Seeking cost effective options for an access point - Wifi 6, wired with cat 6

I am using a CM700 cable modem and an AX1800 Wifi 6 router (RAX10) and they are working great for me. The router is setup with ODFMA and Smart Connect since that seemed to be recommended (though since we don't have that many devices perhaps we would be better off relying only on the 5G channels?).

My main challenge is to extend coverage into a weak signal zone in the house. I want a wifi 6, wired cat 6 connection to wireless device in that zone, and at a reasonable price for home wifi ( max $150-200?) I have been researching Access Points, Range Extenders, etc and its all a bit of a muddle. I know plenty of people have done this, so:

Are there any options highly recommended other than using a router in AP mode? I am thinking I could just get another AX1800 because it is a good value and compatible. But are people still mostly choosing that option or are there better choices now? (I do not think we need the seamless transitions that mesh offers.)

Thanks in advance....

michaelkenward
Jun 04, 2022
KarlT0 wrote:

The language out on the netz is not always so consistent.

Oh so true.

There are for example mesh solutions, access points, and network extenders all available, wired or not wired, and on.

For a Mesh extender to work, it usually has to connect to a router that also does Mesh.That's because the two devices have to talk to one another in the right way. A common approach to Mesh is to buy a bundle of router and satellites (extenders in another guise). Netgear's Orbi range sets out to do that in a simplified way.

I was surprised that Netgear says this can implement mesh with almost any router (not necessarily a "mesh" router). I didn't take advantage of that, but that looked interesting. And we do not need seamless roaming.

A surprise indeed. But if you want to play around you should be able to recover some of those lost features by using the EAX20 as standard extender, with a wifi connection to the router rather than the wired AP connection.

7 Replies

michaelkenward
Guru - Experienced User
May 13, 2022
KarlT0 wrote:

Are there any options highly recommended other than using a router in AP mode?

A wifi extender?

Try plugging your needs into the filters on the product pages:

WiFi Range Extenders: Boost Your WiFi Range | NETGEAR

and

Orbi: Whole Home WiFi System for Better WiFi Everywhere | NETGEAR

Then check back here for reports on the things you are considering, but remember that people turn up in this community with problems, not compliments. So look at reviews on Amazon, for example.
- KarlT0
  Aspirant
  May 13, 2022
  Many thanks for the quick reply. I am looking mostly for recommendations or hands on experience with those kinds of options because there has been a lot of innovation in recent years that are delivering interesting choices to the home market. Even if their product architecture is problematic for some reason I would still love to hear why community members chose it. But I'm keeping an eye on cost and my current needs are basic, though at some point I would likely add some storage to the network.
  
  I did a lot of research before I posted that msg, including checking out those product pages The Netgear product page on range extenders.only lets me apply one criterion: "wifi 6", and it isn't much help. The lowest price on the Orbi product page is $250 for one satellite. Then there are issues that arise about how compatible my AX1800 would be with Orbi satellites, because I am not about to buy an Orbi router and I want more than 2 ethernet ports on my router. We are not doing intense gaming nor do we need that seamless transition feature on Orbi systems. On many interesting products the emphasis is on a wireless connection between router and a range extender or AP and I don't want that connection to be wireless so any possible cable option requires deeper reading. I've started diving into some user manuals on that point.
  
  All that said, if there was some system that had so many new vital features it is looking like a "need to have" architecture in the home market, I would rebuild everything. So until then my core criteria:
  
  1. will work with my current modem-router hardware (CM700 -> AX1800 RAX10)
  2. max price point is $150-200
  3. ethernet cable communication between current router and the extension device ("range extender"/"access point")
  4. wifi 6
  
  Thanks again, KT
  - michaelkenward
    Guru - Experienced User
    May 13, 2022
    KarlT0 wrote:
    
    1. will work with my current modem-router hardware (CM700 -> AX1800 RAX10)
    
    Just about any router will work with that combination.
    
    2. max price point is $150-200
    
    You need to check the retail sites for prices. Netgear has no control over that. P{ick what you want and look for the best price.
    
    3. ethernet cable communication between current router and the extension device ("range extender"/"access point")
    
    Wired is access point (AP) mode. Most routers work in AP mode, but they are more expensive than plain extenders and complicate the set up process because two routers on a network is a recipe for confusion. If they knew what they were doing, most people would not put two routers together .
    
    4. wifi 6
    
    Plug that into the product pages.
    
    WiFi Boosters & Extenders | Wifi Range Extenders | NETGEAR
    
    You say nothing about the space you need to fill with wifi, or what you want to connect. Again, try the product pages.
    
    By all means pick something there that seems to fill the bill and come back with questions.

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Seeking cost effective options for an access point - Wifi 6, wired with cat 6