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oldlady

Occasional Visitor
hi,
I think i need to redesign my setup now that I’ve added some ring cameras and doorbell. I never understood 2.4/5.8 and probably still don’t by some measures.

But I understand enough to know i need to upgrade my system or at least parts.

Currently, my internet comes into the basement. Right now the router is a TM-1900 in the basement with cat6 wired ethernet to the 4 corners of the house 1 level up.

On the main living level, I have a 68u in 1 room, as wired AP. Also an old netgear 824Nv3 in another room as a wired AP and a third old router (WP500GP or similar) running tomato as an AP in a third room.

I got the 68u after the TM1900 and since I didn’t know any better and all was well, I ran it as an AP instead of the main. Still the case because of not wanting to deal with verizon to relase the DHCP lease.

So here’s my question. I want to buy a new router. I haven’t decided between the R7800 and 86u. Either way, I’d like it on the main level but not the basement. If I make it the first connection after the cable modem, how to I get all the other wired connections to get internet? They all originate in the basement. Am I stuck leaving a router in the basement?
If so, can I put the 68u down there, turning off the wireless radio and put the new router say where the Tomato router and make that hte main wireless router.

I ultimately want a good strong signal outside for the 2.4 devices and I thought moving the router out of the basement would help.
I also have an unmanaged switch I use right now in the basement to help give wired connections to my media devices, which also originate there (tv/tivo/receiver).

Thanks
 
hi,
I think i need to redesign my setup now that I’ve added some ring cameras and doorbell. I never understood 2.4/5.8 and probably still don’t by some measures.

But I understand enough to know i need to upgrade my system or at least parts.

Currently, my internet comes into the basement. Right now the router is a TM-1900 in the basement with cat6 wired ethernet to the 4 corners of the house 1 level up.

On the main living level, I have a 68u in 1 room, as wired AP. Also an old netgear 824Nv3 in another room as a wired AP and a third old router (WP500GP or similar) running tomato as an AP in a third room.

I got the 68u after the TM1900 and since I didn’t know any better and all was well, I ran it as an AP instead of the main. Still the case because of not wanting to deal with verizon to relase the DHCP lease.

So here’s my question. I want to buy a new router. I haven’t decided between the R7800 and 86u. Either way, I’d like it on the main level but not the basement. If I make it the first connection after the cable modem, how to I get all the other wired connections to get internet? They all originate in the basement. Am I stuck leaving a router in the basement?
If so, can I put the 68u down there, turning off the wireless radio and put the new router say where the Tomato router and make that hte main wireless router.

I ultimately want a good strong signal outside for the 2.4 devices and I thought moving the router out of the basement would help.
I also have an unmanaged switch I use right now in the basement to help give wired connections to my media devices, which also originate there (tv/tivo/receiver).

Thanks

Retire the TM-1900 and Netgear 824Nv3.

Put the existing 68U as AiMesh node with wireless backhaul in the basement, wired to the media switch.

Put the new 86U as AiMesh router on the main level in the corner that best serves the front porch, the main living area, and the back deck, at the end closer to the 68U in the basement; and wired to the FIOS service box in the basement.

Place wireless routers in a central location, high, and in the clear. Beware large masonry obstacles to WiFi propagation.

Configure the 86U AiMesh for no Smart Connect and separate SSIDs for each band (because the 68U does not support Smart Connect). For example, the 86U WLANs could be OL-24, OL-24 Guest, OL-50 and OL-50 Guest; and the 68U WLANs would then be OL-24 and OL-50 (no guest WLANs on AiMesh nodes, yet). Also, separate SSIDs may better suit your IoT stuff.

The answer to your question is the AiMesh wireless backhaul; otherwise, you would have to run a second Ethernet cable from the basement to the 86U on the main level.

OE
 
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Thank you. I think i can do the same thing with the netgear (obviously not using aimesh) and pair it with the 68u, using it as a wireless bridge right to then connect to my switch and the wired devices in the basement. Is there any loss of speed doing this? I think that was why i put the main router in the basement; so that all the devices would have the max possible speed given the hardware.


