[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Joeint

You seem to be a tech-savvy person I'd be interested to know why you choose to rent your modem/router from Xfinity instead of purchasing one?

I rent a modem from Xfinity for $14 per month. It is a modem/router that handles over 600 mbps and also has a digital phone connection. I think that the break even point is about 2 years, if you buy a comparable modem. There are a lot of inexpensive modems that do not have that speed or a phone connection. My reasoning is that, if my system has an outage and I call Xfinity, suppose the person on the phone says that the problem is the modem? It could be or maybe not. But, if you own the modem, you have a problem because they will not restore your service until you can prove to them that the outage is not due to your modem. I don't want to be in that situation.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by ejp52

Looking to move to a mesh system looking at the Linksys AC2200.
And adding nodes if needed, house is just under 1600 sq. ft. Modem and router are located in front bedroom/office with my Ooma telephone base and printer.
Any input or recommendations appreciated.

Mesh, Smesh. Are you sure you need it? I have always been fine with a standard modem/router, even in a 3 level, 5 bedroom house in Virginia.

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by HiHoSteveO

If you're about to buy a new WiFi router anyway, I suggest that you go with the new "AX" (WiFi 6) standard.
The one you are considering is "AC" (WiFi 5) standard.
No one used to call it WiFi 5, but they do now.

What's the difference between 802.11ac vs. 802.11ax?

I have also read that when you go the mesh route, anything going through that mesh node, goes at half speed. That was not acceptable, so went with an ASUS AX-5400 and although it is twice the price, it seems to have very good range and looks like I'll be able to bypass any thoughts of mesh. I believe the increased range is due to the WiFi 6 standard. So far, so good.

The half speed comment is NOT true for a true mesh system. It is true for a number of companies calling their systems mesh when in fact they are simply extenders.

A true mesh system will have a dedicated separate radio for backhaul. Backhaul is the return communication stream from the satellite routers to send data back. Most systems use a single radio, so they have to split the bandwidth in half to support backhaul, effectively reducing your end wifi speed by 50%. All extenders do this, and many systems that claim they are mesh.

I have the Netgear Orbi Wifi 6 (AX) mesh system. It has a radio to handle your connection and a separate radio to handle backhaul. The end result is you will get wifi speeds very near to your hard wired speeds.

The Asus AX-5400 is a Wifi 6 router. The only way to extend the range of this router is to use an extender (and we don't want to do that! Read above). My home has poured concrete walls that significantly impact wifi range. I use a mesh system so that I get full speeds from end to end in my home as well as outside on my patio.

[Malsua]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

.

The Asus AX-5400 is a Wifi 6 router. The only way to extend the range of this router is to use an extender

An Asus AX-5400 supports AIMesh with other Asus routers. I've used this config and gamed on a satellite with no increase in latency.