Wifi mesh systems

setanta1984 · 16-12-2020 05:13PM

Question on the TP Link Deco M4 if anyone can answer please - with the 3 pack, will both of the units not wired to the router need to be in range of the wired unit?
Or does the furthest one just need to be in range of the other access point?

House is 2 storey and an odd shape. Router is in the top east corner, and there is no wifi signal at all in the room(s) downstairs to the west, if that makes sense. Thinking I'll have one access point upstairs at the opposite corner of the house in the router, which hopefully will give signal directly below it downstairs, and the put the other access point in a middle room downstairs - hoping that downstairs access point would only need to reach the upstairs access point, not the one at the router.

Deco M4 is €145 on amazon for 3 units - I had began thinking I'd get the Google Nest Wifi for this job, but at €240 in argos for just the 2 units, is the M4 the wiser purchase? Or is the functionality of the Nest worth the extra cost (I already have a fair few google home speakers so the assistant in the nest isn't particularly important)

Gooser14 · 16-12-2020 06:07PM

You can get the Deco S4 on Amazon for Eur 111. The S4 spec is virtually the same as the M4 apart from it being smaller.

Gregor Samsa · 16-12-2020 06:37PM

setanta1984 wrote: »

Question on the TP Link Deco M4 if anyone can answer please - with the 3 pack, will both of the units not wired to the router need to be in range of the wired unit?
Or does the furthest one just need to be in range of the other access point?

With any mesh system, each one only has to be in range of one other unit to be part of the mesh. So your first one is plugged into your modem - lets call it the base unit. The first remote unit needs to be in range of the base unit. The second remote unit only needs to be in range of the first remote unit - the coverage is extended.

BU ---- RU1 ---- RU2

tonc76 · 16-12-2020 06:44PM

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

With any mesh system, each one only has to be in range of one other unit to be part of the mesh. So your first one is plugged into your modem - lets call it the base unit. The first remote unit needs to be in range of the base unit. The second remote unit only needs to be in range of the first remote unit - the coverage is extended.

BU ---- RU1 ---- RU2

Just so that I'm clear on this would there be any issue with RU1 ---- BU ---- RU2 as in the base unit positioned centrally and both remote connecting to it?

setanta1984 · 16-12-2020 06:49PM

Gooser14 wrote: »

You can get the Deco S4 on Amazon for Eur 111. The S4 spec is virtually the same as the M4 apart from it being smaller.

Just seen that, awesome. I hadn't seen the S4 doesn't seem to be mentioned on the TP Link website.
Is the S4 the one to go for over the M4 or Nest wifi then? The price difference is massive with the Nest.

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

With any mesh system, each one only has to be in range of one other unit to be part of the mesh. So your first one is plugged into your modem - lets call it the base unit. The first remote unit needs to be in range of the base unit. The second remote unit only needs to be in range of the first remote unit - the coverage is extended.

BU ---- RU1 ---- RU2

Perfect - thanks for that. Assumed as much but nice to have it confirmed.

Gregor Samsa · 16-12-2020 06:53PM

tonc76 wrote: »

Just so that I'm clear on this would there be any issue with RU1 ---- BU ---- RU2 as in the base unit positioned centrally and both remote connecting to it?

No, that won't be a problem at all. The beauty of mesh systems is that they don't interfere with themselves, and are seamless. The only problem you'd have would be if one unit was out of range from everything else entirely. Then you'd have to resort to an ethernet cable to link it in (or get another unit to put in between and shore up the gap).

nc6000 · 17-12-2020 01:38PM

Shouldn't be an issue according to the examples on their website :

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/deco/deco-m4/

cmac2009 · 21-12-2020 03:11PM

Recently got the Deco m5 and have it all set up, but I'm continuously running into issues when trying to set up chromecast. Works ok on existing network, and I've tried options whereby you select forget network, but it never seems to recognise the Deco network name. Anyone ever experience this? Should I name the deco exactly the same as existing network I wonder.

