Whole Home Wifi questions - best hardware?

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Looking to help a friend with setting up Wi-Fi in his new home, approx 2500 sq ft. Has plans to build a second building (not too far away) at some point where he'd like coverage as well.

I'm stuck whether to go with a nest system or a single Wi-Fi router located centrally. The nest systems are obscenely expensive, especially in Wifi 6 (AX) form, which he'd like to have for future proofing. Like the nest idea for simplicity, same SSID across the whole house/property.

Curious if the single router solution would offer comparable performance / range in a house this size.

The house has wired ethernet to pretty much every room, so the only devices connecting via Wi-Fi are cell phones and such that can't connect via ethernet. Do the nest systems have the capability of plugging the satellites into ethernet, so that they can be extended further away from the main router without signal issues?
 
Sounds like you would benefit from a setup with Access Points. Get a regular router, disable the WiFi (or buy a firewall that doesn't have WiFi) and a number of Aruba Instant ON AP's to provide your wireless. Cheap, cloud managed and handles seamless roaming between AP's for the clients, just require a PoE switch and ethernet.
 
"Best" is subjective at best.

A house that size is very hard to cover with one access point. To get great coverage with 5Ghz you'll probably need three, but two strategically placed might work. Why 5Ghz? Much higher throughput with lower latency and much less interference than what you'll get in the 2.4Ghz spectrum. However, you'll need to run both A/AC (5Ghz) and N/B/G (2.4Ghz), so any AP you select will have to be dual radio. The second building will need its own AP.

My opinion is that extenders/repeaters should be avoided for many reasons. There really is no substitute for multiple APs. Take a look a Ubiquiti, which I've used extensively and know they work very well. The cloud key makes the whole solution manageable from a phone/browser wherever you might be.

The Pro APs land in the middle to lower Ubiquiti price range and are great APs. Since there is Ethernet to every room, you can plug the AP in and go. The mesh works, but every hop from the root doubles the latency and halves the throughput, wired is best.

 
Sounds like you would benefit from a setup with Access Points. Get a regular router, disable the WiFi (or buy a firewall that doesn't have WiFi) and a number of Aruba Instant ON AP's to provide your wireless. Cheap, cloud managed and handles seamless roaming between AP's for the clients, just require a PoE switch and ethernet.

My concern with using multiple access points (which crossed my mind) was that I thought they had to be each configured with a different network SSID. Is this not right? Do the Aruba Instant ON's communicate with each other and hand off the device to the AP with the best signal automatically?
 
My concern with using multiple access points (which crossed my mind) was that I thought they had to be each configured with a different network SSID
Nope - auto roaming is a feature of enterprise (non-consumer) WiFi controllers. You will enjoy roaming seamlessly from AP to AP as you leave the coverage of one and enter the coverage of another on the same SSID.
 
Nope - auto roaming is a feature of enterprise (non-consumer) WiFi controllers. You will enjoy roaming seamlessly from AP to AP as you leave the coverage of one and enter the coverage of another on the same SSID.

What happens if you take more than one router (standard consumer grade, the ones beyond the first set up as access points) and use the same SSID? Does this configuration not work? This question is more curiosity than anything, the enterprise Wi-Fi access points seem like they'll do the trick nicely in this situation.
 
I use TP-Link Omada devices in my house.

I have one in the house, one outside, and one in my detached garage 125' from my house. They broadcast the same SSIDs, and my family's devices roam among the three, seamlessly being handed off when appropriate.

They're controlled by an application that I host in a tiny VM on one of my computers. You can also purchase a separate device to do the managing if you don't want to fool with installing the application on your own. All three are hardwired.

It works great.
 
What happens if you take more than one router (standard consumer grade, the ones beyond the first set up as access points) and use the same SSID? Does this configuration not work? This question is more curiosity than anything, the enterprise Wi-Fi access points seem like they'll do the trick nicely in this situation.
I’ve done it, but I noticed is some devices are hesitant to jump off one router and onto the one with the stronger signal.
 
my home setup (~2000 square ft ranch) is 2 consumer grade netgear routers These N900's, Running DD-WRT.
Same SSID on both, positioned on opposite ends of the house. (had weak signal issues in the bedrooms at the opposite end from the office where the modem/primary router is)
the trick is to turn off the 2nd Routers DHCP Server function, and set the second routers IP address with the primary's range (ie: if the primary is set up as 192.168.2.1, it can assign addresses 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.99 to devices attached to it. assign an address in that range to the second router, like 192.168.2.50 )
in my situation there isn't an established structural wired network in the house, so i have a 50 ft cat5e patch cable running through the basement between the 2 routers.

this article (from 2016) is basically what I've been using at the house since around 2010.. back then with a pair of WRG614's:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-an-old-wi-fi-router-into-an-access-point/
 
A mesh system is the best. They connect to each other optimally over ethernet(you have) and are really good at allowing device to handoff signal from one mesh point to another.