I still need to keep one of the old three routers to provide a wifi signal to the camera outside in the back and also a wired connection to some things in that room (master bedroom) tivo secondary unit, tv and powershades hub.
I keep flip flopping on which router to get. The 7800 has better range with 4 2.4 antennas but the 86u is cheaper and has better vpn if i ever add that

Edit to add —the room in the back (master bedroom) actually has 2 wired runs. I wanted to keep the main router in my office in the front of the house, which has 1 wired connection. But i guess i could move it to the bedroom if I had to. Also the basement is unfinished. I suppose we could have someone drop a 2d line from my office ( i wont do that)
 
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Thank you. I think i can do the same thing with the netgear (obviously not using aimesh) and pair it with the 68u, using it as a wireless bridge right to then connect to my switch and the wired devices in the basement. Is there any loss of speed doing this? I think that was why i put the main router in the basement; so that all the devices would have the max possible speed given the hardware.


I still need to keep one of the old three routers to provide a wifi signal to the camera outside in the back and also a wired connection to some things in that room (master bedroom) tivo secondary unit, tv and powershades hub.
I keep flip flopping on which router to get. The 7800 has better range with 4 2.4 antennas but the 86u is cheaper and has better vpn if i ever add that

Edit to add —the room in the back (master bedroom) actually has 2 wired runs. I wanted to keep the main router in my office in the front of the house, which has 1 wired connection. But i guess i could move it to the bedroom if I had to. Also the basement is unfinished. I suppose we could have someone drop a 2d line from my office ( i wont do that)

I'll consider your new information while doing some chores here.

What are the dimensions of the main level and construction of the exterior walls? Too much WiFi is not a good thing.

What band does the camera connect to? The 86U will easily transmit its 2.4 GHz signal hundreds of feet. I can connect to mine at over 1000 feet away, although at a slow link rate.

OE
 
Thanks for taking an interest in our situation. The cameras are ring brand. They connect at 2.4. One in the front corner, one in theback middle and the doorbell in the front middle. We are also going to install the ring alarm, which i think also connects at 2.4. There are 2 wyze cameras inside that also use 2.4. The amazon echos are on 5 and also everything else ( iphones, ipads, laptops) i could move to 5. There are two distinct SSIDs.
The house is 40 feet wide i think, so maybe 50-60 feet long, about 2400 sq ft on the main level.
Drywall and vinyl siding.

Sounds like the 86u would be strong enough. Plus it’s less expensive.
As a sidenote, it’s a cookiecutter community and I see a lof of neighbor signals when I look at the available networks.

I downloaded fing and another app but don’t really know how to interpret the info.
I’m expecting to have to add more and more non-computer type devices over time, so I want something that can handle it.
 
Thanks for taking an interest in our situation. The cameras are ring brand. They connect at 2.4. One in the front corner, one in theback middle and the doorbell in the front middle. We are also going to install the ring alarm, which i think also connects at 2.4. There are 2 wyze cameras inside that also use 2.4. The amazon echos are on 5 and also everything else ( iphones, ipads, laptops) i could move to 5. There are two distinct SSIDs.
The house is 40 feet wide i think, so maybe 50-60 feet long, about 2400 sq ft on the main level.
Drywall and vinyl siding.

Sounds like the 86u would be strong enough. Plus it’s less expensive.
As a sidenote, it’s a cookiecutter community and I see a lof of neighbor signals when I look at the available networks.

I downloaded fing and another app but don’t really know how to interpret the info.
I’m expecting to have to add more and more non-computer type devices over time, so I want something that can handle it.

Do you use WiFi in the basement, or mostly the wired media devices?

OE
 
The basement has 3 devices:
1 can be wired or wifi, 2d is wired only, 3 is hdmi over ethernet wired to one of the 6 in-house runs (last one listed below).

So you can consider the basement all wired.with 8 required connections

6 runs for the house the originate in the basement (2 to master br, 2 to family room, 1 my office, 1 spouse’s office which is in between the doorbell and front camera).
The 6 runs are allocated as follow:
1) My office -Have to wired the Hue hub, Ooma telephone hub, and sometimes my laptop, although i think 5 g is faster than wired, which troubles me
2) spouses’s office, wired to work computer when at home working (only occasionally). Personal laptop is wifi.
3)master br requires 2 hardwired (to hunter douglass shades hub and tivo aux unit ).right now using router as access point and connecting those devices to router.one wire to basement is unused.
4)Family room, one is hard wired to tv and other is hardwired to a hdmi over ethernet device from the basement via in-wall run.

I read the aimesh review and it doesn’t sound like it’s really recommended. Even if I get another asus router I would probably still use it as an access point?

Thanks
 
The basement has 3 devices:
1 can be wired or wifi, 2d is wired only, 3 is hdmi over ethernet wired to one of the 6 in-house runs (last one listed below).

