Mesh Wi-Fi - crap?
Discussion
I purchased a Linksys Velop 3-node Mesh Wi-Fi system last year, based upon having done some online research, reading reviews etc. It was more expensive than competitors offerings, but i felt confident this was the right system for me, as i wasn't getting full coverage in the house, and my existing router was on its last legs etc.
It seems to be very variable, and whilst I don't necessarily get black spots, I do get lots of drops in service even in areas of the house that are well covered. The device list on the admin console indicates that pretty much every device in the house is connected to a node that isn't the one with the strongest signal. Even when devices and nodes are power cycled, they still seem to ignore the node very close to them, and connect to one on the other side of the house. Often this means poor speeds, drop outs.
Linksys have just released a thing called device and node steering which is meant to push devices to the node with the strongest signal, but it doesn't work. I have heard that it can actually make things worse... i have also heard it only works properly when devices support the very newest wireless standards (802.11ax?) which it seems almost nothing does on the market, let alone in my house. Many of my devices don't even support 802.11ac.
You can't tell the system/device to bind to a specific node, as it all hangs off of the SSID, which is the same for all nodes. You can set up 3 separate networks, one per node, but that defeats the whole purpose of it and also not every device will be able to see the NAS and so on.
Don't even get me started on devices that dare to move around the house. I had originally hoped that they might automatically hop from one node to the other, offering seamless strong signal.... ha!!! Total pipe dream.
The whole thing is just a mess. Are mesh systems not really ready? They've been out for a few years now, so it's pretty sharky to be charging £300 for a system that performs in many ways worse than a single router!!
It seems to be very variable, and whilst I don't necessarily get black spots, I do get lots of drops in service even in areas of the house that are well covered. The device list on the admin console indicates that pretty much every device in the house is connected to a node that isn't the one with the strongest signal. Even when devices and nodes are power cycled, they still seem to ignore the node very close to them, and connect to one on the other side of the house. Often this means poor speeds, drop outs.
Linksys have just released a thing called device and node steering which is meant to push devices to the node with the strongest signal, but it doesn't work. I have heard that it can actually make things worse... i have also heard it only works properly when devices support the very newest wireless standards (802.11ax?) which it seems almost nothing does on the market, let alone in my house. Many of my devices don't even support 802.11ac.
You can't tell the system/device to bind to a specific node, as it all hangs off of the SSID, which is the same for all nodes. You can set up 3 separate networks, one per node, but that defeats the whole purpose of it and also not every device will be able to see the NAS and so on.
Don't even get me started on devices that dare to move around the house. I had originally hoped that they might automatically hop from one node to the other, offering seamless strong signal.... ha!!! Total pipe dream.
The whole thing is just a mess. Are mesh systems not really ready? They've been out for a few years now, so it's pretty sharky to be charging £300 for a system that performs in many ways worse than a single router!!
We have the Google system. It's great for coverage but because the access points are using the same radio for both the mesh and the individual device connection it's a lot slower than a direct connection to the router (although speed is fairly consistent throughout the house rather than dropping off with distance).
I think you get much better performance if you can hardwire them so the mesh is being maintained over Ethernet. Sadly we don't have the cabling - I have one run where powerline gets enough speed to improve performance which has helped but kind of wish we'd had the house wired for Ethernet.
The other thing which helps a lot is using a wired connection on anything which stays in one place: desktops, TVs, games consoles, AV receivers and so on. So we have a couple of places where I've popped in one of the access points then connected it up to a switch so it's running a small cluster of devices wired. This seems to result in a lot less noise and faster wi-fi, pushing all traffic through just the one radio rather than having 5-6 of them in a small area helps a lot.
I'm still holding out hope for a mesh system which uses a faster standard for its backhaul, even if it ends up being a higher frequency that requires far more devices to maintain the mesh.
I think you get much better performance if you can hardwire them so the mesh is being maintained over Ethernet. Sadly we don't have the cabling - I have one run where powerline gets enough speed to improve performance which has helped but kind of wish we'd had the house wired for Ethernet.
The other thing which helps a lot is using a wired connection on anything which stays in one place: desktops, TVs, games consoles, AV receivers and so on. So we have a couple of places where I've popped in one of the access points then connected it up to a switch so it's running a small cluster of devices wired. This seems to result in a lot less noise and faster wi-fi, pushing all traffic through just the one radio rather than having 5-6 of them in a small area helps a lot.
I'm still holding out hope for a mesh system which uses a faster standard for its backhaul, even if it ends up being a higher frequency that requires far more devices to maintain the mesh.
blueg33 said:
We have a BT mesh system - it works fine, seamless across the whole house. We have 3 nodes and the router, some rooms are outside thick stone external walls and the nodes inside.
Same here, although had to reboot one of the 3 disks this week for the first time in about 18 monthsMesh in general certainly isn't rubbish, although I haven't used the Linksys one.
I currently have a few FritzBox routers that are meshed and they are very good at handing off clients to the next router when the signal gets weak. To the extent that you can carry on WiFi phone calls without any interruption. I'm quite impressed.