I found two routers with same SSID it ends up stuck with a single router even if wifi signal is weak further router and does not hand off to stronger nearby router as you move. My family became so much happier on mesh with their Smartphones and tablets.
 
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What happens if you take more than one router (standard consumer grade, the ones beyond the first set up as access points) and use the same SSID? Does this configuration not work? This question is more curiosity than anything, the enterprise Wi-Fi access points seem like they'll do the trick nicely in this situation.

You don't get the graceful hand-off between devices in that configuration or the smart roaming so you'll find devices get "sticky" hanging on to the far AP when it should have roamed to the closer one.
 
My concern with using multiple access points (which crossed my mind) was that I thought they had to be each configured with a different network SSID. Is this not right? Do the Aruba Instant ON's communicate with each other and hand off the device to the AP with the best signal automatically?

As Wayne said, no, that's completely at odds with how you'd want Enterprise AP's to work. You have your SSID's that are consistent across all the AP's (typically) and the AP's roam the clients between them based on signal strength. This way you don't get "drops" when the client moves.

I recommended the Aruba instant ON AP's because they are extremely cost effective and don't require a separate controller. I've used them extensively at smaller installs where cost has been a concern and have had excellent service from them. A decent firewall, PoE switch and 2 or 3 of those AP's will net you a very nice setup at a reasonable cost. In your shoes I'd shop around and see if I could find a used SonicWall, WatchGuard or some other security appliance on the cheap that could be fitted to the firewall role. You could also spin-up a PFSense unit like I detailed in another thread with JHZR2.
 
Thanks for the suggestions to all who responded. I went with three Aruba AP22 access points and a 24 port PoE switch. I will likely use the Spectrum (cable company) router to handle routing / DHCP / firewall with Wifi functions disabled, unless there is some reason not to. I'm pretty sure the router is owned, not leased.

I assume the Aruba units are set-up / managed through an app once connected to the access point? I think they'll work out well, seems to be the most cost effective way to get into 802.11ax without going with a single router solution.
 
Thanks for the suggestions to all who responded. I went with three Aruba AP22 access points and a 24 port PoE switch. I will likely use the Spectrum (cable company) router to handle routing / DHCP / firewall with Wifi functions disabled, unless there is some reason not to. I'm pretty sure the router is owned, not leased.

I assume the Aruba units are set-up / managed through an app once connected to the access point? I think they'll work out well, seems to be the most cost effective way to get into 802.11ax without going with a single router solution.

Those will fit the bill quite nicely!

to setup: Install the app on your phone. Be near the AP. Once it is plugged in and powered on it goes into a "setup" state where the app will see it and you can create the network. Subsequent AP's are setup the same way, but simply added to your existing network. VERY straight forward and quick to do. The app will walk you through the process.
 
Looking to help a friend with setting up Wi-Fi in his new home, approx 2500 sq ft. Has plans to build a second building (not too far away) at some point where he'd like coverage as well.

I'm stuck whether to go with a nest system or a single Wi-Fi router located centrally. The nest systems are obscenely expensive, especially in Wifi 6 (AX) form, which he'd like to have for future proofing. Like the nest idea for simplicity, same SSID across the whole house/property.

Curious if the single router solution would offer comparable performance / range in a house this size.

The house has wired ethernet to pretty much every room, so the only devices connecting via Wi-Fi are cell phones and such that can't connect via ethernet. Do the nest systems have the capability of plugging the satellites into ethernet, so that they can be extended further away from the main router without signal issues?