So you can consider the basement all wired.with 8 required connections

6 runs for the house the originate in the basement (2 to master br, 2 to family room, 1 my office, 1 spouse’s office which is in between the doorbell and front camera).
The 6 runs are allocated as follow:
1) My office -Have to wired the Hue hub, Ooma telephone hub, and sometimes my laptop, although i think 5 g is faster than wired, which troubles me
2) spouses’s office, wired to work computer when at home working (only occasionally). Personal laptop is wifi.
3)master br requires 2 hardwired (to hunter douglass shades hub and tivo aux unit ).right now using router as access point and connecting those devices to router.one wire to basement is unused.
4)Family room, one is hard wired to tv and other is hardwired to a hdmi over ethernet device from the basement via in-wall run.

I read the aimesh review and it doesn’t sound like it’s really recommended. Even if I get another asus router I would probably still use it as an access point?

Thanks

Lots of good detail to consider there.

AiMesh is a moving target in more ways than one. It can and does work and would leverage your existing 68U. And it does not preclude reverting to wired APs instead... so it's just another option... a mesh system option that is intended to perform better than a collection of repeaters or APs.

Back to chores...

OE
 
thanks, I'm also reading about the 2.4 g failures on the 86u. I am really leaning towards the netgear. I think I can set up the wireless access point (bridge) using that and the 68u.
 
thanks, I'm also reading about the 2.4 g failures on the 86u. I am really leaning towards the netgear. I think I can set up the wireless access point (bridge) using that and the 68u.

Netgear trolls? :) You never know these days. The thing to do when new hardware dies is to exchange it, not go online and whine about it.

I've deployed six 86Us at 4 locations since 3/2018... two AiMesh and two standalone... they work fine. Plus two 68Us at 2 locations... they work fine, too.

If you go with the Netgear, you would still make the same site layout considerations but you would be limited to the wired AP option only, i.e., no mesh.

Back to chores!

OE
 
That’s true about the same configurations without the mesh option with the netgear plus it’s $50 less for the asus. The only thing really going for the netgear is the 4 antennas for the 2.4 range and longer 2.4 range supposedly
 
That’s true about the same configurations without the mesh option with the netgear plus it’s $50 less for the asus. The only thing really going for the netgear is the 4 antennas for the 2.4 range and longer 2.4 range supposedly

As I understand it, additional antennas allow for additional simultaneous streams for more throughput, but require corresponding antennas on the wireless client. I think most wireless clients have one or two antennas... simple IoT devices may not have more than one antenna.

Ideally, you want just enough and even WiFi coverage... particularly at your neighbor's house so that his does not cause you interference (and vice-versa)... managed APs can do this. The 86U coverage spec, for example, is for a "very large home"... I have one 86U on one end of a 1650 sq. ft. ground floor covering a finished basement below and a 2nd floor above... not ideal placement but it works. A second 86U with a 77' wireless backhaul is in a 1750 sq. ft. detached garage and supplements the other end of the house. They both surround the back deck. Brick construction. I can stream media to mobile devices walking around a perimeter 200-300 ft. away from the nearest node. One of those devices is a 2.4 GHz LTE Maven 2 mobile with one antenna... it connects at 72 Mbps max.

Your problem was which router to get and where to locate it. I think you know your wired/wireless client connectivity needs and network configuration options (wired APs and wired/wireless mesh). I agree that you should put the new router on the main level where it will serve best and be convenient to manage. And it makes sense for the FIOS service and cabling hub to remain in the basement. So, the new router location will require 2 Ethernet cables... 1 up from FIOS and 1 down to the cabling hub. It sounds like you could drop another cable, if you had to.

So, I would pick a corner for the new router and an opposite corner for the 68U and see how the WiFi coverage is. A WiFi analyzer app can help assess signal power/WiFi coverage. From here, I'm thinking those corners are the family room and your office. If that covers it, then you may only need a Gigabit LAN switch (retired Gigabit router) in the master bedroom (I'm hesitant to put a router in a bedroom as that tends to be a secluded location).

Ideally, the new router location would serve WiFi to the central living area, the rear outside, and maybe even the front outside. The 68U would fill in from the other end.

I'm not familiar with your HDMI-over-Ethernet application... if you did not have this in the family room, you would then have 2 cables for a likely central-rear router location... good for guest WLANs and for directly streaming wired Internet media.

