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Whole Home & Mesh Wi-Fi Systems:
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I'd put it straight back in the box and return it in favor of an Eero gen2 dual-band 3-pack for the same price. Vastly superior product in almost every way imaginable.
https://www.amazon.com/Google-Wifi-system-set-replacement/dp/B01MAW2294
Google's mesh WiFi system is pretty legit, I just put one in because I have two floors and plaster walls. Check the Amazon reviews, it's a highly rated item on there. Good luck with your interwebs.
Sorry, that was more a response to trooper than you. Depending on the size of your home, you could get the Archer C7 he recommends, or these deco s4. Archer for a smaller premises, s4s if larger.
for $200 you'll be limited but I would go with some out of the box setup like this eero or linksys velop system
You won't be getting WiFi 6 with either solution but your budget just doesn't cut it.
If you could go to like $500 then i would suggest something like the tp-link omada line with router/controller/APs.
> the Google Nest Wi-Fi at $150,
You're only getting a single router for $150. How many points do you want exactly? It's only a mesh if you buy at least two.
I've got an older three point eero system, from the days before amazon acquired them, and it gets the job done.
Looks like the 3 point eero pack is only $170 which is much cheaper than a 3 point Nest set.
How much square footage are you trying to cover, and how much bandwidth do you have from your ISP? If you've got >500 megabit coming into your house, you might want to consider a "wifi 6" (802.11ax) system; the cheaper systems on the market (like the eero I linked and the current Google Nest) don't support "wifi 6". A mesh with "wifi 6" support is going to be more expensive; a mesh without "wifi 6" might start feeling pretty dated in 5 years as client devices with support become more common
You already mentioned not having wires run around the house, and seeming reluctance to do so.
My easy recommendation in your exact situation is to use the eero Pro mesh system from Amazon. Extremely stable, extremely easy to set up, and they maintain themselves, so really no techie husband even required. They will provide excellent coverage, and speeds up to 200-400 Mbps everywhere, which is more than enough for any typical household, and low latency due to it's radio architecture and usage.
The 3-pack is probably going to be enough for your "C" shaped house, but if not, the great thing about mesh is how easy it is to add more coverage simply by buying another eero mesh unit.
Currently a 3-pack of eero Pros are listed at $499, but they often go on sale for $399. Given your situation, saving that $100 might not be important right now (you should have asked sooner!).
Eero Pro 3-pack, really the best mesh system IMHO, lots of exclusive features compared to other mesh systems on the market:
https://www.amazon.com/eero-Pro-WiFi-System-Pros/dp/B071DWXLYL
The tplink deco M5 has this feature. TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5)
Both main and guest networks have 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and can all have separate ssids.
Enabling QoS on the R7000 may help a little; but you could spend days fiddling with all the traffic classes and priorities, and still not gain much ground, because at the root of everything, it's not addressing the likely cause of your traffic issues, and beyond that the R7000's firmware lacks any more modern/advanced QoS abilities (namely SQM). That may not be what you want to hear, but it is what it is.
If you were willing to consider a replacement setup, you don't have to spend a ton. A $79 Eero plus a $20 unmanaged switch (for more wired ports) would suffice very well. Wire your Spectrum modem into the Eero's first port, and the switch into the second port, then plug all your wired devices into the switch. During Eero setup, just make sure to enable "Optimize for Conferencing & Gaming" in the Eero Labs section of the phone app (a single toggle button, that's it). Give Eero up to 24 hours to self-adjust to your internet speed, and you're done. Problems solved.
WiFi 6 is 100% worth the price. It improves upon the older versions in a way that even older systems get better speeds and range.
I use TP LInk exclusively, I mange 6 different houses right now and I have never had better speeds.
This is my favorite one:
TP-Link Deco WiFi 6 Mesh WiFi System(Deco X20) - Covers up to 5800 Sq.Ft. , Replaces WiFi Routers and WiFi Extenders, Works with Alexa, 3-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085Z35GY6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_SJ3CPQA4NVW1HBEBZSG0
This one is really good, but not WiFi 6:
Limited-time deal: TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WVCB862/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_BMPHYAT9M5KDM5S9P14E
Personally I would turn off the wifi on the G1100 and get a few Moca adapters for wired backhaul of a wifi 6 mesh system like this.
Get an EERO mesh system.
Plug the first eero into the fios router with an ethernet cable.
Set up a new network in the app. (New SSID)
Put the EERO in bridge mode.
Setup the other two EEROs where you need them. Just add them to the network that you created. They will connect over the wifi back to the first node.
