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Mesh Router or running ethernet cable

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  1. #131

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    We upgraded from a basic TP Link 1200AC router to an Asus WiFi6 AX1800 “ZenMini” mesh.

    Our space is just over 1100sqft, and 3 mesh points works well (we got 4 as there was a deal on two packs, but one is essentiallyredundant in our setup). Even just the main router and no mesh was already much more powerful and faster. The extra points help get to two rooms at the far end of the flat where signal was spotty before. One of our walls is over 30cm thick and the signal less than 2 metres from the router was challenging before we adjusted for better line of sight from one of the mesh points to the door.

    Wifi 6 feels mostly marketing hype but the protocol does seem to be better at optimising for channel switching and handoffs between nodes (vs a friend's older setup).


  2. #132

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    802.11ax does not deal with handing over from AP to AP, nor switch channels.
    you can have good hand overs and channel switching on (old) 802.11N.


  3. #133

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fenix2:
    802.11ax does not deal with handing over from AP to AP, nor switch channels.
    you can have good hand overs and channel switching on (old) 802.11N.
    Fair enough. I'll moderate it to “more expensive router setups are better than cheap ones” then.
    Fenix2 likes this.

  4. #134

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    Generally, old high end > new low end... But there have times in history where the dominating behemouth was wiped out by the cheap and new. One example was the demise of Sun Microsystems about 20 years ago, who were simply crushed my Intel...


  5. #135

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fenix2:
    Generally, old high end > new low end... But there have times in history where the dominating behemouth was wiped out by the cheap and new. One example was the demise of Sun Microsystems about 20 years ago, who were simply crushed my Intel...
    I still have some business cards from my days @sun.com...

  6. #136

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    Quote Originally Posted by vmlinuz:
    I still have some business cards from my days @sun.com...
    Cool. I still have a pile of Sparc2,5,10,20's in my office which strangely a becoming collector items. On ebay a sparc20 goes for US$500 to US$1000. But the plastics are becoming brittle.

    Actually it has not been felt yet, but in the router space there is a major change happening, the tp-links of the world are going to revolutionise the IP networks. I think you guys are going to love what it will do for you.

    Whilst Cisco is very diversified and doubt they will be put on a tail spin, I think they will lose a big chunk of the global IP routing share. I don't see them being able to fight it.

  7. #137
    Quote Originally Posted by uopjo6:
    Uh, so I've been going through several threads about mesh and what not, and still have no idea what would be ideal for an average HK flat.If you had to recommend a Wifi setup to a dummy in 2021 living in a space under 1000squ.ft., what would it be?

    I think a lot of tech-dummies just want a simple solution that works. I've googled other websites and reviews and you basically get it 2 ways: 1. Rankings of best (and expensive) wifi from top companies and 2. Technical explanations on why certain Wifi is better with alot of stuff that is hard to understand.

    I think most people will want 3. A Tech-savvy person's recommendation for reasonable Wifi.
    If coverage is more important than speed, is Wifi 6 currently just over-hyped marketing (like 5G)?
    Is dual-band enough? etc etc.
    It all depends on the layout of your apartment, the placement of your router and where you intend to place the devices. With a centrally located router, a simple rectangular layout and no need for strong signals at the extreme corners of the apartment, you could technically even get by with a single good AC router. If your apartment layout is quirky, then you might need to go mesh, at which point, I'd recommend looking at Tri-Band solutions which dedicate one of the three bands for communication between the mesh units. AX/WiFi6 is more hype than anything right now as it still uses the same 2.4 and 5GHz frequencies. WiFi6e should make a difference but it is still some way out.

    I have personally tried the TP Link Deco M9 which has been quite good and isn't much expensive (I'm running on wired backhaul, mind you). You could get a two pack and place them across the apartment to try it out, and then add more units if needed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fenix2:
    Actually it has not been felt yet, but in the router space there is a major change happening, the tp-links of the world are going to revolutionise the IP networks. I think you guys are going to love what it will do for you.
    Could you elaborate on what you mean by this? Interested to hear what the major change is going to be.

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