About your office cable drop... wire your laptop and check the adapter link rate speed. If it's not 1000 Mbps or 1 Gbps, determine why... PC adapter/cable/AP/cable drop/switch in basement. If you use this cable drop for a wired backhaul, you will want it to be healthy for Gigabit Ethernet.

I don't use Ooma but I use a wired 2-line OBi202 ata that is connected to the house tel wiring. And I have a second one in the garage for a phone there that communicates over the AiMesh wireless backhaul. I also have 2 Wyze Cam2s... one in the garage working over the same backhaul.

OE
 
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The Asus 86u should be arriving tonight. Will follow up in the next few days. Thanks so much for walking thru the process with me.
 
The Asus 86u should be arriving tonight. Will follow up in the next few days. Thanks so much for walking thru the process with me.

You're welcome... thanks for the case example. I hope it works out.

Update the router firmware and then perform a factory default reset before configuring it. My notes have some basic configuration suggestions. The 68U will dictate using separate SSIDs for each band as you do now. If you experience any odd client behavior, forget and re-create their WiFi connection to 'flush' any lingering client adapter conditions.

OE
 
Well, the delivery from Amazon is delayed. I’m back on the fence again, leaning toward the Netgear R7800 now. I have coax in my office and I can also drop a cable from my office to the verizon OnT/basement/the 68u location. I am honestly leaning towards a wired AP and not using AiMesh, but let’s see..
 
Well, the delivery from Amazon is delayed. I’m back on the fence again, leaning toward the Netgear R7800 now. I have coax in my office and I can also drop a cable from my office to the verizon OnT/basement/the 68u location. I am honestly leaning towards a wired AP and not using AiMesh, but let’s see..

Wired AP? +1

(You're spelling it wrong; its 'amess'). ;)
 
Wired AP? +1

Perhaps you know to comment...

If a site is wired for Ethernet such that wired APs are an option, what would provide the best AP performance in terms of even WiFi coverage, seamless roaming, and manageability (never mind initial cost now and upgrade cost later)... purpose-built APs or consumer wireless routers in AP mode?

What I'm wondering is if the later arrangement... particularly aging wireless routers in AP mode... would fall short of the best AP performance possible. And if so, should these shortcomings be considered here. And you should remove your amess hat for the moment since this concern is not about mesh or AiMesh in particular, but is about how to best implement a WLAN with APs, and if using consumer wireless routers in AP mode means accepting certain performance compromises.

OE
 

I don't understand what you want me to read? No guest network makes it seem like another knock against AiMesh.
Both routers are here now. Netgear came first and is up and running. Aside from the mesh issue, I am a little scared of the reports on 86u of 2.4 mode failing and also the R7800 is #1 on router ranker. I had to put the 68u in repeater mode to make it work to push out data to the wired devices. :/
 
I don't understand what you want me to read? No guest network makes it seem like another knock against AiMesh.
Both routers are here now. Netgear came first and is up and running. Aside from the mesh issue, I am a little scared of the reports on 86u of 2.4 mode failing and also the R7800 is #1 on router ranker. I had to put the 68u in repeater mode to make it work to push out data to the wired devices. :/

The referenced post explains the current state of guest networks on ASUS routers as they might affect you. ASUS APs broadcast guest WLANs, but those wireless clients can not be isolated from the internal LAN/WLANs, so your internal networks are not secured from guest activity (allegedly). ASUS AiMesh nodes do not yet broadcast guest WLANs, so AiMesh guest WLANs (router only) do not have this security lapse. A detail worth knowing.

This is not to knock anything. This is only to discover the pros and cons of your various options.

I have not used repeater mode enough to know all of the pros and cons vs. AP mode... except that repeater mode consumes some of the WiFi for the backhaul and leaves your Cat6 Ethernet cabling unused... and, I believe that wireless backhaul will be slower than an AiMesh wireless backhaul... perform a laptop speedtest.net wired to the repeater, and compare to the same test wired to the router, and compare to your rated ISP speeds... repeat for wireless connections... results?

I can only say that my 86U AiMesh node works much better than my N66 repeater ever did... faster/full speed wireless backhaul, single/same SSID, near seamless roaming, and central management... but somewhat an apples to oranges comparison hardware-wise.

Maybe someone here can advise you on how to wire the 68U in AP mode to the R7800.

If you had bought two 86Us and placed them at diagonal corners of your 2400 sq. ft. with dual-band Smart Connect and same SSIDs... you'd be golden! :)

OE
 
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