Connect all of your devices to the new network / ssid.
It's really simple and works great. If you have a big house or one that is difficult for wifi (cement walls), you can add another EERO or two to fill int he gaps. Three will cover most home fairly well though.
Putting the EEROs in bridge will greatly simplify the setup and let the fios router still handle your firewall , etc, and it won't mess up your phone or TV if you have that.
Thank you. I really appreciate that feedback. We have Comcast/Xfinity right now and it's really bad. I can not WAIT to get Ting!
Is this the unit you are suggesting?
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Replacement-S4-3-Pack/dp/B084GTH5LL
Eero Pro 6 is the newest. I could be wrong, but I’ve heard it doesn’t support HomeKit yet?
Here is the Pro that I have:
I didn’t realize they were still selling the older version. But if it’s these then it should support it from the listing (I only have experience with the Eero Pro and Eero Pro 6): Amazon eero mesh WiFi system – router replacement for whole-home coverage (3-pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WMLPSRL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_N9WB14YQSR19TSHTH55V
The 3 pack on Eero 6 weren’t too far off in price, they were down to ~220 a few weeks ago on Amazon according to a price tracker.
For multi-node wireless mesh, look no further than Eero. For your needs, specifically gen2 Eero Pro (*not* Eero 6... it's not fully baked yet). Actual multi-path/multi-point meshing, SQM-based QoS between nodes and out the internet, and auto wifi channelization and front/back-haul radio re-purposing in real time. Only downside is the interface is beginner-class -- no power features. Max "it just works" factor otherwise.
For wire-first AP setup, either UniFi or Cisco small-biz for a single-vendor stack.
Any questions, feel free.
>There are few ethernet ports around the house but I connected my laptop and I don't get a connection.
You should investigate this more before giving up on it. Wired connections would give your zoom meetings their best performance. You just need to get the Ethernet ends plugged into your G3100 somehow to get them to work.
If you take a lot of pictures of your wiring closets and where the "other ends" of the Ethernet cables run to (from the wall to ______, where?), and post them on this sub (perhaps in a new post), people here love to solve cabling issues and will help.
Otherwise, if you are looking for something simple and fast, mesh is a good choice for renters, as they can go with you to your next place and can always be made to work there too. I like eero mesh much more than Google Wifi, I've used both.
Something like this is better than Google Wifi, IMHO:
The beacons are essentially the same as the regular eeros (commonly referred to as "cupcakes"). I think they have the same radios and processors. The pros have a third radio, which can help with things like backhaul. (Eero to Eero communication and to the internet). It doesn't dedicate the radio, but it has more capacity for it. My guess is that it would help, yes.
It's hard to say exactly whether downgrading your internet would have an impact. It really shouldn't. It is most likely just the wifi. I only have 200/200 though and my family are pretty heavy users. The ISPs like to make you think that anything less than gig is barbaric, but it's simply not true. I stream movies/TV, work remotely, have kids on zoom all day, and download all sorts of digital media from steam and apple. For years, I had 100/100 and was fine. I finally went to 200/200 because it was the same price.
I personally have 2 pros centrally located in my house and a regular eero at my ISP connection in the basement and a regular eero in my attic. My house is four floors. I have the pros connected to ethernet, but I don't think it's necessary. The idea is that the pros are the core of where most of the devices are and the regular ones are on the edge. The only reason that I don't buy the beacons is that I prefer to have a ethernet port on the device in case I want it.
If you like the beacons, I would move the pro to the main floor and add a cupcake in he basement as your gateway. Or maybe get a two pack and put one in the basement with the pro on the main floor and one upstairs. Move a beacon to the office and the other beacon to an edge location somewhere else.
If you prefer, go ahead and get the pro three pack. I was just thinking out loud.
If you have the wifi 6 models, there may be some other options.
It sounds like wifi. I would guess that the local interference and brick walls are the main problem.
I would get an eero mesh. You can leave your isp modem in place and run the eero in bridge. You really just need the wifi anyway.
What I would try to do is place the units close enough to overcome the interference. You will probably just need to experiment with the locations. Plug the first one into your isp equipment. Centrally locate the second and maybe put the third one in your office and plug your laptop/pc into it so you can use the eero radios instead of the pc wifi.
Do you have any coax? Maybe try some moca backhauls.
The new wifi 6 model came out recently, but I would get the previous generation. I’m not sure the new firmware is dialed in yet.