Previously I had either extenders or multiple non-meshed systems and each client device would hold on to the place it was connected to right up until it effectively dropped and THEN would search for another place to connect to. A bit useless as the connection speed would drop to almost nothing on the fringe of one router while basically standing next to another one it could have connected to.
I currently have a few FritzBox routers that are meshed and they are very good at handing off clients to the next router when the signal gets weak. To the extent that you can carry on WiFi phone calls without any interruption. I'm quite impressed.
Previously I had either extenders or multiple non-meshed systems and each client device would hold on to the place it was connected to right up until it effectively dropped and THEN would search for another place to connect to. A bit useless as the connection speed would drop to almost nothing on the fringe of one router while basically standing next to another one it could have connected to.
Timberwolf said:
We have the Google system. It's great for coverage but because the access points are using the same radio for both the mesh and the individual device connection it's a lot slower than a direct connection to the router (although speed is fairly consistent throughout the house rather than dropping off with distance).
I think you get much better performance if you can hardwire them so the mesh is being maintained over Ethernet. Sadly we don't have the cabling - I have one run where powerline gets enough speed to improve performance which has helped but kind of wish we'd had the house wired for Ethernet.
The other thing which helps a lot is using a wired connection on anything which stays in one place: desktops, TVs, games consoles, AV receivers and so on. So we have a couple of places where I've popped in one of the access points then connected it up to a switch so it's running a small cluster of devices wired. This seems to result in a lot less noise and faster wi-fi, pushing all traffic through just the one radio rather than having 5-6 of them in a small area helps a lot.
I'm still holding out hope for a mesh system which uses a faster standard for its backhaul, even if it ends up being a higher frequency that requires far more devices to maintain the mesh.
I've got the Google system, although the third unit is sitting uselessly unpowered in the kitchen at the moment as the system won't recognise it. I did start trawling the forums for a fix but gave up... maybe will have another look at it during lockdown - although screwing up the rest of the system will not go down well!I think you get much better performance if you can hardwire them so the mesh is being maintained over Ethernet. Sadly we don't have the cabling - I have one run where powerline gets enough speed to improve performance which has helped but kind of wish we'd had the house wired for Ethernet.
The other thing which helps a lot is using a wired connection on anything which stays in one place: desktops, TVs, games consoles, AV receivers and so on. So we have a couple of places where I've popped in one of the access points then connected it up to a switch so it's running a small cluster of devices wired. This seems to result in a lot less noise and faster wi-fi, pushing all traffic through just the one radio rather than having 5-6 of them in a small area helps a lot.
I'm still holding out hope for a mesh system which uses a faster standard for its backhaul, even if it ends up being a higher frequency that requires far more devices to maintain the mesh.
I've setup a few different mesh systems, although not the Linksys ones. They've all had some quirks that are mostly fixed with firmware updates. Some brands are definitely better than others, but generally they work well as long as you don't place them too far apart. I mostly fit higher end equipment now, but as a budget option the BT ones were surprisingly good.
interesting everyone thanks... maybe it's just the Linksys one which is s
te. Their forums are full of people kicking off about it, and their support people are genuinely terrible. I opened a ticket 6 months ago and after some intial "oh can you send us this log file or other" type conversations, it went silent and no one has contacted me since. The forum replies from the company are restricted to "we've never heard of this issue before" and "are you on the latest firmware" and finally "you've set it up wrong".
The TP-Link sounds interesting!!
te. Their forums are full of people kicking off about it, and their support people are genuinely terrible. I opened a ticket 6 months ago and after some intial "oh can you send us this log file or other" type conversations, it went silent and no one has contacted me since. The forum replies from the company are restricted to "we've never heard of this issue before" and "are you on the latest firmware" and finally "you've set it up wrong". The TP-Link sounds interesting!!
geeks said:
NormalWisdom said:
I've had the TP-Link DECO M5 (connected to the infamously rubbish Virgin Media Hub 3) for around 2 years - I have not a single bad word to say about it, performance is superb!
Yeah I have the Deco M4 kit and its been great.Yet another happy tplink user here. Set up with my Virgin hub and folks' house with BT router. It's the Deco E4 model I have.
I even managed to get one working 3 concrete slab floors away from the next nearest unit for a short period although it won't "take" anymore for reasons I am not sure of.
I even managed to get one working 3 concrete slab floors away from the next nearest unit for a short period although it won't "take" anymore for reasons I am not sure of.
My wifi router (Apple AirPort Extreme Pro) covers the lounge, driveway & entrance hallway but doesn't extend to the back of the house, doesn't touch the kitchen or garden, doesn't go into the basement or upstairs. I solved this by putting a wireless plug thing in the basement another in the kitchen and then another in the bedroom, still no wifi in the downstairs bathroom or toilet, nothing in the garden or rear room and nothing upstairs except bedroom. All with different names but it means having to disconnect and reconnect when moving around.
Is there any mesh system that can have more than 3 access points? I think I'll need at least 7 to cover this place so it works everywhere...
