When I first got a fibre line (100/100) I bought the following equipment to get started:
TP-Link C2 'Archer' Dual Band AC750 Gigabit Router. (https://www.tp-link.com/za/products/details/cat-9_Archer-C2.html#overview)
TP-Link TL-WA850RE 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender. (https://www.tp-link.com/za/products/details/cat-10_TL-WA850RE.html)
It's worked fine, mostly, but lately the (by now out-of-warranty) router has become unreliable. From time to time, the 5Ghz radio stops working abruptly so it defaults to the 2.4Ghz band. Sometimes a reboot brings it back, sometimes it doesn't. Or it just comes back spontaneously. I also upgraded my line to 200/200, however the router occasionally gets throttled back down to 100/100 speeds for no apparent reason (which a reboot always fixes).
My intermittent issues with the TP-Link router has therefore motivated me to upgrade my router to something more reliable and perhaps more powerful (why not) and deserving of the fibre-y goodness.
So I decided to keep the extender, but get a new main router.
However, while doing research I stumbled onto this thread about mesh networks (which is all new to me):
(https://www.avforums.co.za/index.php/topic,69177.0.html)
General consensus seems to be that the Ubiquity UniFy and AmpliFy products are really good. In addition I read that any 'extenders' you add to the network end up slowing the whole network down (also new information to me).
So now I have a few questions about Ubiquiti for the AVF networking experts:
1. Can products from these two ranges work together? I.e. AmpliFy HD as Router, with UniFy AC Pro as 'extender'?
2. Is it better to have an Ethernet switchbox* before the wifi router, i.e. so that my Mac Mini (Roon Core), PS4 (Netflix, Gaming) and Xbox One (Gaming) get a more 'direct' line to the Internet?
3. Will I get better results for my use case from, let's say, an Asus AiMesh setup (e.g. ASUS RT-AC88U + ASUS RT-AC66U)?
General Requirements, in order of importance, would be:
1. Reliability/Stability.
2. Performance.
3. Expandability/Future-proofing.
Specific Requirements:
1. Any extra Access Points (i.e. separate to the main router) should have at least one Ethernet port (for connection to, for example, an RPi/DigiOne Roon Endpoint in a different room, which only connects via RJ45, with no wireless ability).
What's the best way to go?
* (https://www.takealot.com/ubiquiti-edge-router-x-4-port-gigabit-router/PLID43545086)
TP-Link C2 'Archer' Dual Band AC750 Gigabit Router. (https://www.tp-link.com/za/products/details/cat-9_Archer-C2.html#overview)
TP-Link TL-WA850RE 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender. (https://www.tp-link.com/za/products/details/cat-10_TL-WA850RE.html)
It's worked fine, mostly, but lately the (by now out-of-warranty) router has become unreliable. From time to time, the 5Ghz radio stops working abruptly so it defaults to the 2.4Ghz band. Sometimes a reboot brings it back, sometimes it doesn't. Or it just comes back spontaneously. I also upgraded my line to 200/200, however the router occasionally gets throttled back down to 100/100 speeds for no apparent reason (which a reboot always fixes).
My intermittent issues with the TP-Link router has therefore motivated me to upgrade my router to something more reliable and perhaps more powerful (why not) and deserving of the fibre-y goodness.
So I decided to keep the extender, but get a new main router.
However, while doing research I stumbled onto this thread about mesh networks (which is all new to me):
(https://www.avforums.co.za/index.php/topic,69177.0.html)
General consensus seems to be that the Ubiquity UniFy and AmpliFy products are really good. In addition I read that any 'extenders' you add to the network end up slowing the whole network down (also new information to me).
So now I have a few questions about Ubiquiti for the AVF networking experts:
1. Can products from these two ranges work together? I.e. AmpliFy HD as Router, with UniFy AC Pro as 'extender'?
2. Is it better to have an Ethernet switchbox* before the wifi router, i.e. so that my Mac Mini (Roon Core), PS4 (Netflix, Gaming) and Xbox One (Gaming) get a more 'direct' line to the Internet?
3. Will I get better results for my use case from, let's say, an Asus AiMesh setup (e.g. ASUS RT-AC88U + ASUS RT-AC66U)?
General Requirements, in order of importance, would be:
1. Reliability/Stability.
2. Performance.
3. Expandability/Future-proofing.
Specific Requirements:
1. Any extra Access Points (i.e. separate to the main router) should have at least one Ethernet port (for connection to, for example, an RPi/DigiOne Roon Endpoint in a different room, which only connects via RJ45, with no wireless ability).
What's the best way to go?
* (https://www.takealot.com/ubiquiti-edge-router-x-4-port-gigabit-router/PLID43545086)
