Asus vs Unifi vs ?

[ddrum2000]

I'm looking to upgrade my home network. Currently, I have:

1. An Netgear Orbi RBR 50 (router and one satellite) connected with a 2.5 Gbps MoCA/ethernet backhaul
2. My internet connection is 1Gbps cable
3. I live in a 3 floor ~2100 sqft town house built in 2011 (drywall not plaster). The router with AP is on the 3rd floor in the home office and the satellite is on the 1st floor in the living area. Currently we have no coverage issues on the 2nd floor. Also we live in the city so I can see ~25 available wifi access points just at a quick glance.
4. I think I have Cat5e run throughout the home for phone but none of it is terminated. If I really wanted to make this into a project I would complete the full wiring and termination BUT we may not live here forever so it seems like more expense then its worth at the moment if we may not take it with us
5. I have a small NAS system that I would like to use 2.5Gbps if possible but 1Gbps is acceptable pending other recommendations

I have been juggling a few different ideas for an upgrade (in no particular order):

1. Asus Expertwifi - greater firmware capabilities then I currently have but limited to 1 Gbps and Wifi 6. This price seems quite good though
2. Zenwifi - Seems like the easiest 1 to 1 upgrade from my current Orbi AND most versatile to take with me if I was to move and then rent for a while. Does not seem to have access to the Merlin firmware though
3. Asus routers with AIMesh - seems a little less straightforward than Zenwifi in terms of combining hardware but there is Merlin firmware support
4. Unifi - I've heard good things and done some online reading but I have no experience with it
5. Does the 6GHz band or Wifi 7 help me out in any way living in city in the US?

I think for the time being I'd probably stick with primary router/AP on the 3rd floor and the MoCa connected satellite on the 1st floor unless there seemed to be a strong reason to change this. My current router/satellite is 9 yrs old so in an upgrade I'd like to do some amount of future proofing if possible. The target price range $500-600 USD but I can spend more I am convinced it makes sense in my context. If you think there are other products I should consider then I open to suggestions.

Thanks ahead of time for your recommendations!

 

[Tech9]

If I really wanted to make this into a project I would complete the full wiring and termination BUT we may not live here forever so it seems like more expense then its worth at the moment if we may not take it with us

With no Ethernet infrastructure, you are renting or moving in near future - stay with consumer products and dedicated backhaul mesh. No SMB equipment offers dedicated backhaul including lower cost Omada/UniFi. If you have no issues with your current equipment - save your money, plan a new network when you move. Perhaps Wi-Fi 7 products will be cheaper and better then. Your Orbi set is older model indeed, but still capable and perhaps good enough for your needs. Don't expect "Wow!" difference in user experience $500-600 later. Don't invest in speed test numbers and don't overpay for consumer hardware with futureproofing ideas. Good luck!

 

[user114514]

Asus' WiFi7 is mostly based on the outdated Broadcom platform, which results in poor performance (in any aspect).
Unifi's WiFi7 is based on Qualcomm IPQ9570, so it's way ahead in performance. And Unifi offers some fancy features that Asus doesn't have, such as Proxy ARP, basic rate control, multi-SSID-VLAN mapping, etc. You can think of it as a "civilian" alternative to Cisco's enterprise AP.
Asus can't compete with Unifi at all in terms of wireless performance and features, and none of the enhancements provided by the Merlin firmware have anything to do with wireless.
So the choice depends on whether you want a professional wireless AP or an all-around mediocre router.

6GHz and WiFi7 make sense anyway, even if you only have 1Gbps. Many idiots claim they are gimmicks because they don't understand how WiFi works at all, and think that 5.8Gbps is the real throughput, without considering the basic facts that the actual speed of WiFi is usually less than a quarter of its peak due to modem overhead, channel interference, signal attenuation, and all users sharing the total wireless throughput capacity.
Idiots think 11ax 80MHz is good enough for Gigabit networks, in fact you can barely get 900Mbps with 11ax 80MHz only at very close distances, whereas with 11be 320MHz and HBS MLO you can always get a stable 1Gbps, no matter how far or near and interference.

