This topic has been marked solved and closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
I’m not super advanced when it comes to this stuff so please bear with me. I’m trying to really future proof my networking and push it out as far as I can.
I have 3GB fibre internet and want to really pick the right mesh system to make sure I’m fully utilizing the speeds.
We have a new built home with cat 6A running throughout and multiple Ethernet jacks on each floor etc. I know that having a wired backhaul is always a solid option for speeds etc. My question is if I backhaul every single satellite in the house and want to maximize that speed, would I technically need the 960 series because it’s satellites have the 2.5gb port? Where as the 850 series satellites only have 1gb ports.
Also to mention that I have a fully managed 8 X 10 gb switch that the main router will connect to, to feed those Ethernet jacks.
Again hope I’m making sense and even doing that correctly.
Lastly, with my current google wifi which I’m upgrading, if you did a wired backhaul on one of the satellites, then it would essentially no longer be a part of the mesh system so nothing could bounce off of it. So for example if the router was in a basement and the first satellite on floor 1 was wired backhaul, then the satellite on floor 2 would lose that jump and it would only have the basement router to try and send a signal to. I got this info from google so take it for what it’s worth.
Is this the case with the Orbi system as well?? Or would a wired satellite still allow other satellites to bounce off of it effectively not reducing the wireless backhaul speeds for those that are not wired in.
Also just to clarify on the 2.5GB wired backhaul question, it was more technical. In that I would need a 2.5GB port on the satellite to fully utilize my 3GB fibre speed correct?
Ok that makes sense. It was also more than the wifi speed would also be much greater in theory if it had the 2.5GB backhaul is what I was kind of getting that. I’m trying to really just future proof things as best as possible as I don’t want to go through this stuff every few years lol
I live in a 4000 sq foot house on three levels. Basement main and upper level. The layout bottom to top is more or less the same and looks like a bit of a rectangle. All floors would require solid coverage. We also sit outside a lot and have a big front and backyard so would want coverage out there. I’m just wondering if I’m better to go with the 3 pack instead of a 2 pack.
I have also been reading up on where to position things and I read a lot that placing the main router on the main floor and satellites in the basement and upper floor would be smart? And not vertically from each other but in opposite sides. So if you looked at a side cross section of the house, if I place my router in the middle of the main floor. Place the basement satellite in the far right corner for example and the upper floor in the far left corner?
I can't tell you exactly what would and wouldn't work because so many variable impact it.
When I first started using mesh systems, i tried 2-3-4-5 satellites and different positions. I figured out what arrangement worked best based of speedtesting using both wired/wireless backhauls. It was pretty similar but there were differences. so I know in my home what works best, and the staggered setup works best with a wired backhaul for MY home.
But your home might be different. Things in the walls/floors (think HVAC, foil lined insulation, tiling, etc) that might impact the signal. If you've got the budget, I'd get the extra satellite and test multiple variations to find what works the best.
I found out you can have to many satellites as they'll start interfering with each other.
so its a bit of a crap-shoot in figuring out what works best.
Great advice. Thanks very much. I’ll opt for the three as that should be plenty. Especially for the area they advertise but I as you mentioned, I’m sure those are in scenarios likely in some open warehouse without real world application as everyone has a different setup. Probably some caveats to that for sure.
I'm currently using 2x satellites on my RBKE963 in a 3200sqft home. its a bit overkill but I have them far enough apart and using the hardwired backhaul that they don't create issues.
