                    Veteran Member
                    • Aug 2003
                    • 4055
                    • Maryland
                    • Grizzly 1023SLX

                    #10
                    Well, as I've gotten older, I've been going the easier route. I bought the 3 pack Google WiFi mesh pack from Amazon and installed it yesterday. Our internet/cable TV package was also expiring in a couple of weeks so I cancelled cable TV (and went back to over the air) and upgraded the connection from 25Mbps to 50Mbps. That still cost me more than my old plan but it was cheaper and easier than switching companies.

                    Anyway, I installed 2 of the Google APs on opposite ends of the house. The one in the office is connected to the one in the living room via Ethernet I ran in the basement a couple years ago. Anyway, I'm getting the full 50Mbps (actually 55) throughout the house now. I still need to connect the video cameras but performance is definitely better than before.

                    I'm going to see how the reception is out in the yard and the shop. With my old setup, the office WiFi worked fine in the garage but I couldn't get coverage on the opposite side of the yard. If it's acceptable with the two APs, then I'm thinking about selling the 3rd one or giving it to my parents.

                    Comment

                    • capncarl
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2007
                      • 3564
                      • Leesburg Georgia USA
                      • SawStop CTS

                      #11
                      Correction.....
                      will that help with my DSL provider internet speed of 1.33 Mbps download / 36 Mbps upload?
                      My internet is so slow that I can send an email to my neighbor down the road and walk down the road under the phone line and keep up with the signal!
                      We gave up on trying t make the ROKU work several years ago. Even watching uTube videos are iffy.

                      Comment

                      • Carlos
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jan 2004
                        • 1893
                        • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                        #12
                        You probably mean 1.33 up and 36 down. That should be plenty for HD streaming, even 4k streaming. So maybe it is the wifi that's the issue. Go to this web site and run a test from a wi-fi computer, and again from a wired computer: speedtest.net

                        After the test you will be able to copy links to the results, post them here.

                        Comment

                        • atgcpaul
                          Veteran Member
                          • Aug 2003
                          • 4055
                          • Maryland
                          • Grizzly 1023SLX

                          #13
                          Before upgrading the router, I was paying for 25/10Mbps. I rarely got that even at the PC directly connected to the router. However, if I power cycled the router, the speed would jump to the max but then slowly work its way back down to 5Mbps. Maybe it's as simple as that?

                          Comment

                          • leehljp
                            Just me
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 8429
                            • Tunica, MS
                            • BT3000/3100

                            #14
                            This has been something that always puzzled me. I don't have the latest and greatest wifi, both of my Apple wifi are N's and they are 5 years old, but the kind or brand do not seem to affect it as much as the actual broadband/internet company itself. Before a "free" upgrade offer by Comcast a few months ago, I was discussing with them that I didn't think I "needed" an upgrade. ("free" upgrades often mean hidden charges later, IMO). Anyway, the tech guy asked if I knew what "upload and download" speeds were. I said yes. I said that in a recent (at that time) I was getting 40 down and 5 up. He said that was a little unusual (on the good side) for the Comcast setup at my house. I did accept the "free upgrade" and am now getting 75 down and 10 up. And this is on 5 year old wifi units.

                            Does the wifi units have anything to do with the up and download speeds?
                            Hank Lee

                            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                            Comment


                            • atgcpaul
                              atgcpaul commented
                              Editing a comment
                              Yes. I copied this from https://www.lifewire.com/how-fast-is...network-816543

                              802.11b offered up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps)
                              802.11a and 802.11g offer up to 54 Mbps
                              802.11n offers up to 300 Mbps
                              802.11ac offers up to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps)

                              If you are paying for more speed than your router can handle, then you won't achieve that speed with a wireless connection.

                              I have also found that distance matters. With my n router, I had to be in the same room to get my ISP's full speed. Once I moved to the other end of the house (where we usually are), the speed dropped to more than half and sometimes a fourth.
                          • capncarl
                            Veteran Member
                            • Jan 2007
                            • 3564
                            • Leesburg Georgia USA
                            • SawStop CTS

                            #15
                            Yep, now it's up to 1.35 Mbps
                            all the wifi gear is new. Most of my neighbors finally got disgusted with it and have gone to satellite internet so maybe my connection speed is faster than when we tried the roku? Maybe it is time to try it again! I'll have to dig it out of the crate of computer cables and other electronic junk.
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                            • atgcpaul
                              atgcpaul commented
                              Editing a comment
                              Are you able to run the test from a computer directly connected to your DSL modem/router instead of wirelessly on your iPad?

                              Are you paying for that speed or are you supposed to be getting more? My understanding also about DSL is that the further away you are from the main station, the slower your speed. If you are supposed to be getting more, then I'd definitely call your tech support.
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