Gregor Samsa · 21-12-2020 03:18PM

cmac2009 wrote: »

Recently got the Deco m5 and have it all set up, but I'm continuously running into issues when trying to set up chromecast. Works ok on existing network, and I've tried options whereby you select forget network, but it never seems to recognise the Deco network name. Anyone ever experience this? Should I name the deco exactly the same as existing network I wonder.

I don't have a Chromecast, so I can't comment on the specifics of what you're seeing, but in general the best thing to do when setting up a Mesh network is to turn off your legacy wifi network first. The Mesh network should replace the legacy one, not attempt to complement/compete with it.

When setting up my Deco M9 network, I gave it the same SSID and password as my old network. Every device in the house (20 something things) automatically connected to the new mesh network without any issue or intervention. I'm sure there may sometimes be reasons not to do it, but my experience is that it made life much, much easier.

south · 22-12-2020 12:07AM

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

I don't have a Chromecast, so I can't comment on the specifics of what you're seeing, but in general the best thing to do when setting up a Mesh network is to turn off your legacy wifi network first. The Mesh network should replace the legacy one, not attempt to complement/compete with it.

When setting up my Deco M9 network, I gave it the same SSID and password as my old network. Every device in the house (20 something things) automatically connected to the new mesh network without any issue or intervention. I'm sure there may sometimes be reasons not to do it, but my experience is that it made life much, much easier.

I've the m5 and did exactly the same thing. Everything worked perfectly

Cyrus · 23-12-2020 01:42PM

my parents finally upgraded their internet connection recently, house is a circa 3,000 sq foot bungalow with thick walls, router is in the middle currently but cant cover the whole house.

im lucky in that i have cat 6 everywhere so have hardwired unifi APs, they dont have that luxury so im thinking mesh.

they arent power users so just looking for whats best value currently,

TP Link Deco M5 unless there is something better vfm?

R.O.R · 23-12-2020 04:07PM

Cyrus wrote: »

my parents finally upgraded their internet connection recently, house is a circa 3,000 sq foot bungalow with thick walls, router is in the middle currently but cant cover the whole house.

im lucky in that i have cat 6 everywhere so have hardwired unifi APs, they dont have that luxury so im thinking mesh.

they arent power users so just looking for whats best value currently,

TP Link Deco M5 unless there is something better vfm?

I picked up the 3 pack of Mercusys Halo S12 for €63.99 in Tesco a few weeks ago. Only give up to 100mb/s on WIFI, but that's more than enough for general web browsing. I probably would have got away with the 2 pack as the house is only around 1,500 sq ft, but it was only about €10 less than the 3 pack.

Got rid of the dead zones I had in a couple of areas of the house. Speed depends on how far I am away from the nearest node, but it's generally 30mb/s at the furthest point and around 90mb/s when close to a node.

No issues so far with it. Set up via a website that's a bit crap, but once that's all done there's no need to visit that again.

CrazyFather1 · 31-12-2020 10:45AM

Cyrus wrote: »

my parents finally upgraded their internet connection recently, house is a circa 3,000 sq foot bungalow with thick walls, router is in the middle currently but cant cover the whole house.

im lucky in that i have cat 6 everywhere so have hardwired unifi APs, they dont have that luxury so im thinking mesh.

they arent power users so just looking for whats best value currently,

TP Link Deco M5 unless there is something better vfm?

I am using TP Link Deco P9, I have similar requirements to your parents. Anything else would struggle, I bought this to replace old TP-Link AV600(I think). Which was just the power line adapters and then created a mini wifi zone at the end. Which to be fair for the price done the job perfect so could be an idea.

I didn't like dropping calls etc when moving from one hotspot to another but that might not be an issue for your parents and would be best bang for your buck

Cyrus · 31-12-2020 11:18AM

CrazyFather1 wrote: »

I am using TP Link Deco P9, I have similar requirements to your parents. Anything else would struggle, I bought this to replace old TP-Link AV600(I think). Which was just the power line adapters and then created a mini wifi zone at the end. Which to be fair for the price done the job perfect so could be an idea.

