Hi All, I have an Xfinity XB6 modem/router and am using an EX7700 Mesh Extender. This setup is working great except I still have 2 rooms with poor signal in a 4500 sf house. I went with this setup instead of Orbi b/c I actually like the XB6 and Xfi and don't want to lose that in bridge mode.
So, I have 3 questions.
First, if I purchase a second EX7700 for my remaining dead spots, can I daisy chain them and will they continue to work as "mesh" or will that make them into AP's.
Second, I have the possiblity of connecting the second unit via ethernet but again would this continue to work as "mesh" or only in AP mode?
I am trying to avoid AP mode at all cost b/c I've tried it and my devices rarely disconnect from the weaker signal.
Last question, do the EX7700 and EX8000 have the same antennas/range?
Your input is appreciated!
Cheers!
Model: EX8000|AC3000 Nighthawk X6S Tri Band WiFi Range Extender
Mesh features on Nighthawk extenders are enabled only when you enable One WiFi Name. As long as using an Ethernet backhaul allows this, it will mesh else it would be in standard AP mode. While you may or may not get proper results and stable connections, you could try manually configuring AP mode with the same SSID and password as the main router, but you get what you get with that.
Netgear rep has said that their techs say Nighthawk extenders are made to connect to the router over any other broadcasting devices as long as it is within signal range of the router, even if this connection will be worse. The Orbi products support true peered mesh. If you configured the extenders into standard mode where each extender has its own SSID, you could force them to daisychain by choosing the first extender SSID from the second, but you would lose out on mesh features.
Thanks for your reply. My NIghthawk extender is currently configured as a wireless mesh extender connecting with a strong signal wirelessly to my router. Unfortunately it seems as though even in this configuration devices tend to stick to the original signal even when closer to the other device. In other words not much better than my experience with APs using same SSID. Therefore I’ve decided to return the Nighthawk and purchase the Orbi RBK50 and hope to have better handoff results .
