Mesh Network

[VladD]

Hi all.

I'd like to extend the range of my wifi as I have dead spots in the house and I'd also like to get the wifi signal out go my garage. The router sits in one corner of the house, as that's where the line comes into the house, so is not best situated. My questions are:

1) Can I keep my original router or do I need a mesh compatible one?

2) Do all of the mesh extenders have to talk to the main router, or can each one extend the range in a straight line, i.e. unit 1 talks to router, unit 2 talks to unit 1 etc?

3) How much extra range does each unit give?

4) Any recommendations or "best to avoid" suggestions for actual kit?

Thanks.

Edited by VladD on Wednesday 27th November 15:59

[Rutter]

I've got this system at mine and have to say it works great, one box downstairs by the router, another in the opposite corner upstairs and the third out in the garage, solid signal all around the house, just wish my broadband were better but we are due FTTP imminently.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenda-Nova-Coverage-Paren...

[Bujinkhal]

VladD said:

Hi all.

I'd like to extend the range of my wifi as I have dead spots in the house and I'd also like to get the wifi signal out go my garage. The router sits in one corner of the house, as that's where the line comes into the house, so is not best situated. My questions are:

1) Can I keep my original router or do I need a mesh compatible one?

2) Do all of the mesh extenders have to talk to the main router, or can each one extend the range in a straight line, i.e. unit 1 talks to router, unit 2 talks to unit 1 etc?

3) How much extra range does each unit give?

4) Any recommendations or "best top avoid" suggestions for actual kit?

Thanks.

1) You can keep your original router so long as it has a working Ethernet port.

2) Not 100% on this actually but I think they can talk to each other. Just checked, yes they do.

3) As with everything wifi it's all down to what it's passing through, thick stone walls are going to drop the distance significantly. To give you some idea my house is approx 2000 sqft and is 100% covered by 3 mesh units. Good speeds too, get 60mb ish direct into the router, around 45 on the wifi at the far end of the house.

4) I can only comment on the BT Whole Home, it's very good, I love that I can set up allowed internet times based on groups, so all child 1's devices are in one group and switch off at 9pm, all grumpy teens are in another and go off at midnight. Absolute doddle to set up as well.

Edited by Bujinkhal on Wednesday 27th November 15:20

[VladD]

Thanks.

[AJB88]

I've got the Google Wifi system.

EE router talks to Main Wifi unit using Ethernet. then they all talk to each other after that.

[VladD]

OK, so I need one connected by LAN to the router and then X more to extend. I guess best to get 3 and see what the coverage is like and then get a 4th if necessary.

[Bullett]

You can also hardwire each one. if you have ethernet near where you locate it.
As I understand it by hardwiring you are not using some bandwidth for the units to talk to each other so it's all available for devices.
So, in theory, better speeds are available.

I have the Tendra MW3, works great.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

If wired it uses that for its backhaul. If you get one with 3 networks 2.4 5gig and 5gig then it uses the extra 5gig band for backhaul so doesnt use your available bandwidth

[S6PNJ]

Bullett said:

I have the Tenda MW3, works great.

I too have the Tenda MW3 system and also agree it works great - lots of good reviews for it, even it if is amongst the more basic of units and functionality, but it currently works for me and handles my incoming router element as well, so no additional device needed for me! I've hard wired all 3 units as I put in cables when renovating our home.

Ebuyer have the 3 set for just under £70 - about £73 once P&P added, but it has the additional MW6 unit with it, which I'm currently trying to sell as I don't need it, so it will make my overall cost much less.
https://www.ebuyer.com/841843-tenda-mw3-nova-whole...

[Rutter]

S6PNJ said:

I too have the Tenda MW3 system and also agree it works great - lots of good reviews for it, even it if is amongst the more basic of units and functionality, but it currently works for me and handles my incoming router element as well, so no additional device needed for me! I've hard wired all 3 units as I put in cables when renovating our home.

Ebuyer have the 3 set for just under £70 - about £73 once P&P added, but it has the additional MW6 unit with it, which I'm currently trying to sell as I don't need it, so it will make my overall cost much less.
https://www.ebuyer.com/841843-tenda-mw3-nova-whole...

How much are you after for the MW6? I don't really need it but more range can't hurt can it!

[S6PNJ]

Rutter said:

How much are you after for the MW6? I don't really need it but more range can't hurt can it!

Whilst I appreciate that we are not allowed to advertise within the forums, if you search ebay, you'll find it for £50 plus a fiver for postage, ending Sunday afternoon (or PM me). It's still in it's sealed cellophane wrapping!

[sgrimshaw]

Just a word of caution ...

If you have any devices connected by cable, for example a network Printer or Storage Device, check that the mesh system you are interested in will allow wired and wireless devices to see each other.

