best setup for me - need advice

[jgranto]

Hi, I am hoping to get some advice as to what will best suit my needs.

My current situation is that I have an ASUS RT-AC5300 as my main unit and an ASUS RT-AC66U configured as a media bridge. Both use stock (current) firmware.

Connected to the RT-AC66U via RJ45 are my TiVo, receiver, PS3, etc. It is dedicated to the home theater and has a 1300Mbit wireless connection with the RT-AC5300. I need good bandwidth so that streaming and gaming will be flawless, and the RT-AC66U has worked admirably.

I also have an ADT home security system that does IP over power for the camera. Nothing else uses this network, it is purely for ADT, set up by ADT, etc. I have a small box connected to the RT-AC5300, but other than that, I have no idea what's what with their system.

I am wanting better coverage in my house for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz and want to consider a mesh system. My home is 2400 square feet, all one floor, and I would like wireless to work in the garage and patio.

The Netgear Orbi seems like one good solution, as does the Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD, but I am open to whatever would suit me best and be most future-proof. I want to keep the network design of having a bridge for the home theater where all the home theater devices are hard wired into the bridge and then use a high bandwidth wireless connection for connectivity. I am open to all recommendations.

Perhaps I would just keep the RT-AC66U and just add a mesh around it? Perhaps I should replace the RT-AC66U with the RT-AC5300 as the bridge and use it? I doubt AiMesh would work with other meshes, but perhaps Merlin has some options of which I am unaware?

I know I could just add an extender, and I am open to that. I like the idea of the mesh, with everything centralized, but perhaps an extender is best? If so, which one(s) would are best for 2.4GHz and 5GHz?

I appreciate your advice and expertise. Thanks!

 

[degrub]

WHat other wiring is available - RG6 ?

Since you are single story, why not run new CAT6 to your users through the attic and avoid the wireless link ? Much more reliable.

MESH will only slow the system down as you have multiple hops unless you put in an ethernet backbone and connect the APs directly to it. Kind of defeats the idea of mesh, but you will get the best wireless connections on 5GHZ and 2.4 GHz (under reduced power to avoid significant overlap).

 

[Easy Rhino]

Just trying to figure out the geometry, are the garage and patio in different places than your current two routers? And separate from each other? In other words, you'd need two additional units to cover them?

Agree with degrub that you'll get the best performance from using some kind of wiring (Ethernet, coax, maybe even powerline).

However if you're looking wireless only, and get a mesh system, you'd probably basically throw away your current bridge setup (you could keep the 5300 as your main router and use the mesh's as as access points). And then you'd probably look for a satellite where you could plug in a cheap Ethernet switch for your media center.

If you want to keep your current units, and performance needs in the garage/patio are minimal, you could get some really inexpensive extenders.