Mesh advice please

Associate
Joined
14 Jan 2021
Posts
1
I would like some advice on buying a new Mesh system. I'll list what my set-up currently looks like and also some features I would like to improve on with the new Mesh.
Hopefully you can help:

Current set-up
New build 2-storey 4-bed house so no old thick brick walls etc
300Mb BT FTTP
BT Smart Hub 2 (WiFi disabled)
Tenda Nova MW6 Mesh in Bridge mode (1 x main AP + 2 x nodes). Connected direct to the BT-SH2. Nodes are WiFi connected, no ethernet around the house.
2 x gaming PC's (each wired direct to a Node)
SkyQ (wired direct to the main AP Node)
1 x XBox
Streaming (Netflix, Amazon Prime)
Up to 15 x peripherals (phones, TV's, printer - usual stuff)
The Tenda Nova has been ok but is very limited in both features and real-world application.

What I would like in the new Mesh
RELIABILITY :)
Min 1 x main AP + 2 x nodes (room for node expansion is preferred)
Better WiFi range than the Tenda
Min 2 x ethernet points in the nodes
Good UI (App or web is ok)
Ability to select which node is preferred for each device (is this possible?)
Ability to select what band is preferred for each device (is this possible?)
Ability to backhaul over WiFi would be a bonus
£600 is ideally my budget but a reliable system is key
 
Man of Honour
Joined
20 Sep 2006
Posts
33,883
I have a single Unifi Nano HD mounted upstairs in the landing on the ceiling, also a 4 bed new build and it covers the whole house and garden.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Mar 2003
Posts
6,743
I use the Deco M5. They come as 3 units (I think you can get a 2 unit one) and they're about £130-£150. I'd highly recommend them. You can have any of them acting as a router if you need. The range is good and they each come with two ports on them. They can communicate either wirelessly with other Decos or via LAN. I've not checked if I can change channel or not but they seem to give my house - which previously had slow spots in certain areas all coverage all the way into the garden as well which is nice. The updates are around quarterly and are an absolute breeze with a good changelog.

It does come with an App which you can only use on iPhone or Android - there is a web interface but it's not really used.

Overall, for the money, it's a great solution.


M.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jul 2005
Posts
19,205
Location
Norfolk, South Scotland
I have a single Unifi Nano HD mounted upstairs in the landing on the ceiling, also a 4 bed new build and it covers the whole house and garden.

This. With a budget of £600 you should be able to do this easily. The access point is £150 and it will probably cost about that again to have someone run the cable, depending on where you are in the country. You could spend the other £300 on getting some cable runs in the key rooms for wired devices. The only reliable thing in networking is a cable. And even then I've seen people mess it up.

Alternatively, in another thread someone simply moved their HomeHub to another location on the first floor and near the middle of the house and they actually had very good coverage.
 
Back
Top Bottom