Ubiquiti Dream Machine with WAP or Wifi6 Mesh Network Advice needed

RDB85

RDB85

RDB85

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Joined
1 Dec 2017
Posts
58
Currently I have VM 350mb broadband and it’s in Modem Mode using an ASUS ASUS RT-AC68U Router in a Detached House built in the 70s. It’s working okay but could be better. Current device list is

6x Smart Phones
3x iPads
Google Home Hub
2x Amazon Fire TV Sticks
4x Smart TVs
2 VM TiVo Boxes
3x Mackbook Pros
Ring Door Bell

So I’m looking to get better WiFi around the house. So I’ve looked at a WiFi Mesh and Ubiquiti seems very popular. But having never used their devices are they worth the cost? Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction as to what to buy for a full Wireless Setup?

There is also WiFi6 which I know won’t have many uses yet, but would it be worth future proofing?

Any advice would be great.
 
Do you need it right now? If you can wait until after Christmas the new Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi6 access points will be out. They’re in Early Access (Beta) at the moment and while they’re not groundbreakingly better than the WiFi5 ones, if you have the right clients they are faster.
 
WJA96 said:
Do you need it right now? If you can wait until after Christmas the new Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi6 access points will be out. They’re in Early Access (Beta) at the moment and while they’re not groundbreakingly better than the WiFi5 ones, if you have the right clients they are faster.
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I don’t need it right now. I’m just looking at the moment. This was the other one I was looking at:

ASUS ZenWiFi AX Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System(XT8), Coverage Up to 410 sq m or 4400 sq ft or 6+ Rooms, 6.6 Gbps WiFi, 3 SSIDs, Life-Time Free Network Security and Parental Controls, 2.5G Port https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082T48132/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H9PvFbQJKTRE1
 
RDB85 said:
There is also WiFi6 which I know won’t have many uses yet, but would it be worth future proofing?

Any advice would be great.
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Looking at the device list, if i were you I would probably just buy some Asus ZenWIFI AC Mini (CD6) Mesh extenders and connect them onto the AC68U.
 
Besty said:
Looking at the device list, if i were you I would probably just buy some Asus ZenWIFI AC Mini (CD6) Mesh extenders and connect them onto the AC68U.
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That sounds good. Ive looked online but I can’t see anywhere in the UK that sells them.
 
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RDB85 said:
That sounds good. Ive looked online but I can’t see anywhere in the UK that sells them.
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if things get desperate you can always grab an additional, used AC68U and mesh that, to tide you over until next year when supply and choice will be vastly better. I am keeping my hands in my pocket because of this.
 
You already identified the best way to resolve your Wireless LAN issues, which is a Ubiquiti UniFi wireless system. All the mesh systems are fundamentally compromised and ultimately lose throughput for wireless installation convenience.

If you don’t want to wait for the WiFi6 access points to come out in early 2021 then from the current range the UAP-FlexHD is probably the best option for home use as it has an omnidirectional transmission pattern. Install it roughly central to the building you want the WiFi coverage in and you’ll get very good WLAN coverage.
 
WJA96 said:
You already identified the best way to resolve your Wireless LAN issues, which is a Ubiquiti UniFi wireless system. All the mesh systems are fundamentally compromised and ultimately lose throughput for wireless installation convenience.

If you don’t want to wait for the WiFi6 access points to come out in early 2021 then from the current range the UAP-FlexHD is probably the best option for home use as it has an omnidirectional transmission pattern. Install it roughly central to the building you want the WiFi coverage in and you’ll get very good WLAN coverage.
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Thanks for that. I will look into it. Wifi6 would be great, but in our house non of the devices can support it. Maybe the phones when they are upgraded. So I’m not sure whether to go for it or not.
 
Besty said:
yeah, its all down to Covid-19.

Also have a look at a used Asus RP-AC68U (Note the P), this was the previous generation kit to the CD6 but is still meshable.
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I was looking at them about two years ago as someone I worked with had bought one. You can get a used one for £90. So not a bad price. I could also look at another router as an AP but I’m not sure how that would work.
 
RDB85 said:
I was looking at them about two years ago as someone I worked with had bought one. You can get a used one for £90. So not a bad price. I could also look at another router as an AP but I’m not sure how that would work.
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As long as they are supported by Asus as an 'AIMesh' device you can add the additional Asus router(s) as access points.

I had a couple running until a recent move, what happens is that when you add an additional Asus router as an AIMesh device to your Asus WIFI network, the software on the Asus router you have added turns it into a dumb slave and your main Asus router remains pretty much as is, that way you can add and remove AIMesh devices without having to fluff around too much with your main Asus router config.
 
Besty said:
As long as they are supported by Asus as an 'AIMesh' device you can add the additional Asus router(s) as access points.

I had a couple running until a recent move, what happens is that when you add an additional Asus router as an AIMesh device to your Asus WIFI network, the software on the Asus router you have added turns it into a dumb slave and your main Asus router remains pretty much as is, that way you can add and remove AIMesh devices without having to fluff around too much with your main Asus router config.
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I will see about another router on Amazon and try it. As I can always send it back. As the RP-AC68U, the buyer says no returns.

I’m keeping an eye on the Dream Machine to see if it hopefully goes any cheaper. But I think a second router maybe worth a go.
 
Do you think I would be better getting a Tri Band Mesh Network? As I’ve noticed the Dream Machine is only Dual Band, which is what I currently have with my ASUS Router. As it’s hard to justify £660. For the Dream Machine and 2x Flex HD AP.

So I’m thinking would I be better getting something else?
 
RDB85 said:
Do you think I would be better getting a Tri Band Mesh Network? As I’ve noticed the Dream Machine is only Dual Band, which is what I currently have with my ASUS Router. As it’s hard to justify £660. For the Dream Machine and 2x Flex HD AP.

So I’m thinking would I be better getting something else?
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Looking at your device list, do any of your devices actually have tri-band adapters in them? I know most of my kit does not.

Personally, i get 600mbit+ out my dual-band AC adapters, i did'nt get much more out of tri-band AC end-to-end. I thought I would lose a stack of performance but i did not.

Tri-band AX end-to-end is the next step up but prices need to half for me to jump in, which they should do in 12 months time.
 
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