Mesh or different router

[ade555]

I need help trying to figure out the best solution for my problem, we have fiber broadband coming in house and is located in downstairs hallway, modem placed there then connects to ISP router which is there is well, recently had house electrics rewire so allowed me to run some network cables upstairs so main PC which is located upstairs is on LAN but in the same room my phone or any other devices hardly get any wifi signal, I can't move the router downstairs any more to get more signal in the top front rooms so looking for solution, I do have another router from same ISP could I use this as access point of some sort or somehow extend the signal? or should I be looking in to mesh? We only have problem with top front rooms so looking to place upstairs to help the signal

Main Router, nothing fancy from ISP

Zyxel XMG3927-B50A​

it does have something called MPro Mesh would this allow me to connect to another router or just some kind of mesh device
(Use this screen to enable or disable MPro Mesh for wireless devices. MPro Mesh allows you to create a Mesh network using wireless devices designed by different vendors.)

 

[ade555]

Mesh would be ideal. You can use the ethernet cable as the backhaul - so will be really quick. Replace your zyxel with one, and put another upstairs before your PC (plug the ethernet cable in one port, and your PC in the other).

From personal experience, I'd recommend a set of Deco M5s. Cheap and effective, plus you get all the parental controls, firewalls etc that you now have to pay as a subscription for with the newer TPLink products.

The 'downside' of M5s is they use the same wifi antenna to do backhaul that they do to communicate with each other. If you're using ethernet, that's irrelevant - they've got gigabit ports built in.

Thanks Bug One, is there something that uses separate antennas?
I was actually looking at the TP link P9, P9 claiming using powerlines to connect if I'm reading correctly? if they do I do have a shed at the back of house that could benefit with wifi.

 

[ade555]

Stick a decent Access Point upstairs on the ceiling in a central part of the house. Unless you have a massive house, you'll have whole home coverage and no issues.

any recommendation for one? could you comment on if wifi devices will automatically switched to the stronger signal? problem with signal is we talking here 6-9 feet, walk out the room and is fine, go back and there is a problem, is not a huge house old semi detach with solid walls

 

[ade555]

What kind of devices do you have, ie, number of IOT and do you have many WiFi 6 clients? And your budget?

You'd disable WiFi on your main router, and just use the access point as a single device for coverage.

So Downstairs, Oled TV and macbook m1 on Wifi, upstairs two Tv over wifi that stream 4k content, main PC on Lan another macbook M1 and 3x Iphone (11 and 12), not sure which would be wifi 6 clients if any

Budget could I get something for £150-£200?

 

[ade555]

Ok I see what you mean by wifi 6, been honest our usage wifi 5 is more then enough, nanoHD comes with injector included but question is will have FTTP modem the router with disabled wifi then what where will connect to?

 

[ade555]

What is the benefits of having the single access point like nanoHD vs mesh, if I was to get tp link P9 that would replace my router anyway, then network cable which is already in place from downstairs to upstairs and can be placed where the PC is? Surely this will offer enough wifi coverage, the devices will be connected to each other via network cable and not wifi so would this effect how effective they are? Sorry if I'm asking silly question but use to single device and never had a problem but had a smaller house.

 

[ade555]

Sorry I didn't respond just been tied up, so I wanted to test some of the theory regards mesh ect., current router have been setup that I couldn't have separate 2.4 and 5ghz wifi, so I change the settings turning this Pro mesh off think and was able to have 2 separate wifi like I use to on old ISP, this allowed me to monitor where I loose signal, so having phones connected to 2.4 and 5 once I got upstairs phone disconnected from 5ghz and connected to 2.4, I'm able to get wifi upstairs in to rooms just not at full speed, makes me wonder how well the mesh will work if I buy it? And maybe access point would just be more simple, also wonder if having better router would fix the wifi signal, Unifi sounds great but to mount on ceiling I would need to rip up the floors up again to run a cable which I don't won't to do it again.

 

[ade555]

Ok so mesh it is, question remains which one now, the P9 appealed due to power line, I'm not worried in house as will use two units for now, one downstairs conected to upstairs unit via ethernet cable, might place the 3rd unit far end of kitchin and might be able to pick up wifi in shed is not very far as kitchen is in extension, just wonder if there AC1200 is enough in today standards.