Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMo50
I have a question for the gurus about WiFi to cover a relatively large space. The home is about 2600 square feet, which includes a 300 sqft bonus room upstairs. 3-car garage, and a large lanai/pool deck area out back. I would like to have WiFi coverage everywhere, and suspect a single modem/router setup will not cut it. I also use a WiFi irrigation controller, and like to be able to check the various zones with my phone while out in the yard.
I have heard of Mesh systems, but really know nothing about them. Can someone provide a little info on these, and let me know if this is the way to go? Many thanks!
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So in your situation a single WiFi device will not cover your home optimally. You will probably have some dead spots depending on the construction of your walls which are probably block.
A mesh network is a group of WiFi connectivity devices that act as a single network, so there are multiple sources of connectivity around your house instead of just a single router. All points are wirelessly connected to each other. As long as they're within range, they can communicate with each other without the need for a router or switch. This allows for fast and efficient data routing all over your home.
If you can get Quantum Fiber, they will install a WiFi Mesh network in your home as part of the cost of the service. The system they use is very good and works well. They give you up to four nodes which will be plenty for your home. If you can't get Quantum Fiber then you will have to buy a Mesh WiFi system yourself from Amazon, Best Buy or a place of your choosing. The most expensive is Netgear Orbi which is one of the high-end devices available. But if you want something a little less expensive then I would go wit the Amazon Eero system. Try to purchase these devices with WiFi 6E or if you can afford it, WiFi 7 so whatever you buy it will last you many years. Although there are many Mesh systems available at differet price points, you want to get one of the better systems so you don't have to spend a lot of time playing with it to get it to work and so it will last the longest for you. Right now WiFi6E and WiFi7 are the latest. Also another reason for these types of systems is they both use 2.4, 5 and most importantly 6Ghz frequencies. The 6Ghz radio will give you the best speeds but for the shortest distence but in a 2600 sqft home that you have, it will cover most of the home from each node. I know this because I have the Orbi WiFi7 and the 6Ghz radio connects to each node throughout my home of the same size. I was going to run a wired ethernet cable from my TV in the livingroom to my router but with the Orbi I get 2.5Ghz wirelessly, which is the fasted speed I could generate to test with my computer, so there was no need to spend the money for the wire.
These systems come in packages with different number of nodes. For your size home I would get a 3 node package since you have two floors and you want to cover some of the outside areas including the Lanai.
I'm sure there will be lots of responses with suggestions that are cheaper but with this technology, you get what you pay for so I would invest in a better, faster system, install it and forget about it. Also, there will be many saying I got a cheap system and I have WiFi all over my home. Which is true but at what speed? Although you get a connection, it doesn't mean it will work well. With the better systems you will get close to the full speed you are paying for all over your home. If you need further help, please PM me since I've done many cable to fiber conversions for my friends and neighbors here in the Villages.