 

[Tech9]

Asus routers with AIMesh - seems a little less straightforward than Zenwifi in terms of combining hardware but there is Merlin firmware support

Asus AiMesh is closed source and available in Asuswrt-Merlin "as is", unchanged. There is no custom firmware improvements in AiMesh and most people run Asuswrt-Merlin on the main router only with stock Asuswrt on the nodes. If you want to try Asus with AiMesh - get 2x RT-AX88U Pro or GT-AX6000 routers. They are one of the most popular models around, the same units will ensure compatibility, the firmware will be the same and updated at the same time. Both often come on sale price. Skip ZenWiFi and ExpertWiFi series - the same or very close hardware products running the same or slightly modified Asuswrt with the same AiMesh. Different marketing products.

 

[tgl]

I think you need to think more carefully about what you're hoping to get out of this upgrade. Yeah, the RBR50 is a bit dated, but it won't help to update to spiffier newer wifi gear unless your wifi clients are pretty new. You didn't say what devices are on your wifi today, so it's hard to give specific advice.

As a general comment, the 6GHz band can be a big win for people in wifi-dense neighborhoods, because there's much less traffic/interference there. And that will continue to be true even when your neighbors acquire 6GHz gear, because of its shorter range: there are simply fewer neighbors who are close enough to create 6GHz interference. You get this benefit with either wifi 6E or wifi 7 gear, and I'm personally of the opinion that for most home networks wifi 7 doesn't bring huge benefits on top of what 6E will do for you. But it's all moot unless you've got clients that can do 6E or 7. I also need to point out that while you may have okay coverage of the second floor in the 5GHz band, that won't necessarily work as nicely for 6GHz --- shorter range again. It might be fine, but you should be prepared for the possibility that you'll need a third AP to get decent 6GHz coverage on the middle floor.

 

[ddrum2000]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm not currently interested in doing the full wiring ethernet wiring job in my current place because we may move. Having said that, I think the 2.5 Gbps MoCA backhaul would work is most rentals what we might consider moving to.

My current device list:

• ~10 computational devices (computers, tablets, phones, watches)
  • The current laptop are wifi 6 but the upgrade would be either 6E or 7 based on whart apple decides to do
• QNAP NAS w/ 2.5 Gbps port. This is used for TimeMachine backups, media server, cloud backups for Google Drive and OneDrive, and file storage
• ~40 IoT devices (smart bulbs, switches, doorbell, camera, thermostat, etc). Only a few are 5GHz compatible while most are only 2.4GHz. I think none of these devices are greater than wifi 5

My hopes for an upgrade:

• We live in a urban area so would like to incorporate 6GHz band as we acquire new devices that use real bandwidth such as the computers, phones, etc.
• I want to separate the IoT devices on to a different network for security reasons. (Best practice)
• I have a VPN subscription that I can use for place shifting and would like to setup a network where the router/gateway is a VPN client

If I understood you all correctly, it sounds like the Zenwifi and Expertwifi series don't make sense. In that case 2 x Asus Routers in AIMesh OR a Unifi Dream Router 7 and an Access point make the most sense. Would I be interpreting your responses correctly?

 

[Tech9]

Unifi Dream Router 7 and an Access point

This is a step up from consumer mesh, but will come more expensive. The matching specs to UDR7 AP is U7-Pro. For 6GHz coverage you'll need perhaps more than two APs. This means Ethernet or extra MoCA adapter. UDR7 has PoE (15W), but can't power U7-Pro (21W). Additional PoE+ injector(s) or PoE switch(es) will be needed for power and in case you need additional LAN ports on the UDR7 side and the AP(s) side. You'll go over your $500-600 budget.

UDR7 + U7-Pro + U-PoE+ is $483 already. Matching USW-Flex-2.5G-5 switches (5-port 2.5GbE, no PoE) are $49/each. Additional U7-Pro + U-PoE+ is $204. Matching PoE switch (8-port 2.5GbE + 2-port 10GbE) is USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE $199. Additional MoCA adapter on top.

I'm personally of the opinion that for most home networks wifi 7 doesn't bring huge benefits on top of what 6E will do

Your $280/each U6-Enterprise APs are on another level with 4-stream 26dBm radios and 6dBi antennas for 6GHz band.

