home network setup......... spec me a

[233]

currently using a gigabit connection from Vm which is all lovely and what not but i am looking to extend my wifi upstairs as well as ideally build out a 2.5gb network to add a bit of future proofing for future speed bumps

current home network is being ripped out(couple of Archer C6's as access points that dont see to work that well so looking for advice on the following

Do i put the VM router into modem only mode and add a suitable router to replace it?

i want 2x switches (one downstairs feeding my AV cabinet (this doesnt need to be 2.5gb for now) and one switch up stairs which i'd like to be 2.5gb capable and wireless up stairs and downstairs



Something like this


UPSTAIRS 2,5gb switch / multiple devices - wireless
DOWNSTAIRS VM MODEM - ROUTER/SWITCH - multiple devices wireless

ideally want a mesh wifi setup that saves faffing about changing networks which is what i have to do just now.. budget is open but ideally sub £750 all in

 

[thebandit]

I really recommend looking at TP link omada stuff, I have Virgin and have a really simple but highly effective reliable setup using this stuff. My setup is HUB3 in modem only mode, ER605 router, OC200 cloud controller, and three EAP225 access points with a few unmanaged gigbit switches (I also have an outdoor access point on the shed in the garden for full speed wifi outdoors). Its all so simple to setup, never stops working, relitively cheap compared to ubiquiti stuff but every bit as good, the Omada phone app is really good too. The newer wifi 6 access points AX series ? (newer than the ones I have) can handle much higher wifi speed too. I would avoid a "mesh" system, tbh, the interconnectivity between units chews up some of the avaailable bandwidth and its never going to be as good as a set of wired access points. I think what you are actually after when you say mesh is a single SSID all around the house and seemless handover between access points (no signal drops) as you walk around. This is what the Omada cloud controller gives you, it enables "roaming" this is what you need to achieve that seemless connection as you walk between access points, it basically looks at various factors like signal strength etc and hands your connection over to the best AP as you move around. Im no IT guru, but I got this setup in no time and I literally never have to touch it, I have 2 teenagers at home and I have never once had them complain about the wifi, that tells you everything you need to know .

 

[jaybee]

I really recommend looking at TP link omada stuff, I have Virgin and have a really simple but highly effective reliable setup using this stuff. My setup is HUB3 in modem only mode, ER605 router, OC200 cloud controller, and three EAP225 access points with a few unmanaged gigbit switches (I also have an outdoor access point on the shed in the garden for full speed wifi outdoors). Its all so simple to setup, never stops working, relitively cheap compared to ubiquiti stuff but every bit as good, the Omada phone app is really good too. The newer wifi 6 access points AX series ? (newer than the ones I have) can handle much higher wifi speed too. I would avoid a "mesh" system, tbh, the interconnectivity between units chews up some of the avaailable bandwidth and its never going to be as good as a set of wired access points. I think what you are actually after when you say mesh is a single SSID all around the house and seemless handover between access points (no signal drops) as you walk around. This is what the Omada cloud controller gives you, it enables "roaming" this is what you need to achieve that seemless connection as you walk between access points, it basically looks at various factors like signal strength etc and hands your connection over to the best AP as you move around. Im no IT guru, but I got this setup in no time and I literally never have to touch it, I have 2 teenagers at home and I have never once had them complain about the wifi, that tells you everything you need to know .

What you describe makes total sense, in that the OC200 device you have is providing management of connectivity to the strongest access point with seemless handover. However, have you actually tried running without it? I read of the same issues people said in their own houses where devices would sometimes stay latched onto say an upstairs router even when downstairs on the other side of the house, and would only swap to the nearer one if either the signal completely went away, or if they manually disconnected and reconnected to the same SSID where obviously on the reconnection it finds the stronger more local one.

In reality.... I found none of the above is ever an issue in my house. I have Virgin Media superhub in modem mode, and 2 x very basic Huawei AX3 Wireless routers which were about £40 each on offers in the past. The hub goes straight into the primary wireless router, and they are configured in link+ mode or basically bridge mode with a cat6 run between them to the other one upstairs. I have 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks with different names, and moving about the whole house it generally always works apart from at the back of the garden. I sometimes think people over think it. These routers were cheap and even do wifi6.

As for 2.5Gb networks. I was always a believer in going gigabit from the off in all houses to future proof. I still stand by it but think investing in 2.5Gb stuff is too early currently and not worth the price premium. Devices are still sold with non gigabit ports for **** sake!

 

[thebandit]

What you describe makes total sense, in that the OC200 device you have is providing management of connectivity to the strongest access point with seemless handover. However, have you actually tried running without it? I read of the same issues people said in their own houses where devices would sometimes stay latched onto say an upstairs router even when downstairs on the other side of the house, and would only swap to the nearer one if either the signal completely went away, or if they manually disconnected and reconnected to the same SSID where obviously on the reconnection it finds the stronger more local one.

In reality.... I found none of the above is ever an issue in my house. I have Virgin Media superhub in modem mode, and 2 x very basic Huawei AX3 Wireless routers which were about £40 each on offers in the past. The hub goes straight into the primary wireless router, and they are configured in link+ mode or basically bridge mode with a cat6 run between them to the other one upstairs. I have 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks with different names, and moving about the whole house it generally always works apart from at the back of the garden. I sometimes think people over think it. These routers were cheap and even do wifi6.

As for 2.5Gb networks. I was always a believer in going gigabit from the off in all houses to future proof. I still stand by it but think investing in 2.5Gb stuff is too early currently and not worth the price premium. Devices are still sold with non gigabit ports for **** sake!

Just in answer to your question, I have tried without the controller, thats how I originally had it setup, just 2 AP's and no controiller. Its always a bit device dependant and what standards around roaming they themselves support, but I found everything other than my work laptop would doggedly stayed connected to the AP they first connected to if they could even when I walked and stood directly under the other AP. I actually tested the roaming functionality by running the controller software on my PC at first and that immediately resolved the issue. It was at that point I thought for the extra £65 I would invest in the stand alone controller so I didn't have to run the PC app all the time, the controller does have all the other benefits such as remote access via the phone app etc so well worth the small outlay. I agree re 2.5gb switches, these are all so expensive still, I ran cat 5e everywhere and that will do 2.5gb under a certain length, so I should be OK if I ever wanted to upgrade, but it won't be for a while.

** just been reading, the AX3 in bridge mode supports roaming, so thats probably why yours works like it does, the AX3 is doing exactly what the OC200 does in my system.

 

[jaybee]

** just been reading, the AX3 in bridge mode supports roaming, so thats probably why yours works like it does, the AX3 is doing exactly what the OC200 does in my system.

Well holy **** I didn't know that lol. That's probably why I've had a good experience! Ok fair enough then. Mileage may vary.

 

[WJA96]

Omada is excellent. Every bit as good as Ubiquiti UniFi? No. Maybe UniFi 2018, but not the current range of equipment.

It is cheaper though.

And they have 2.5GbE and 10GbE switches in their range. They even have a combo Router/Controller/PoE switch in their range, just like a copycat UDM Pro SE.

 

[thebandit]

Learn something new everyday, I hadn't spotted the combo router before, seems only recently released, I would argue thats a superb little unit for most home use (shame it doesnt have 2.5gb mind), still, the built in VPN is far superior speed to the RT605 router I have which makes its a very tempting sidegrade for me.

 

[Caged]

It's a dual-core ARM device and that's reflected in the 34Mbps OpenVPN throughput and the fairly poor IPsec performance. It's a reasonable price for the device assuming everything you need is exposed in the TP Link configuration, but it's nothing to get too excited about.