2.5gb networking - budget setup and wifi APs

[233]

looking to change out to 2.5gb around the home and replace a pair of somewhat flakey Archer C6s being used as access points.

interweb comes in via virgin gig1 so my current thinking is

Home hub 5 - 2.5gb switch(currently looking at Zyxel MG108s) feeding an AP for wifi downstairs - into cat5e running to upstairs - another Zyxel MG108 in turn into another AP

i have no need to move massive files around but it would be nice to get a hardwired connection faster than my wifi downstairs and have somewhat reliable wifi across the house. currently 2 seperate networks upstairs and downstairs which is a pita
so 2 questions

will the Zyxel switches be ok for shuffling gigabit around the house on a wired connection only 2 pcs upstairs and my vigin modem currently support 2.5gb

and whats the best option for a couple of APs to plug in with minimal faff and have a seamless wireless network across the whole house(best going APs or a mesh solution with a wired backhaul?

 

[lsg1r]

Honestly...

I'm kind of in the same boat in wanting to upgrade to a 2.5 network but I keep coming back to one simple question.... Is my need to transfer large files or high bandwidth big enough to warrant spending £150-200 on a 8 port switch (ideally I'd want 12+). My 'money' head is still edging me towards no, imo the prices should be much closer to gigabit switches by now...

Now I don't have gigabit internet but I very much doubt there will be much difference between your wired and wifi speeds when using the internet and in all honesty I've found, even on my 80/20 connection, some sites struggle to saturate my download to 100%...

AP's... unless you have a huge house are sure you even need 2? I'm running a TL-WA801N in bridge mode to connect my upstairs wired network to the router downstairs and it's been fine. Most companies seem to do mesh now but I'd say the bigger issue you will have is finding a AP with a gigabit socket, for some reason they often still come with 10/100 sockets.

 

[Armageus]

i have no need to move massive files around but it would be nice to get a hardwired connection faster than my wifi downstairs and have somewhat reliable wifi across the house. currently 2 seperate networks upstairs and downstairs which is a pita

If you aren't moving massive files around, there's no real benefit to moving to 2.5Gb.
Even with faster than gigabit internet connections, the main benefit is being able to have multiple devices having lots of bandwidth, not a single device being able to use all the bandwidth.

and whats the best option for a couple of APs to plug in with minimal faff and have a seamless wireless network across the whole house(best going APs or a mesh solution with a wired backhaul?

Couple of Unifi access points with wired backhaul.

My 'money' head is still edging me towards no, imo the prices should be much closer to gigabit switches by now...

The price of 10Gigabit should be closer to gigabit switches by now, but instead manufacturers invented 2.5Gb and 5Gb as an extra way of extracting money in the mean time.

 

[sandys]

Most APs release next year with 11be will be 2.5Gb, if you are in no rush just wait this will cut your need for switches and APs

Think the latest archer Be is coming December.

TP-Link

WiFi 7 (Wi-Fi 7), the 7th generation of Wi-Fi, is built for extremely high throughput. WiFi 7 works across all three bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) to fully utilize spectrum resources. Here is everything you need to know about it—what WiFi 7 is, why we need WiFi 7, and how it works and what...

www.tp-link.com

 

[233]

now some of the archer stuff looks interesting

then i saw this

BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router

Archer GE800 is an innovative WiFi gaming router with a brand-new design. With up to 19 Gbps tri-band Wi-Fi, two 10G ports, two 2.5G ports, abundant gaming acceleration functions, GE800 boosts gaming traffic, stabilizes connections, and reduces latency to ensure your gaming stays immersive.

www.tp-link.com

who doesnt want an imperial shuttle in their living room