 

[ddrum2000]

If the U7 Pro Wall had the built in switch like the U7 In-Wall I would have already made my decision go with the UDR7 and a U7 Pro Wall. The table mount option is for the U7 Pro Wall is very desirable. Is this the only wall AP that has the table mount option?

I know I mentioned the desire to add 6GHz, what are your thoughts on:

• upgrading what I have to wifi 6 based system?
• upgrading to wifi 7 w/o 6GHz?
• Forgetting about Unifi. If so, then a pair of Asus routers or are there other recommendations you can suggest?

 

[degrub]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm not currently interested in doing the full wiring ethernet wiring job in my current place because we may move. Having said that, I think the 2.5 Gbps MoCA backhaul would work is most rentals what we might consider moving to.

My current device list:

• ~10 computational devices (computers, tablets, phones, watches)
  • The current laptop are wifi 6 but the upgrade would be either 6E or 7 based on whart apple decides to do
• QNAP NAS w/ 2.5 Gbps port. This is used for TimeMachine backups, media server, cloud backups for Google Drive and OneDrive, and file storage
• ~40 IoT devices (smart bulbs, switches, doorbell, camera, thermostat, etc). Only a few are 5GHz compatible while most are only 2.4GHz. I think none of these devices are greater than wifi 5

My hopes for an upgrade:

• We live in a urban area so would like to incorporate 6GHz band as we acquire new devices that use real bandwidth such as the computers, phones, etc.
• I want to separate the IoT devices on to a different network for security reasons. (Best practice)
• I have a VPN subscription that I can use for place shifting and would like to setup a network where the router/gateway is a VPN client

If I understood you all correctly, it sounds like the Zenwifi and Expertwifi series don't make sense. In that case 2 x Asus Routers in AIMesh OR a Unifi Dream Router 7 and an Access point make the most sense. Would I be interpreting your responses correctly?

Do realize that 6GHz band is intended for in-room usage only i.e. a large conference room or family room rather than spanning a residence ? it has a hard time getting through one wall without loosing a lot of signal strength. 5Ghz bands are a little better depending on wall construction and materials. So, ideally, you would place one 5 or 6GHz AP in each room and adjust the transmit power to minimize overlap with other radios. And then there are the client devices.....

 

[degrub]

If the U7 Pro Wall had the built in switch like the U7 In-Wall I would have already made my decision go with the UDR7 and a U7 Pro Wall. The table mount option is for the U7 Pro Wall is very desirable. Is this the only wall AP that has the table mount option?

I know I mentioned the desire to add 6GHz, what are your thoughts on:

• upgrading what I have to wifi 6 based system?
• upgrading to wifi 7 w/o 6GHz?
• Forgetting about Unifi. If so, then a pair of Asus routers or are there other recommendations you can suggest?

WIFI 6 is the sweet spot if you can use the higher link rates. Most client devices don't need more than 100 Mbit/s link rate to maintina acceptable service . you need minimal interference from neighbors and other APs or wifi routers in the house. If you use wifi backhaul instead of ethernet or ethernet over power or coax, look for models that support a dedicated radio in the repeater and the master to get the best possible wifi connection. Otherwise, all the clients and the wifi backhaul are competing for the same air time reducing the bandwidth of the uplink.

 

[ddrum2000]

Thanks all. I do realize that 6GHz has a hard time penetrating walls and would not expect to have good 6GHz service on the second floor. Having said that, I currently get fine 5GHz signal on the second floor (with APs on the 1st and 3rd floor).

One option I had considered recognizing that I probably don't need 6 GHz on the third floor is a RT-BE88U for the main router on the 3rd floor and a RT-BE92U as a satellite on the 1st where the 6GHz is most likely to be used. Adds some of the benefits of wifi 7 7 and the 2.5Gbps switching without paying extra for 6GHz where I am least likely to use it.

Another option would then be the UDR7 (for future proofing) and the U7 In Wall though I'd like to find a way to put it on a stand like Ubiquiti sells for the U7 Pro Wall.

OR are you just saying that I should look to wifi 6/6E hardware with a large number streams and call it a day?