Need to improve home connectivity (Using AIMesh already)

[Conan257]

So i'm using AIMesh with a TUF-AX5400 as the main node and an RT-AC68U upstairs with a wired backhaul. As they aren't the same kind of devices (triband/dualband/wifi5/wifi6) they didn't play nicely using a wireless backhaul so I went through the very painful process of running a cable outside the house (would have been more painful inside).

My walls are ~2ft thick, block inside and stone outside.....

Backhaul, however, isn't running at 1GB as I would expect... Either because of my bad job with the connectors or perhaps the cable has degraded. I've also got a new conservatory going in, which will be used as an office space, and the wifi-internet measures at about 2Mbps before my phone switches to 4G instead.....

So my options are:

Run new cabling upstairs and into the conservatory, new faceplates so things look a bit more professional, and a switch in the conservatory for whatever devices are connected in there.

Run new cabling as above, but put an AIMesh device in the conservatory which will also serve as a switch

Do something different like power-line networking. All my sockets run off the same consumer unit, but I have 3 "socket" circuit breakers on one RCD and 1 "socket" breaker on another RCD. I don't hold much faith that the wiring is as described, nor have I any knowledge of which sockets are on which breaker.

Any thoughts?

 

[Armageus]

Backhaul, however, isn't running at 1GB as I would expect... Either because of my bad job with the connectors or perhaps the cable has degraded.

So what is it running at? 100Mbps? 10Mbps? If it's 100Mbps it might just be a bad crimp/connector. (Which is why for fixed cables, you general use faceplates or patch panels and punchdown rather than crimping connectors on)

Run new cabling upstairs and into the conservatory, new faceplates so things look a bit more professional, and a switch in the conservatory for whatever devices are connected in there.

I would run a new cable, then install a switch and if you need wifi there as well, a new separate access point.

Do something different like power-line networking. All my sockets run off the same consumer unit, but I have 3 "socket" circuit breakers on one RCD and 1 "socket" breaker on another RCD. I don't hold much faith that the wiring is as described, nor have I any knowledge of which sockets are on which breaker.

Power line is a crutch, and should be avoided at all costs. Well designed wifi, with proper wired backhaul is always faster and more reliable.

So i'm using AIMesh with a TUF-AX5400 as the main node and an RT-AC68U upstairs with a wired backhaul. As they aren't the same kind of devices (triband/dualband/wifi5/wifi6) they didn't play nicely using a wireless backhaul

This is why I'm not a fan of "fancy" routers - there is limited interoperability. Much better to have separate access points that are supported for longer (e.g. Unifi) and a more basic Router, especially in situations such as yours where you require multiple access points.

 

[Conan257]

So what is it running at? 100Mbps? 10Mbps? If it's 100Mbps it might just be a bad crimp/connector. (Which is why for fixed cables, you general use faceplates or patch panels and punchdown rather than crimping connectors on)

Router is reporting 100Mbps, nobody has complained about that but just the fact it's not right annoys me...... Face plates and back boxes on the order list I think.....

Power line is a crutch, and should be avoided at all costs. Well designed wifi, with proper wired backhaul is always faster and more reliable.

Noted, will avoid at all costs then...

This is why I'm not a fan of "fancy" routers - there is limited interoperability. Much better to have separate access points that are supported for longer (e.g. Unifi) and a more basic Router, especially in situations such as yours where you require multiple access points.

It's fair to say that the router is really good, but due to how my house is built and the router location (front right downstairs corner of the house) it just doesn't have the power to reach every corner (interior stone walls are not helping). The 68U was my old router, and my lad was in need of networking in his room, so it was set up as an AIMesh node and once the wired backhaul went in it's been 100% stable.

I think my preferred option is another AIMesh node, might trawl for another 68U and wire it in if I can get the conservatory electrician to pop me a backbox in and run the cable....

Any preferences on faceplates/backboxes (at least 1 will be surface mount)