Daisy

[_airdesk_]

I have tried this before, but I will try again.

If you have areas that are beyond the range of the router/internet access point, and if they are hard to connect by ethernet, do you: a) use Orbi daisy chaining, or b) try to get ethernet there somehow?

My understanding is that the Netgear access points can do one extra wireless hop, while the Orbi can theoretically do multiple hops in a daisy chain. But my worry is that the daisy chain might have such poor performance at the end of the chain that it is no better than the extra hop of the WAP.

The Orbi range looks great, but it also seems to be engineered as a marketing alternative to conventional router+WAP. What is the best approach for hard-to-reach areas? 

[plemans]

How far are you trying to reach? 

Many look at point to point systems like netgears airbridge or cheaper point to point systems from other vendors. 

[_airdesk_]

It is a Victorian house, so very difficult to get ethernet except possibly via the roof space. Distance from Internet router to furthest point is probably only perhaps 100', but through brick internal walls. I could either daisy chain three or four Orbi's, or I could try to lay ethernet in the roof space and use WAP's in the roof, with another WAP connected to each of those.

[plemans]

The brick walls definitely make it a challenge. A point to point system wouldn't be even close.

Any chance there's coax throughout the home? 

If so, you could look at moca adapters (ethernet over coax) to connect the orbi's

Or you could look at powerline devices to connect the orbi. 

Sadly, daisychaining does work but because the backhaul is wireles, it can get sketchy in homes like yours. 

[_airdesk_]

Yes, that's what I am worried about. But I currently use a UniFi WAP with a wireless relay to another UniFi WAP and it does mostly work. If I use the Orbi's, I could lay them in a pattern to provide the link through plaster walls and ceilings, by placing them in the right places. If I lay ethernet in the roof space, and put two or three WAP's in the roof, pointing down, then I could put two or three other WAP's on the ground floor with a wireless back haul to the WAP's in the roof. But it is a lot more work than Orbi's. 

I do have coax, but by the time I have connected the coax to the router, via ethernet, I am most of the way towards a WAP solution.

[plemans]

Orbi might work. but again *might*

the walls make it a challenge and they wireless backhaul for orbi uses 5ghz which doesn't penetrate that great. 

If you had a big box store near you that has a generous return policy, you could always try it out. 

I've seen people use the cheaper orbi/nighthawk MK series because they're setting up a hardwired connection between router/satellites and just use powerline/moca adapters as the backhaul. 

Tough situation. There's never a simple answer for it when the interior walls/floors cause the issues.