I didn't like dropping calls etc when moving from one hotspot to another but that might not be an issue for your parents and would be best bang for your buck

Yes turns out he had a tp link set up that works for now using same ssid so devices just roam across the two WiFi networks

Next time I’m down I’ll get them something better .

CrazyFather1 · 31-12-2020 02:15PM

Cyrus wrote: »

Yes turns out he had a tp link set up that works for now using same ssid so devices just roam across the two WiFi networks

Next time I’m down I’ll get them something better .

believe me I tried a lot of options and best I found was to use the electric cables in some capacity. Next option was running cables which I wasn't prepared to do

The design of a bungalow is awful for wifi, then add in block walls and it is nightmare

DeadSkin · 31-12-2020 02:54PM

Bought the Deco M4, Curry's have the triple pack for 120 Euro.

We're in a bungalow too with block walls, one end of the house was a total dead zone, the M4 has fixed that, it does exactly as it says on the tin.

DrPhilG · 31-12-2020 03:13PM

CrazyFather1 wrote: »

The design of a bungalow is awful for wifi, then add in block walls and it is nightmare

With that in mind, and when designing a mesh system, where is the best place to position your nodes?

Excuse my super cool mspaint skills...

Option A is to position the node a bit above the ceiling, which means that the signal is going into a few different rooms with only the ceiling blocking it.

Option B is snug against the ceiling so closer to the room, but that means that only the room directly below it is getting an interrupted signal, whereas the other rooms are being blocked by a brick wall.

Or is it not as obvious as that?

DeadSkin · 31-12-2020 04:05PM

DrPhilG wrote: »

With that in mind, and when designing a mesh system, where is the best place to position your nodes?

Option A is to position the node a bit above the ceiling, which means that the signal is going into a few different rooms with only the ceiling blocking it.

Option B is snug against the ceiling so closer to the room, but that means that only the room directly below it is getting an interrupted signal, whereas the other rooms are being blocked by a brick wall.

Or is it not as obvious as that?

My bungalow is about 60 feet long with the broadband coming in at one end, this is where I put the first node.
The second node is across the hall into another room about 25 feet away and the third node is at the other end of the house. There is more than one block wall between each node and all has been working great so far.

Captcha · 31-12-2020 04:08PM

lay off the alcohol and you wont have as many meshes

DrPhilG · 31-12-2020 05:07PM

DeadSkin wrote: »

My bungalow is about 60 feet long with the broadband coming in at one end, this is where I put the first node.
The second node is across the hall into another room about 25 feet away and the third node is at the other end of the house. There is more than one block wall between each node and all has been working great so far.

Mine is about 75ft long with 3 Tenda MW-6 nodes. Coverage is fine, but for some bizarre reason the items in the house won't jump to the nearest node automatically. Stuff will cling to a 20mb signal from the opposite end of the house rather than move to the 400mb signal right beside them.

I've just upgraded to a Ubiquiti Unifi system. Much more customisable, I can set each item to move once the signal strength drops below a certain level so if I move from the bedroom to the living room, the controller will force the phone to move to a closer/stronger signal.

Havent actually set it up yet, still waiting for a few of the bits to land.

Cyrus · 31-12-2020 05:49PM

DrPhilG wrote: »

Mine is about 75ft long with 3 Tenda MW-6 nodes. Coverage is fine, but for some bizarre reason the items in the house won't jump to the nearest node automatically. Stuff will cling to a 20mb signal from the opposite end of the house rather than move to the 400mb signal right beside them.

I've just upgraded to a Ubiquiti Unifi system. Much more customisable, I can set each item to move once the signal strength drops below a certain level so if I move from the bedroom to the living room, the controller will force the phone to move to a closer/stronger signal.

Havent actually set it up yet, still waiting for a few of the bits to land.

Can’t beat ubiquiti although it’s addictive I have a whole rack full of gear now !

DrPhilG · 31-12-2020 07:27PM

Cyrus wrote: »

Can’t beat ubiquiti although it’s addictive I have a whole rack full of gear now !

As if I didn't have enough addiction issues. I got my first smart plug about 3 months ago, saw a cheapo own brand one in Penny's or something so decided to experiment.

