Wifi Networks - What do you use?

Hardware
1

I can’t remember a real topic dedicated to this in the recent past.

My daughter was asking me earlier about whether it would make the internet less laggy on her XBox if she bought an additional Eero for her bedroom.

Neither of my daughters understands or cares what the difference is between the internet and our in home Wifi. If something doesn’t work it’s the internet that’s not working. :laughing:

Up until 5 years ago (almost to the day), I had an Airport Extreme and Airport Express, and on a bit of a whim, I bought a set of 3 Eeros (Pre Amazon) and installed them. Since then we’ve not had a problem, they’ve been absolutely rock solid, nothing is beyond the Wifi Network (One of my daughters would regularly end up using her Cellular data in her bedroom on the Airports) and we have 46 devices currently or recently attached.

All this with an internet connection which provides a measly 73mbps (unfortunately we can’t get fibre to the home :face_with_peeking_eye:) luckily our Internet provider (Zen Internet) is top notch.

What Wifi kit do you use at home and how does it fare?

2

Ethernet. This is the gaming way :wink:

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3

Ubiquiti unifi. When upgrading my old Apple airport gear I wanted something that gave me the ability to dig in and set up multiple ipv4 & ipv6 subnets. Great performance and decent security tools built right into the software.

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4

I have have a multi story house so am using 3 Eero Pro 6E units with wired back haul and an (unmanaged at the moment) Gigabit Ethernet switch on each one to allow as many devices as possible to be wired.

If I were to move away from Eero, I’d likely go with Ubiquity Unifi gear.

5

This is the only right answer, I tried all the mesh setup, almost All of them. Unifi is the answer. Can’t beat cabled network.

6

Eero Pro 2nd gen + Ethernet. Netgear switches on two of the routers.

I need to upgrade at some point but I’m hoping they last a few more years. I get 200-500mbps down from Internet, depending on device, so no rush.

We are very light on IoT so guest network isolation has been fine for the few less trusted items.

7

One three year old eero 6.

8

I agree, that’s definitely optimal , but…

If there is not a cabled infrastructure like in a normal home, wifi is a very good second these days, especially when many devices do not have wired connections.

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9

I’m using Eero Pro 6 that are hardwired to each other. Most everything in a fixed location is wired with Cat6 cable - Apple TVs, iMacs, printer, and Mac Mini. Wi-Fi is mainly used by portable devices and IoT products.

10

Synology WRX560.

Has allowed me to set VLAN’s for my guest/IOT network and main network to keep the separate, but I can access my guest network.

Now I work from home, I’ve been debating on moving to Eero or Unifi - but that was due to some teething issues with the new laptop, which seemed to run in to issues with provided dock and ethernet connection, but that seems to have sorted itself out now, so I’m not sure I will move away from it - not enitrely sure my wife would like the idea of UniFi AP’s in the house mounted anywhere.

11

I went from an AirPort Extreme to Ubiquity UniFi AP, just one covers our home (one story ranch house) and its entire 1/4 acre lot. Both of these worked flawlessly, which I cannot say for the gear supplied by the ISPs. I considered multiple APs but one ones sufficient.

2 Likes
12

Strictly speaking you mean WIRED Ethernet as WiFi routers use Ethernet protocols. The difference is the physical connection.

13

Er no, Ethernet is only wired

14

I used to run Eero but I found it way too finicky with my IOT devices. And we would get weird dropouts even on our phones and iPads. I used random Netgear ones for a while but now just use the WiFi routers that come with my Fios service. They work reasonably well.

When I am done moving and settle into a house for more than a few years, I intend to pay whatever silly prices I need to have Ethernet run throughout the house. I’m so tired of WiFi. Haha

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15

I’m constantly carrying my iPad around the house. I’d get tired of having to move its cable from room to room. :wink:

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16

Not according to the original University of Hawaii invention; they used radio to connect sites on the various islands.

17

That may be true, but any non-standards based person would expect the term Ethernet to relate to a wired connection.

Having worked in IT and now working in Compliance, I’ve never heard anyone refer to a WiFi or wireless connection as Ethernet.

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18

Fair, fair. :joy:

But if I can get my computer, TV, Xbox, Sonos, etc on ethernet, it really clears up my wifi quite a bit.

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19

I had my ISP turn off WiFi on their provided router (Bell Canada Fibe). Once that abomination was gone, I bought two Ubiquiti access points and plugged them in via my house hardwired ethernet ports (we were provided 5 around the home by the builder, should have put in 20). The AP’s provide the WiFi to my house and both are hardwired into the router.

I see people in my area complaining of poor WiFi. We all have 2500++ sq/ft homes and the ISP’s install their routers in the basement corner. Some of them (Bell included) sell these sketchy “extenders” that you plug into the wall for $5 a month.

People complain about poor signal but are a) opposed to a wire of any kind, even though they’re already in their houses and b) don’t want to put in 20 mins of research to come up with another way.

Now to be fair, the first time I plugged a router into my cable modem I was lost so I’m likely not realizing how intimidating this stuff is for someone who doesn’t nerd out regularly.

5 Likes
20

Switched to the tp-link Deco x55 a couple of years ago. The extra mesh points are connected via ethernet. most devices are wired outside of iPads and iPhones. Would like to upgrade to Ubiquity but these have been rock solid.