Not all Mesh Systems allow this, unless the mesh unit takes over full control of the network. ie anything wired must be plugged in via the mesh units NOT the original router.

Edited by sgrimshaw on Thursday 28th November 13:32

Edited by sgrimshaw on Thursday 28th November 13:33

[S6PNJ]

Whilst I now only have the Mesh system in place (no additional router) I do have 2 16 port switches and the Tenda Nova System seems to allow me to freely access wired or wire free devices from each other. When I had a router in place handling the wired aspects and the Tenda Nova doing the wireless bits, there were 2 different networks and again I had no issues accessing devices on one network from the other. My wired was 192.168.0.x and the wireless was 192.168.5.x

My boiler is IP connected (wired) but I access it through my phone (wireless) without issues both when I had the separate router/mesh and now I just have the mesh.

[sgrimshaw]

S6PNJ said:

Whilst I now only have the Mesh system in place (no additional router) I do have 2 16 port switches and the Tenda Nova System seems to allow me to freely access wired or wire free devices from each other. When I had a router in place handling the wired aspects and the Tenda Nova doing the wireless bits, there were 2 different networks and again I had no issues accessing devices on one network from the other. My wired was 192.168.0.x and the wireless was 192.168.5.x

My boiler is IP connected (wired) but I access it through my phone (wireless) without issues both when I had the separate router/mesh and now I just have the mesh.

Presumeably, the router is just working as a modem now then.

Are you still using the LAN ports on the router itself to connect the switches or are they connected to the Tenda unit?

Where you had two different networks, logically something ... either the router or the Tenda ... must have been bridging the networks.

Considering the BT Mesh kit as that apparantly just takes over the wifi side and leaves all the rest of the network stuff to the existing router.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

If you set it up properly everything will communicate.
If your using different subnets using vlans or other methods you need to make sure you have routes in place to allow it

But segregated networks arnt a bad idea

[S6PNJ]

sgrimshaw said:

S6PNJ said:

Whilst I now only have the Mesh system in place (no additional router) I do have 2 16 port switches and the Tenda Nova System seems to allow me to freely access wired or wire free devices from each other. When I had a router in place handling the wired aspects and the Tenda Nova doing the wireless bits, there were 2 different networks and again I had no issues accessing devices on one network from the other. My wired was 192.168.0.x and the wireless was 192.168.5.x

My boiler is IP connected (wired) but I access it through my phone (wireless) without issues both when I had the separate router/mesh and now I just have the mesh.

Presumeably, the router is just working as a modem now then.

Are you still using the LAN ports on the router itself to connect the switches or are they connected to the Tenda unit?

Where you had two different networks, logically something ... either the router or the Tenda ... must have been bridging the networks.

Considering the BT Mesh kit as that apparantly just takes over the wifi side and leaves all the rest of the network stuff to the existing router.

No, my internet connection isn't 'normal' in that it is a WiFi broadband (not phone 3/4/5G) provided via a line of sight connection to a local business park where the local provider broadcasts it from (Loop Scorpio if you want to look it up). I have a small squarial on the outside wall which receives the broadcast signal and an ethernet cable comes through the wall. My old router (Asus DSL N55U) couldn't work with it so I bought a TP Link WR940N that does work - something to do with needing an ethernet input rather than a phoneline input terminal - I bascially get a static IP which I can configure the Tenda Nova MW3 with, so I can remove the router. I realise this is not the norm, but it's how my systems works and may be how some other systems can work as the MW3 has 4 different options for internet connectivity.

I have all 3 MW3s connected via ethernet (as I have cables run which I can use) and then the master MW3 connects to one of the 16 port switches and via one of the outputs and a long ethernet cable, it links to the other 16 port switch at the other end of our house which is where one of the slave MW3s is connected via ethernet.

I think it was probably the MW3 doing the bridging as I didn't make any changes to the TP Link router but had full connectivity between them.

[NorthDave]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

If wired it uses that for its backhaul. If you get one with 3 networks 2.4 5gig and 5gig then it uses the extra 5gig band for backhaul so doesnt use your available bandwidth

Although technically correct that it doesn't use "your" bandwidth in this scenario all the wifi traffic is on one 5Ghz network so you do have a bottleneck - wired removes this bottle neck. The 5Ghz bottleneck might not be an issue for smaller scale systems though.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

I agree wired is better as ever

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Some argue tho that it isnt tru mesh if its wired backhaul

[Sonie]

I put the BT Home in my house, really pleased with it. Turned off the Wifi from the main router and configured the MESH to be the same name and password. It saved setting everything up again on the new Wifi SSID.

I have 3 discs and get excellent performance throughout the house.