Looking for a new set of mesh routers

[johntitor]

Hi, long time lurker and first time poster. Kinda hung around here since I was a kid lurking but haven't bought a router in years (ac68u was my last onenaround release), because I was working at an ISP and got a bunch set of eeros free (1x 2nd gen pro and 2 beacons).

Now I no longer work for the isp and well I'm no longer happy with wirleess speeds. I have my eeros lined up on each floor long the back wall of the house (pro and modem at the top), but I know the pro is putting out decent speeds but the beecons are meh.

I pay for a gigabit speeds and wanna get atleast closer to that but throughout the house on a hole. Considering doing a wired backhaul by using moca and relocating the modem to the basement to help.

With routers being so expensive these days what's a good bang for the buck option around these days.

Prices are so high I'm almost tempted by ubiquiti stuff. Located in Canada

I assume ax88u as a main and ax68u as nodes will be the recommendation though

 

[L&LD]

The RT-AX88U is simply too old today to recommend. And while the RT-AX68U is an excellent entry-level AX class router, I don't think it will match your needs long-term (won't hurt to test them though, if you can).

What is recommended are the RT-AX86U, and (highly recommended), the better-balanced (hardware) GT-AX6000 instead. You'll have the best chance of getting those 1Gbps speeds everywhere with the latter.

You missed most of the sales today (don't buy anything not on sale), but you can wait for the next sale too.

 

[johntitor]

The RT-AX88U is simply too old today to recommend. And while the RT-AX68U is an excellent entry-level AX class router, I don't think it will match your needs long-term (won't hurt to test them though, if you can).

What is recommended are the RT-AX86U, and (highly recommended), the better-balanced (hardware) GT-AX6000 instead. You'll have the best chance of getting those 1Gbps speeds everywhere with the latter.

You missed most of the sales today (don't buy anything not on sale), but you can wait for the next sale too.

Actually i was just eyeing the AX6000, its on sale in Canada at bestbuy for $429 vs $499. Not the best price but we still have boxing day coming up.

If i wanted too mesh it (3000sq ft home over 3 floors) would you recommend getting 3 ax6000 ?

I'm planning on trying to hard wire, I can get basement and main floor wired, but the top floor i may need to use mocha to reach.

 

[L&LD]

3,000 SqFt over three floors is a 1,000 SqFt area for a router. Depending on the construction of the walls/floors, of course.

I would only recommend more than two routers in wired backhaul AiMesh mode only if experimenting warranted that setup.

I would have one router on the second floor (closest to the most used area for itself and the third floor above it), and one router on the first floor, with wired backhaul.

AiMesh Ideal Placement

 

[johntitor]

3,000 SqFt over three floors is a 1,000 SqFt area for a router. Depending on the construction of the walls/floors, of course.

I would only recommend more than two routers in wired backhaul AiMesh mode only if experimenting warranted that setup.

I would have one router on the second floor (closest to the most used area for itself and the third floor above it), and one router on the first floor, with wired backhaul.

AiMesh Ideal Placement

I think the fun part of my houses lay out is, the house isn't wired for ethernet exactly. Alot of the wireless stuff is going to be on the second and third floor, but all the wired stuff is on the third floor.

 

[L&LD]

You may want to consider the following information too and adapt it to your use.

How Can I Get a Gigabit Connection In Every Room?

I have a gigabit connection and an old house without any ethernet wiring. It'll take a few months before I can get it wired, so what's a good temporary solution? I have some money to spend and my current setup consists of three Asus XT8s and one Asus router. The house is 3500 square feet and...

www.snbforums.com

 

[johntitor]

You may want to consider the following information too and adapt it to your use.

How Can I Get a Gigabit Connection In Every Room?

I have a gigabit connection and an old house without any ethernet wiring. It'll take a few months before I can get it wired, so what's a good temporary solution? I have some money to spend and my current setup consists of three Asus XT8s and one Asus router. The house is 3500 square feet and...

www.snbforums.com

Haven't had the best performance with powerline, i'd probably experiment with Moca first

 

[johntitor]

How are the ax82u? https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09V6W4W1B/?tag=smallncom-20 seems cheap albeit dual band and not triband

 

[L&LD]

I don't recommend the RT-AX82U.