Is there any mesh system that can have more than 3 access points? I think I'll need at least 7 to cover this place so it works everywhere...
My in-laws were asking about ways to improve WiFi in their house earlier in the week and I was going to have a look into Mesh for them - not something I've ever needed in my little place but they need something to cover a fairly hefty distance but more importantly (for me) is that it's incredibly easy to setup.
They have a Sky supplied router that's locked in a cupboard with big thick doors on at the moment but can't / won't move it from there - is a Mesh solution likely to be starting from a disadvantage because of this or is this the kind of issue it can overcome?
I was thinking it might be better to try and Homeplug out of the cupboard to the first Mesh unit but would rather keep it as simple as possible as it's going to be me telling them what to buy then hoping they can set it up without 24/7 support 300 miles away.
The TP-Link Deco stuff mentioned above looks good, could someone with very little IT knowledge but the ability to install / use and app get it up and running do you think?
They have a Sky supplied router that's locked in a cupboard with big thick doors on at the moment but can't / won't move it from there - is a Mesh solution likely to be starting from a disadvantage because of this or is this the kind of issue it can overcome?
I was thinking it might be better to try and Homeplug out of the cupboard to the first Mesh unit but would rather keep it as simple as possible as it's going to be me telling them what to buy then hoping they can set it up without 24/7 support 300 miles away.
The TP-Link Deco stuff mentioned above looks good, could someone with very little IT knowledge but the ability to install / use and app get it up and running do you think?
For a long while after buying my Tenda MW3, I was impressed, but not quite able to recommend it wholeheartedly. Had a few quirky problems, like nodes randomly losing internet connection, or dropping off the network. Also my wireless speakers wouldn’t always be found from the app that runs them (audio pro C5).
In the end it was the issues with the wireless speakers that triggered my thought processes into gear. So I unplugged everything on my network, and started again from scratch. Found a couple of things that were potentially causing dhcp conflicts, and also spotted that while I’d turned the radio off on my modem/router, I’d only turned off the 2.4, so I reckon the router was allocating addresses to 5ghz clients that were trying to be replicated by the mesh.
Since then I have (touch wood) had no problems at all. Signal is clear as a bell and strong as an ox. The kids have even ceased complaining about the performance on their Xbox’s. Mrs Cjelli has just brought home a printer for WFH and I’ve plugged it straight into a node and had it up and running straight away (notwithstanding the usual HP driver shenanigans).
For the money, about £80, I reckon it’s been one of the best tech purchases I’ve ever made. As it stands three nodes seems plenty for me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another pack of three to extend coverage if needed.
In the end it was the issues with the wireless speakers that triggered my thought processes into gear. So I unplugged everything on my network, and started again from scratch. Found a couple of things that were potentially causing dhcp conflicts, and also spotted that while I’d turned the radio off on my modem/router, I’d only turned off the 2.4, so I reckon the router was allocating addresses to 5ghz clients that were trying to be replicated by the mesh.
Since then I have (touch wood) had no problems at all. Signal is clear as a bell and strong as an ox. The kids have even ceased complaining about the performance on their Xbox’s. Mrs Cjelli has just brought home a printer for WFH and I’ve plugged it straight into a node and had it up and running straight away (notwithstanding the usual HP driver shenanigans).
For the money, about £80, I reckon it’s been one of the best tech purchases I’ve ever made. As it stands three nodes seems plenty for me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another pack of three to extend coverage if needed.
blueg33 said:
We have a BT mesh system - it works fine, seamless across the whole house. We have 3 nodes and the router, some rooms are outside thick stone external walls and the nodes inside.
Me too, recently upgraded to Smart Hub 2 and got myself a WiFi disc. Instead of using a powerline I've used the Ethernet port on the WiFi disc (I have devices which needed ethernet) and it works great! Setup was super simple and reliability so far (touch wood) has been very good.Also very easy to manage and add new discs if needed. Only thing is that you'll need to position the discs carefully to get the best performance. The initial location chosen had good signal but sometimes it went to poor so I've relocated the disc a little closer to the router. This is an easy process thanks to the app.
Edited by anxious_ant on Friday 3rd April 05:39
ashleyman said:
My wifi router (Apple AirPort Extreme Pro) covers the lounge, driveway & entrance hallway but doesn't extend to the back of the house, doesn't touch the kitchen or garden, doesn't go into the basement or upstairs. I solved this by putting a wireless plug thing in the basement another in the kitchen and then another in the bedroom, still no wifi in the downstairs bathroom or toilet, nothing in the garden or rear room and nothing upstairs except bedroom. All with different names but it means having to disconnect and reconnect when moving around.
Is there any mesh system that can have more than 3 access points? I think I'll need at least 7 to cover this place so it works everywhere...
You can change the SSID and passwords of the extenders to match the main SSID, that way your client devices 'should' just roam between access points. Is there any mesh system that can have more than 3 access points? I think I'll need at least 7 to cover this place so it works everywhere...
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