I am looking for a wifi mesh system to improve the coverage in my home. I looked around and found a cheap solution with decent reviews, the Halo 50G by Mercusys (TP Link). I am not a fan of super cheap, super easy to use “magical” solutions, and within minutes of connecting just the access point I was seeing calls to the likes of google, facebook, amazon, etc in my network coming from the device. Not ideal.
I also found that Ubiquiti and Netgear may be the best options out there, but the prices I found are north of 600€ and I can not afford to pay that much right now.
So, my question is: Is there any wifi mesh system that is not using my network against me and does not empty my wallet? I am based in Europe and would like something under 200€ if possible, and ready to buy from the shelf.
Thank you for reading and for any recommendation.
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I ditched Netgear due to poor performance and went with Ubiquiti. I’m fortunate that I could afford to buy a console for management but if you’re willing to self-host then there is no cost there. You could then get several APs (they have some as low as $99) and you’re all set.
FYI all ubiquity aps I ever bought broke within 5 years. Ymmv
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check out OPNsense routers and use your existing equipment only as access points. You can then make firewall rules to block them from phoning home. protectli sells some inexpensive models.
If you can handle steep learning curve with less proven stability, Mikrotik.
It might be helpful to specify your network needs. The system you linked is a WiFi 5 system. That’s 10+ year old technology.
What kind of speeds are you looking for? Will your access points be wired or wireless?
The system you linked is a WiFi 5 system. That’s 10+ year old technology.
I feel old… First adopted in 2013
I’m also looking for a good WiFi mesh, preferably one that can be used with IoT devices (aka. Even without an internet connection).
I tried TP-Link Deca, but the mesh refuses LAN communication if the router doesn’t have a constant and stable connection to the internet - A feature I previously believed to be given - making it unusable for IoT and for providing WiFi at remote locations.
I tried TP-Link Deca, but the mesh refuses LAN communication if the router doesn’t have a constant and stable connection to the internet
that’s ridiculous
Yeah, I even wrote TP-Link an E-mail about this, but they wrote back that that was just how the device worked, that they could not recommend any of their mesh solutions which could provide a stable WiFi connection even without internet, and that they obviously couldn’t recommend any devices from competitors.
My image of TP-Link might have taken a hit as result as I believed this to be a fundamental and implied feature.
if you still have the devices and you have some tech skills, maybe you could install openwrt on it. are you sure it’s model name is deca? I don’t see on the supported list
I returned them. And I did indeed get the name wrong as they are a series of WiFi mesh towers named ‘Deco X20’ and not ‘Deca’.
I do already use DD-WRT in my home network, but these were meant to provide a network-on-a-budget out in the field, aka. a stand-in for professional solutions which other people should be able to set up too, so I wanted to modify them as little as possible.
WiFi extenders do technically fit my requirements (and I’ve got them working mostly successful), but, as far as I’m aware, mesh is specifically made for the purpose of having a seamless WiFi device transfer from one tower to another, and where one can form a circle or “spiderweb” pattern with the signal taking the best (distance/speed/reliability) route back to the router - which is what I need.
Ubiquity seems to have gained traction lately, so I’ll throw them an E-Mail whether their devices are too smart to be usable too.
I think the transfer/roaming should be able to work fine without a mesh system too. I remember that OpenWRT has like 2 settings I think, that are not related to the mesh mode but can help device roaming, but by default disabled for compatibility reasons
It is probably Chinese junk, but I’m using a set of cudy m3000 WiFi6 mesh devices that run openwrt. Could be worth looking into. They are about as cheap as I’ve seen. There should be WiFi7 versions out nowish /soon.
Do you have requirements for the WiFi Standard?
Do you want to build up a new system or adding to your current setup?
For the price point you could look into the AVM Fritz Ecosystem. Their Mesh solution is quite hassle free and for 200€ you could get WiFi 5 capable devices on the used market.
Not sure how well they work with other brands, so you might want to invest in a FritzBox and FritzRepeater (should be in the budget used).
Anything above WiFi 5 could be out of your price range, especially new.
Ubiquity APs with WiFi 5 could be in your budget, even new. Look into the AP HD. You will need a controller installation though, weither on your desktop or on a NAS, Server. You do NOT need to buy an appliance from them for management. They do not make it clear on their website.
You can just setup an extender where you need it. That is what I have. No real need for mesh unless your place is really big.