And I didn't suggest PLA either.

 

[johntitor]

I don't recommend the RT-AX82U.

And I didn't suggest PLA either.

Oh whoops misread that top bit, you were suggesting media bridges. Currently experimenting that with my old ac68u funny enough

 

[johntitor]

Actually i was just eyeing the AX6000, its on sale in Canada at bestbuy for $429 vs $499. Not the best price but we still have boxing day coming up.

If i wanted too mesh it (3000sq ft home over 3 floors) would you recommend getting 3 ax6000 ?

I'm planning on trying to hard wire, I can get basement and main floor wired, but the top floor i may need to use mocha to reach.

how about thoughts on ax6000 vs axe11000. The price gap isn't too huge

 

[tgl]

3,000 SqFt over three floors is a 1,000 SqFt area for a router. Depending on the construction of the walls/floors, of course.

I would have one router on the second floor (closest to the most used area for itself and the third floor above it), and one router on the first floor, with wired backhaul.

My place might be roughly comparable to @johntitor's: it's three floors, ~1000 sq ft per floor. Plus it's WW1 vintage, heavy wooden floors, brick exterior walls, wood-lath-and-plaster interior walls, not terribly WiFi friendly. I've had decent success with placing two APs on opposite sides of the second floor. I don't see maxed-out 1200Mbps Tx rate on my laptop unless I'm in the same room with one of the APs, but I get pretty creditable 700-900Mbps readings everywhere inside the house, and usable WiFi outside on the south porch and north patio. I don't feel a need for a third AP.

 

[L&LD]

how about thoughts on ax6000 vs axe11000. The price gap isn't too huge

It's not (just) about the price. Nothing I've read about the current AXE routers, including the GT-AXE16000, is making me want to even try them. Don't forget, they are Gen 1 designs. To be quickly followed up by either Gen 2, or worse, replaced by WiFi 7 (or better) within their lifespan. I don't have that kind of money to throw around (simply testing new products), but even if I did, I wouldn't. Again; nothing available shows them to be hugely superior (except if you really need the faster ports, and at that price range, I wouldn't be looking at consumer equipment anymore). They are actually inferior in stability, from all the information I have right now. (Asus is actively working to fix known issues since release).

As I've already stated, the GT-AX6000 may be an ugly router, but it is also the most hardware balance router with the highest performance possible at the cheapest price (when on sale) today. It is going to take a mighty impressive router to knock this one out, for the bang-for-the-buck crowd (of which I am one). And except for some niche use cases, today's other, more expensive, examples are not good enough for me to spend the money they demand on them. At least not for the mostly theoretical improvements they promise today.

 

[johntitor]

It's not (just) about the price. Nothing I've read about the current AXE routers, including the GT-AXE16000, is making me want to even try them. Don't forget, they are Gen 1 designs. To be quickly followed up by either Gen 2, or worse, replaced by WiFi 7 (or better) within their lifespan. I don't have that kind of money to throw around (simply testing new products), but even if I did, I wouldn't. Again; nothing available shows them to be hugely superior (except if you really need the faster ports, and at that price range, I wouldn't be looking at consumer equipment anymore). They are actually inferior in stability, from all the information I have right now. (Asus is actively working to fix known issues since release).

As I've already stated, the GT-AX6000 may be an ugly router, but it is also the most hardware balance router with the highest performance possible at the cheapest price (when on sale) today. It is going to take a mighty impressive router to knock this one out, for the bang-for-the-buck crowd (of which I am one). And except for some niche use cases, today's other, more expensive, examples are not good enough for me to spend the money they demand on them. At least not for the mostly theoretical improvements they promise today.

Good point, wonder how far off 7 is now. lol
But point taken gt-ax6000 ftw! Just need a good sale now. Some call it ugly but i love it lol My friend and I call it out pet

 

[johntitor]

Still holding out on sales, the ax88 is the only thing on a decent sale at $250 cad vs the gt-ax6000 at $429 vs 499. Ax 86 is sitting between at $360