Powerline or Mesh?

Author
Discussion

Hudson1984

Original Poster:

312 posts

68 months

Tuesday 18th February 2020
quotequote all
Hi all,

so, in the man cave I don't get wifi - well, I get it off the laptop but not phone or apple TV. Now, I got apple TV to run zwift (cycling simulator) without having to take my laptop etc out there and set it all up. So it's as close to turn on and go as possible.

So, I do want wifi out there, just a case of what route to take.

so the query is - Mesh such as BT discs. Or a normal powerline system with wifi

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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How far is the man cave from the next nearest possible location for a mesh disc?

Hudson1984

Original Poster:

312 posts

68 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
If I went Mesh, I'd need one at the hub - then the next would be circa 8m from the hub, which would be the room adjoined to the garage - the garage is connected to the house so if you imagine having the hub in the hall of a house, I need to go through the kitchen, a reception room and the garage is to the side of that reception room.

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
Your situation sounds very much like what the mesh systems are designed for.

i don't personally use a mesh system, but I have considered them and are just waiting for the new BT Premium system to drop in price a bit.

Having looked at the specs, reviews etc for "my" situation the BT system fits my needs best.

I currently use Powerline extensively and have had no issues with the later TP Link Stuff.

This kit in particular has been rock solid since purchase in March 2018:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07349P1TX/ref...

The mesh stuff is also all available on Amazon ... whichever route you go, if you buy from them and it's not as good as you expect at least you can easily return for a refund

phil4

1,203 posts

237 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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I've looked at Mesh a few times, most of the time it adds faff I don't want to deal with (ie. replacing your broadband router - no thanks). Or uses wifi for the backhaul (so connections to remote mesh items is slower).

As such, what I do use for wifi is multiple identically named and passworded wifi access points, each cabled back. Thus the devices normally connect to the strongest/closest, and work just fine. This is usually mobile phones and similar IOT things that annoyingly only work on wifi.

For most devices where I can, I use real network cables, and powerline adapters if really remote. They tend to be very stable and very quick.

I can see the attraction of a single easy to use out of the box setup, but I don't like the compromises it forces me to make, and most stuff is cabled anyway.

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
phil4 said:
I've looked at Mesh a few times, most of the time it adds faff I don't want to deal with (ie. replacing your broadband router - no thanks). Or uses wifi for the backhaul (so connections to remote mesh items is slower).

As such, what I do use for wifi is multiple identically named and passworded wifi access points, each cabled back. Thus the devices normally connect to the strongest/closest, and work just fine. This is usually mobile phones and similar IOT things that annoyingly only work on wifi.

For most devices where I can, I use real network cables, and powerline adapters if really remote. They tend to be very stable and very quick.

I can see the attraction of a single easy to use out of the box setup, but I don't like the compromises it forces me to make, and most stuff is cabled anyway.
No need to replace the boradband router and no issue with wired connections are the main reasons why I found the BT one's best for me.

Hudson1984

Original Poster:

312 posts

68 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
yeah it's what attracts me to BT too,

you can have the hub with built in mesh node. Mine doesn't but their pod will just connect to it anyway.

I don't think i'd need the premium but am tempted by the two disc normal option

poing

8,743 posts

199 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
Split the difference and get powerline with wifi.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WPA8630PKIT-V2...

nebpor

3,753 posts

234 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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Powerline, with the end in the garage also a wifi hotspot. Cheap, simple and reliable.

sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
poing said:
Split the difference and get powerline with wifi.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WPA8630PKIT-V2...
Keep up wink


poing

8,743 posts

199 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
quotequote all
sgrimshaw said:
poing said:
Split the difference and get powerline with wifi.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WPA8630PKIT-V2...
Keep up wink
That's what I get for skim reading! biggrin

Dr_Rick

1,592 posts

247 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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Near on 100yr old house, used to have PowerLine units doing WiFi too. Found the signal was very flaky at times and I'd be forever rebooting various units.

About 8mths ago I bought a triple pack of Tenda MW5 mesh cubes from Amazon. One connected to the router, one upstairs and one downstairs. Not had any issues since with 20+ connections to the boxes including TVs, iPads, phones and smart switches.

blueg33

35,589 posts

223 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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I have a similar issue in my home office. Its miles from the router and as an extension it has thick stone walls. BT Mesh has worked perfectly. I get the same speed and connection in the office as I do right next to the router. BT gave me the MESH system FOC when i complained that the Homehub was crap

james_TW

16,287 posts

196 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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My mum had this exact same problem and the Powerline with wifi was many levels of terrible (2 ring mains didn't help either) - The mesh, however, has resolved all of my mums wifi problems and has been flawless ever since. Got a cheap one from Amazon too smile

sparkyhx

4,143 posts

203 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
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Mesh all the way

Chozza

808 posts

151 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
quotequote all
poing said:
Split the difference and get powerline with wifi.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WPA8630PKIT-V2...
That's just Powerline with Wifi ...

you need

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deco-P9-Powerline-coverag...

Powerline backhauling Mesh

Gary C

12,315 posts

178 months

Sunday 23rd February 2020
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Run an outdoor spec cat 6 cable from your hub to a switch then put an access point there.

You could also run a radio ethernet link. Antenna on the house and one at the cave, normally better than trying to push a mesh further than they really want to go.

Gary C

12,315 posts

178 months

Monday 24th February 2020
quotequote all
You could try this

https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/products/28801-ubiq...

Should give you a point to point link.

Bugger, just realised the cave is attached to the house, so radio P2P isnt probably what you want smile

I needed a network in the conservatory.

Drilled a hole in the wall near the router, ran an external grade cat 6 cable down into the ground, then backup at the conservatory, back in another hole.

Simple and while wifi mesh is good, hardwired ethernet is hard to beat (even though no one has used real ethernet for years !)

Edited by Gary C on Tuesday 25th February 19:34

sparkyhx

4,143 posts

203 months

Tuesday 25th February 2020
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I use the 3 BT Discs to cover my house, 4 store Stone built victorian, conservatory garage and Garden summer house, ugly as f*ck but very very effective, no router replacement needed and pretty much just plug and play.

MarkGArgyle

348 posts

153 months

Thursday 5th March 2020
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Mesh every time I suffered with poor WiFi in our house for 3 yrs and kids with PS+, Roblux, Netflix, YouTube etc

Now have Deco with 3 link stations that are connected to the existing router that are ~10m apart and on 2 floors. Circa €200 from amazon.

You won’t look back!