Mesh system or other suggestions

[de_yogurt]

I'm looking for a new home networking solution. I currently have my main router downstairs (where the fiber comes on) and a WAP in the living room. I should also note that I am running DDWRT on both routers. The WiFi seems to drop consistently and sometimes lose connection from the main router. My wife works from home and needs better connection.

I'm either thinking of going back to stock firmware and going back to one router or a mesh system. The home I purchased has network cables running to the kitchen, the master bedroom, and other bedroom. I was thinking a mesh system with one unit downstairs, one in the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. After the main unit, cables would run off a switch for an ethernet backhaul.

I'm wondering if I need more control with a different router than what comes with the mesh system, such as opening ports, changing passwords, printers, etc, etc.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks and have a good one!

Yougurt

 

[knoober]

This isn't really an answer to your question, but for those intermittent drop outs I would check for overheating. I came across this a few years ago with a ISP modem. It was hot to the touch and putting a box fan next to it solved the issue. After that I bought my own hardware and have hacked a small 80mm fan onto each modem/ap/router and never had any kind of drop outs since. For some I also chopped up an old cpu heatsink and threw the pieces onto the applicable chips on the main boards, but I think the fan might be enough. There also might be an option to underclock in ddwrt. Good luck

 

[The_Jizzler]

I'm wondering if I need more control with a different router than what comes with the mesh system, such as opening ports, changing passwords, printers, etc, etc.

Unless you're trying to do more advanced networking that needs granular control, whatever comes with the mesh system should be ok. I use ubiquiti gear and run my own router (Sophos) and the ubiquiti AP's use a controller (VM in my case) to set them up. You can also use a mobile app to set them up but I've never messed with it. Once set up, the AP's don't need the controller, unless you need a few certain features. The AP's will mesh and the clients roam just fine.

 

[JrClocker]

Agree with Ubiquiti...I use all UniFi networking gear in my house.

While the UniFi access points do have a wireless backhaul capability, you want to run wired backhaul.

Also, the UniFi access points are powered by PoE, so make sure you get a PoE switch, or a PoE injector (recommend switch).

If you are using more than 1 access point, do not have the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels set to auto. For 2.4 GHz, you only really have channels 1, 6, and 11 as the others overlap. If you are using Zigbee or Philips Hue devices, don't use channel 11 as this can interfere with these networks (only leaving channels 1 and 6). If you are using 3 access points, use channels 1 and 6...and have the two access points which are farthest from each other on the same channel. For me, I have 3 access points...SW and NE ones are on channel 1, and the one in the middle is on channel 6.

For 2.4 and 5 GHz, the UniFi access points can do a "channel scan" and tell you which are the best channels to use.

With everything setup correctly, and using the same SSID for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHZ, your devices will seamlessly transition from 5 GHz, to 2.4 GHZ, and in between access points...all handled transparently at the hardware layer.

There are also excellent guides online on how to setup UniFi access points.

Finally, the general rule of thumb for networking is not to run everything off wireless as you share the wireless spectrum with every other wireless device. Run things off an Ethernet cable that will not move, and save the wireless for mobile devices.