We have a 3000 sq ft house and you are correct, a properly set up router will easily do the house if properly placed in a central location.
Best of all it will be most reliable. I have used a TPlink c7 ac 1700 for years now, covers the whole house easily and I can still pull 100Mbps on the 5ghz band in our second floor office, router centrally placed on the main floor. (we have 100mbps service but pull up to 115 or so)
We have around 20 wifi devices if not more and this router handles them all.
With that said, its older now and I am getting ready to replace, only for the sake of sooner or later it has to fail, its been so many years, maybe around 5years or so, running 24 hours a day, never needs a reset..

Last Christmas I bought my daughter what I consider as an update to this router for her home and this is what I will be replacing my current router with. She loves it and her boyfriend is a gamer and really impressed as well.
Cant beat the price either ... https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-a9/
Can be bought for as low as $70, nothing to lose, if you dont like it someday throw it out but he never will, its better then spending $170 to $270 for something he may think is better.
(all the above is based on my assumption that his internet speed is less then 500 Mbps, though even above that this is still good but might looking into something more at that point)
Forget the "garage thing" for now, by the time he builds it or IF he ever does there are many options he could consider, but right now at $70 he cant go wrong and IF that garage ever gets built he may find a simple power line adapter with wifi plugged into the TPlink is best and that is only if needed.
 
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We have a 3000 sq ft house and you are correct, a properly set up router will easily do the house if properly placed in a central location.
Best of all it will be most reliable. I have used a TPlink c7 ac 1700 for years now, covers the whole house easily and I can still pull 100Mbps on the 5ghz band in our second floor office, router centrally placed on the main floor. (we have 100mbps service but pull up to 115 or so)
We have around 20 wifi devices if not more and this router handles them all.
With that said, its older now and I am getting ready to replace, only for the sake of sooner or later it has to fail, its been so many years, maybe around 5years or so, running 24 hours a day, never needs a reset..

Last Christmas I bought my daughter what I consider as an update to this router for her home and this is what I will be replacing my current router with. She loves it and her boyfriend is a gamer and really impressed as well.
Cant beat the price either ... https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-a9/
Can be bought for as low as $70, nothing to lose, if you dont like it someday throw it out but he never will, its better then spending $170 to $270 for something he may think is better.
(all the above is based on my assumption that his internet speed is less then 500 Mbps, though even above that this is still good but might looking into something more at that point)
Forget the "garage thing" for now, by the time he builds it or IF he ever does there are many options he could consider, but right now at $70 he cant go wrong and IF that garage ever gets built he may find a simple power line adapter with wifi plugged into the TPlink is best and that is only if needed.

Might have benefited from reading the thread. He bought several Aruba Instant On AP's already with a PoE switch.
 
Price wasn't really a factor (within reason) for this particular install.

My own house is about 2000 sq. ft. and I have dead spots in my main floor bathroom, garage and one side of the basement. I use a Linksys WRT3200ACM which is fairly top tier, but not optimally located due to wiring constraints in the house (where my fiber comes in and lack of ethernet to a central location.)

The three access points are probably a bit overkill and I could have possibly gone with a single router or even two APs, but I didn't want to chance it. One of those better to do it right the first time, then to have to do it again. Whole property should be covered with a strong signal.
 
So he has ethernet in every room, that's enough to go with one router then an access point, or play around with where to put the router and see if he can get away with just one router and no access point. Nest IMO is overpriced and you can do better than that with most other routers (i.e. ASUS). Personally I don't think it is worth future proofing as there will always be newer chipset coming out and older ones obsolete. Just upgrade as you go and retire the old router as access point further down the house and retire the oldest of them all, for example.

Some setup will work as a mesh without being different SSID. I know when I had TP Link Archer C7 (router) + RE220 (AP) + PA 8010 (powerline), it automatically recognized them together and form a mesh. However when I replace C7 with C8 it doesn't do that anymore. If you go with a particular brand's mesh system you can expect them to work as a mesh, even with ethernet in between them.
 
The price for most modern AX routers are $200 on up to $600 or more. I think the three AP access points working together for $450 is a fair deal. This is one of those people that are picky and WILL find a dead/slow spot if it exists. I want to set it up and be done, not go back and re-position a router. I've done a lot of wireless setups and with a large homes a single router always leaves some area (often the driveway, basement, etc.) with subpar or nonexistant service, even if you have it located in an ideal spot. Again, cost not a concern here, so while he might get away with a low cost solution, it makes no sense to pinch pennies.
 
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