WiFi Mesh with support for VLANs in AP Mode?

[NogUV]

Hi everyone,

I have a non-wireless router already (opnsense) and I'd like to know what wireless mesh systems I can use with this. (I currently have powerline, it works ok, but it taps out at 80Mbps roughly)

I would like to operate it in access point mode (AP mode, or however it's called depending on the vendor), with opnsense remaining the router. The following features is what I need, in AP mode:

1. Guest WiFi (I assume this means VLAN trunk on the WAN port to the opnsense)
2. Wireless backhaul (real Wi-Fi mesh): I cannot lay cables here, walls are anciens, 1m+ thick, I'm not drilling through that...
3. Significant speed increase compared to my current 80Mbps over powerline. (I do understand it's difficult to predict this though)
4. Very good roaming: 802.11r, 802.11k and 802.11v. And ability to "push" clients not supporting 802.11v from one AP to another AP.


Nice to have: WiFi 6, small form factor, low power consumption.

I originally looked at the Asus XT12 but it seems VLANs are not an option anymore in AP mode there.

Anyone here has a recommendation for me?

 

[AndreiV]

Access point mode means a wired connection to the router and no DHCP, firewall or other routing functions.

Your walls are too thick to drill at 1 metre , your Wifi is going to struggle.

 

[NogUV]

Access point mode means a wired connection to the router and no DHCP, firewall or other routing functions.

Well, for one of the nodes, yes, it will be wired to the home router. The other mesh nodes will operate with wireless backhaul.

As an example, Asus can do AiMesh in Access point mode.

Your walls are too thick to drill at 1 metre , your Wifi is going to struggle.

It already works with my wifi 5 powerline devices now, it's just a question of number, I have almost one per room. The difference with powerline being, backhaul is over the electrical circuit, but as I mentioned above, it max out at ~80Mbps, which I am not statisfied with anymore.

 

[coxhaus]

I Cisco 150ax APs have mesh support with VLANs. I do not use it as I believe wire is better.