Now have half a dozen tp-link plugs, 2 tp-link bulbs, 2 Meross door openers and 2 Shelly modules...

54and56 · 01-01-2021 10:29PM

Any thoughts on this TaoTronics TriBand mesh system? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CNFHYW5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Kl57Fb7HP1J9X

Can be purchased for £159 with the £50 voucher until Jan 5th.

I'm not familiar with TaoTronic routers but have always thought their headphones and other kit was pretty good.

Daveq · 01-01-2021 11:57PM

54and56 wrote: »

Any thoughts on this TaoTronics TriBand mesh system? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CNFHYW5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_Kl57Fb7HP1J9X

Can be purchased for £159 with the £50 voucher until Jan 5th.

I'm not familiar with TaoTronic routers but have always thought their headphones and other kit was pretty good.

Yes, I got these back in November. I have the Virgin Media Hub 3 and had issues with WiFi working from home. So far with these it's been excellent.

54and56 · 02-01-2021 12:10AM

Daveq wrote: »

Yes, I got these back in November. I have the Virgin Media Hub 3 and had issues with WiFi working from home. So far with these it's been excellent.

Thanks Daveq, do you reckon two units would cover a 2,000 sq ft two storey house with mostly studded partitions?

The reviews e.g. https://nerdtechy.com/taotronics-ac3000-mesh-wifi-router-review seem very positive.

Daveq · 02-01-2021 12:34AM

54and56 wrote: »

Thanks Daveq, do you reckon two units would cover a 2,000 sq ft two storey house with mostly studded partitions?

Hmmm, I wouldn't be 100% sure but I'd say so. I'm very happy with the results and Mrs Q hasn't complained once since getting them about the WiFi dropping.

I'm in a 3 bed semi roughly 990sqft. I get my full 250 down and 25 up on 5ghz in the complete opposite corner of the house upstairs.

When you're placing the second router, the app recommends how good the placement is.

54and56 · 02-01-2021 12:58AM

Daveq wrote: »

Hmmm, I wouldn't be 100% sure but I'd say so. I'm very happy with the results and Mrs Q hasn't complained once since getting them about the WiFi dropping.

I'm in a 3 bed semi roughly 990sqft. I get my full 250 down and 25 up on 5ghz in the complete opposite corner of the house upstairs.

When you're placing the second router, the app recommends how good the placement is.

Thanks Daveq,

I'm on a bit of a Mesh learning curve this evening. I've figured out TriBand is the way to go and the TaoTronics system seems like super value (and scores excellent reviews) for £159 but I'm just not sure 2 units will do the trick.

This is a general mesh question but do you know if the 2nd unit will perform fully if it's getting a fairly weak signal from the base unit? I think I'm so scarred from the problems I have with range extenders that I can't believe mesh will actually work at full tilt so long as the add on units can establish enough of a connection back to the base unit to be "accepted" so to speak. I keep thinking if the 2nd unit is only getting a weak e.g. 10% type signal it'll only rebroadcast 10% of the 200mb available broadband like my range extenders do.

Bluefoam · 02-01-2021 01:01AM

For a 2000ft/sq I'd be looking at a 3 pod mesh...

Gooey Looey · 02-01-2021 01:09AM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Finally got around to seeing up the unifi ac lite access point that I got before Christmas.
I have set it up in a spare bedroom which is across the hallway from my room - so essentially two walls away.
The distance is about 10m at a guess.

I've checked the signal strength on my mobile and it is only showing 2 bars. I then used an app which shows about 62% signal strength.
Is this expected and still a good result? I checked the range for the device with its over 120m (clear LoS I presume) so I I did think it would be higher.

That's about right on 5ghz. 5ghz will give higher speeds but will have half the penetration of 2.4ghz

Gooey Looey · 02-01-2021 08:09AM

funkey_monkey wrote: »

The app says I'm connected using 2G.

Change channel on the ap, take it off auto and set a channel, get a WiFi analyser app for your smartphone and see what channels are in use nearby

Wifi mesh systems

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