[Tom C]

In our current home, we have a Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Smart WiFi Router. It does ok, but when we move to TV, I want to explore the new mesh network hardware as I want to be sure we don’t have any areas of weak signal.

Our home in TV has exterior block wall construction.

Can anyone share their personal experiences / suggestions about how well these new systems work and the speed / signal strength / overall coverage (acceptable or not) you get with the Mesh systems vs the single base that my existing router uses.

I am looking to get a nice strong signal throughout the house and outside the back of the house (within a birdcage area).

Thanks in advance!

[villagetinker]

If you end up with Comcast, they offer equipment to do just that, have not tried it yet. I will be following this, as we have a weak area in the lanai/birdcage.

[Tom C]

Yes, we will have Comcast (I know not a favorite from reading here for the past ~18 months), at least to start.

Do they offer the equipment for purchase or is it one of those monthly rental plans?

I will post the results, however that is still a month away...

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by Tom C

Yes, we will have Comcast (I know not a favorite from reading here for the past ~18 months), at least to start.

Do they offer the equipment for purchase or is it one of those monthly rental plans?

I will post the results, however that is still a month away...

Tom, Comcast isn't really that bad it's just a compilation of bad things that happen over the years and they don't know how to communicate with their Valued Customers. We have the Starter Package and it's just fine. $19.99 a month. I never really searched for bargains before we moved here to Boca Del Vista next to The Seinfelds. Love a bargain.

We let them set it up with their Equipment then switched to a Motorola Router of our own with I think 4 Linksys Boosters and we're good to go. We Stream our TV and rarely run into any Buffering unless the Microwave is on. that seems to trigger an outage on one side of the house for a couple of minutes.

If I had to set it up again I would have gone for better more expensive Boosters. I may do it anyway, we'll see.

Good Luck and hurry up and get here already! LOL

[dewilson58]

I've like Linksys equipment. I'm running it with Spectrum.


Linksys has a number of different units, with different coverage areas.


I booster can help with a weaker unit.


Bring the Netgear and try it. Maybe you'll just need a booster.

[MorTech]

Consider a Netgear C7800 DOCSIS 3.1 AC3200. Place in center of house. You will be fine..at least on 2.4G.

[MorTech]

Consider Arris DOCSIS 3.1 WiFi 6 802.11ax. Should be out Q32019

https://www.arris.com/products/touch...voice-gateway/

[kansasr]

We have been using the Eero system for over 2 years in conjunction with a Arris SB6141 modem that we bought on Ebay which has worked very well with Comcast. We have the main unit towards the front of the house where the modem is connected and one beacon towards the back....great coverage, even out on the lanai. Simple setup and easy to manage.

[Tom C]

I should have also mentioned that our home in TV was set up as a somewhat “smart” home.... (honestly, the technology can make this more of a challenge than it should be - like early FORTRAN ... ). Anyway, we have 14 ceiling fans, lots of appliances, blinds, security system, pool functions and of course the HVAC that all ties into ”THE HOUSE” that can (and will) control them all... and probably me too

Anyway, what I am saying is that I don’t want to add to my problems by putting in a “less than capable” system, or a spotty system. Lots of good recommendations so far.

Anyone using a Mesh system?

PS - i will be changing my Avatar when i move to TV.

[Altavia]

I've had really good luck with these, you can add units to enhance weak areas.

Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512..._S6TfDb4C8EDY2

[valuemkt]

I have not used a mesh router but will do some further research as a result of this. I became a fan of TP-LINK routers several years ago around the advent of N technology. I had a very large house in Atlanta, requiring wireless in 3 floors, and I placed the router in the worst place.. the basement.. I tried both Linksys and Netgear, with and without extenders, and still had dead spots. The TP Link router handled the entire house without issue. I have an identical one here in the Villages, with no issues in a much smaller home, including streaming in the glass enclosed lanai.

In the home we plan to build south of 44, every room will have a CAT 6 port, and the router will be in a closet in the middle of the house. So all TVs will have direct Internet connections and not have to rely on wireless. Likewise for the security system. If for any reason teh signal weakens in the backyard, I'll put an access point in the lanai. At that point I could make a mesh decision.

Out of curiosity, what home automation system did you choose ( Control 4, savant, crestron, elan ??) and which security system ?
We're at the pre wire stage so have a ton of options.

Appreciate the thought provoking post

[dewilson58]

Be careful of mesh systems............there are lawsuits out there...........





Have you or a loved one had surgery using a surgical mesh, possibly for a hernia or a C-section? You may be eligible to join a surgical mesh class action lawsuit if you had another surgery to remove the mesh or if you suffered any side effects, including:

• Bleeding
• Bowel obstruction
• Fluid buildup (seromas)
• Infection

• Mesh migration
• Nerve damage
• Pain

To qualify, the surgical mesh can be of any type, including Gore-Tex, C-QURTM, Ethicon’s PhysiomeshTM or any other brand.

[biker1]

If your router supports dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz), try switching your streaming device to use the 5 GHz band. Microwave ovens operate at a frequency of 2.45 GHz.

Originally Posted by Nucky

Tom, Comcast isn't really that bad it's just a compilation of bad things that happen over the years and they don't know how to communicate with their Valued Customers. We have the Starter Package and it's just fine. $19.99 a month. I never really searched for bargains before we moved here to Boca Del Vista next to The Seinfelds. Love a bargain.

We let them set it up with their Equipment then switched to a Motorola Router of our own with I think 4 Linksys Boosters and we're good to go. We Stream our TV and rarely run into any Buffering unless the Microwave is on. that seems to trigger an outage on one side of the house for a couple of minutes.

If I had to set it up again I would have gone for better more expensive Boosters. I may do it anyway, we'll see.

Good Luck and hurry up and get here already! LOL

[Dan9871]

Originally Posted by Tom C

Can anyone share their personal experiences / suggestions about how well these new systems work and the speed / signal strength / overall coverage (acceptable or not) you get with the Mesh systems vs the single base that my existing router uses.

Someone I know who has a pretty large house and documented his experience here in setting up his house with Ubiquiti.

Troy Hunt: Ubiquiti - Troy Hunt

Troy Hunt: Wiring a home network from the ground-up with Ubiquiti


And his parents' house here:
Troy Hunt: How I Finally Fixed My Parents Dodgy Wifi With AmpliFi

[duhbear]

Consider Linksys Velop mesh networking. Extremely easy to set up and extremely easy to maintain. Only drawback is it's not inexpensive.