Any compare Orbi vs wired mesh (router + APs)

Question

Considering biting the bullet and pulling some wire through the walls after all the orbi fiasco.

(I really DONT want to drop even more $$$ for Orbi pro)

Has anyome compared the performance of the Orbi (wireless) vs a tradtional mesh setup using a router and a few hardwired APs?

I was lookngi at the Ubiquity components....

st_shaw · Answer

I wouldn't call hardwired APs a traditional "mesh" setup, because there's no meshing involved.
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Orbi gives&nbsp;about the same WiFi throughput&nbsp;as the Ubiquiti APs. Except the Unifi HD APs would be faster (and more expensive.) The advantage of Orbi is coverage of a large area with no wires required.
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The Ubiquiti setup would have more total throughput for multiple devices (because each AP has a dedicated wired backhaul). &nbsp;Ubiquiti also provides other things lacking in Orbi: complete control of the power and channel usage, ability to use one SSID or split SSIDs by band, VLAN support, and multiple SSID support. With the Unifi controller you also get very comprehensive information about the network. &nbsp;The phone/tablet app is great too. With a VLAN enabled router, you can segregate guest networks and create separate networks for IoT devices too. More knowledge is required to set up the Ubiquiti gear, and there's no user manual with instructions on how to do it (that I know of.)

lowepg · Answer

Thanks. Yes I was looking at:5 AP-Lites (about $80ea)Edgerouter or Ubiquity USG ($100)8 port switch with POE ($100)So, total $600.... and thiat might be a bit of overkill with the 5 APs....Still less than trying to go with the Orbi Pro setup and just 2 satelites....Oh... and it would likely WORK.&nbsp;

st_shaw · Answer

lowepg wrote:
Thanks. Yes I was looking at:
5 AP-Lites (about $80ea)
Edgerouter or Ubiquity USG ($100)
8 port switch with POE ($100)
So, total $600.... and thiat might be a bit of overkill with the 5 APs....
Still less than trying to go with the Orbi Pro setup and just 2 satelites....
Oh... and it would likely WORK.&nbsp;

I doubt you would need 5 APs. &nbsp;I cover a 1500 SF house with one Pro and one LR.
I'm not sure about the lites. I would buy the LR ($100) since it has a&nbsp;3x3 radio on 5G and a better (fractal) antenna for mobile devices. &nbsp;The lite is 2x2.
I would buy the $80 cloud key if I were you.
If I was going to buy a new Edgerouter today I would get the new ER-4. &nbsp;The other low-end routers are underpowered. I found the $50 ER-X much better than the $100 ER-3 for my 85/85 Mbps connection.
The US-8-150W is a nice PoE switch, but is more like $200.
You can manage the US-8 switch and the APs from the cloud key.
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wase4711 · Answer

just an FYI; one orbi pro router, and one Satalite, in a 2100 sf house, gives top speeds everywhere, into the back yard, and about 100 yards down the street out the front door, so doubt you would need 2 satalites, unless a multi story, giant house..

lowepg · Answer

wase4711 wrote:just an FYI; one orbi pro router, and one Satalite, in a 2100 sf house, gives top speeds everywhere, into the back yard, and about 100 yards down the street out the front door, so doubt you would need 2 satalites, unless a multi story, giant house..So- it soulds like the pro had more range than the standar orbi. I have a base + satelites now and dont get nearly that range....Granted we have more sq ft to cover (2.5 floors, ~4000 sq ft)AND, Id liek to extend coverage outside (we have almost zero coverage outside now with the base + 2 sats.

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Any compare Orbi vs wired mesh (router + APs)

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