Amazon eero mesh WiFi system – router replacement for whole-home coverage (3-pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WMLPSRL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_-iAaGb4B9B33K
I don’t know if if has an actual name. I think it’s just the “eero” (not pro). A lot of people call it the “cupcake”. I would get the cupcake unless you already have the wifi 6 stuff and want to get the eero 6. Either way, the cupcake would be fine. It is essentially a beacon that also has two ethernet ports. You can plug the playstation into either port. It will figure it out.
+1
Get an eero mesh. The new wifi6 model just came out so you can get a good deal on the previous model. A 3 pack will cover most houses. https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-eero-mesh-WiFi-system-3-pack-/dp/B07WMLPSRL/
Plug the first one into your fios router with an ethernet cable.
Put it in bridge mode. This lets the fios router to keep managing your network, but gives you the better wifi of the eero.
Create a new SSID on the eero and connect your devices to that.
Place the other two eeros around your house where it makes sense to.
If you need a little more coverage, you can just move the eeros or add some. (Although you probably don't have to unless your house is large or you have materials that aren't radio friendly.)
Eero is really simple and will tune and configure itself.
I ordered three from Amazon. They were discounted at $268. Woops, now they are $299. Weird. Well maybe they will be again $268.19 here is a link.
Contrary to most advice on here, mesh should still be considered with wired backhaul.
Mesh is all about being super easy to use. I use eero mesh, and it's not just because they can connect wirelessly with each other. It's mainly for the fact that they administer themselves, including doing periodic Wifi spectrum scans and automatically adjusting their channels, transmission strength, and wireless band width to have maximum speed, roaming, and stability between all the nodes. So mesh nodes continue to work intelligently with each other, wired or not. Or at least eeros do.
They update and even rollback their own firmware without any need to do it yourself. They also provide a centralized interface for all the nodes, with easy controls built for the less tech savvy set to confidently use, without needing to know what RSSI or 802.11 k/v/r means.
You can also buy the much less expensive "dual-band" model of the mesh nodes when using wired backhaul and get full WiFi speeds from all the nodes, and not suffer the "half-duplex, half-speed" problem from wirelessly backhauled nodes. So having Ethernet with mesh nodes saves money without sacrificing performance.
And the best thing is you can still always add another wireless node to your wired ones to easily expand the mesh. Eero allows you to mix backhaul methods.
Eero Standard edition, great with wired backhaul:
https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-eero-mesh-WiFi-system-3-pack-/dp/B07WMLPSRL
I'd recommend a 3-pack of eero mesh units.
First, there are 3 nodes, so you have an "extra" one to play with to provide needed coverage.
Second, you can mix wired and wireless nodes for meshing. This isn't true for all mesh on the market, where wired nodes lose the ability to backhaul other nodes.
Third, eero is dead simple to set up, and then administer themselves from then on. Truly set-it-and-forget-it, perfect for grandparents.
Fourth, they seem to be on sale right now. At least in the U.S. Normally $249, now on sale for $199, which is the lowest price I've seen on them.
> You can’t go wrong with buying the newer eeros
When you say "newer" eero, do you mean this one? I'm confused about which product is which, especially with "pro," "gen 1," "gen 2," etc.
I use Deco which is TP-Link through the townhouse. So far so good and it also has QoS if you want to set it up. The trash can is in the attic and I’m on 3 floors down with mesh on each floor. I have some degradation all the way down so I might get another to see how to decrease loss.
I get almost 400 in the bedroom (closest to attic), 300 in living space (middle floor), 100 in the office which is 1 floor below.
TP-Link Deco WiFi 6 Mesh... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085Z35GY6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The Eero extender upgrade for Echo's will only work if you have an Eero mesh network, so unless you already have or are thinking of buying an Eero mesh Wifi system then you don't need to worry about Amazon attempting to see everything that you do, and they won't be controlling any part of your network.
https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-eero-mesh-WiFi-system-3-pack-/dp/B07WMLPSRL
I’ve currently got this in the room: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Replacement-S4-3-Pack/dp/B084GTH5LL/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=19RLCZMOL346Y&keywords=tp+link+wifi+extender&qid=1663806970&sprefix=tp+link%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-8
It has ethernet slots on the back so i’m guessing same solution, just need a wifi 6 router? Really annoyed that this has to be done considering my connection on mobile in this room is excellent and I have 1000mbps ethernet speeds 💀
first off throw the eero router out and get a better one.
read the first review.
Espera, me acaban de decir que Estos equipos Mesh son más brígidos, y están más baratos incluso. Wifi 6 más encima (ni idea qué significa, googlea tu mismo, pero mi consultor experto dijo que era de última generación).