Personal thoughts on trying to get a better network for my 4RM HDB flat, but realised I could actually just switch to my 4G/5G data while I am at the kitchen toliet (Wifi dead zone), and actually nowadays telco offer more and better 4G/5G data package which I will not able to finish it every month.. But if you have a nice budget, this video definitely is a good outcome/tips for new home owners. Great job Alex!
Yeah for mobile phones you can just turn off wifi n use your data, if you have other devices then it will be a problem.. its like not having lights in the toilet which you can also use your handphone torchlight 😅
Hey Alex thanks for all your vids, so glad I found your channel for sg smart home and tech. Are mesh networks really necessary for 4 room HDB? Can a single AP not cover most of the house?
Thanks for the video very tempted to get it. Not sure if it works with Asus XD6 as I have 2 spares and the rest to run on TPAPs as in your video. Wanted to put the Asus XD6 to good use
Nice to see alternative to mesh. Very informative on the choice of product needed for AP+AC route. Just a couple of questions: Are the speed test for deco from 1x node or 3x node? was under the impression that the AP has 3x as well in the price comparison. But the speed test from AP+AC combo on picture explanation only shows 1 AP coming from gym room.
An alternative option would be to use Unifi hardware for a home setup. For example, Cloud Gateway Ultra as the router/firewall. Then some Unifi Express units as the AP around the home. While it would cost more compared to your solution here, there is less to install.
@@AlexTeo The U6 In-Wall APs by Unifi are comparable, but Omada tends to be slightly more budget-friendly than Unifi. I’m personally using Unifi and it’s a rabbit hole for my wallet 😂
Excellent video! Am looking to use this setup in my new place..I'm thinking to get separate devices instead of just one. If i have a ONR, then do i still need the router?
great video as always! do you think it's overkill to place the in wall AP in each room? or perhaps 1 in one bedrom closest to the living room ( better connection to the kitchen and living room) and another in the master room? assuming it's a 4 room standard bto layout
nah i don't think its an overkill, living room definitely 1 there, all the bedrooms 1 each, for those rooms that you don't think you will be using wifi inside you can skip those
Hey Alex, Another great video after coming from your HA guide! Great timing for me too as I am doing research for my BTO, wanted to have your thoughts on your a solution like a Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra and 2 APs like the U7 Pro compared to the Decos.
Hi Alex, great video! Can please advise if its for 4rm (1000sqf) hdb and with the three AP for each of the rooms. Can i get the internet coverage for the entire house including toilet, kitchen, living room and door bell?
Thanks for the video Alex! Was wondering about this exact situation for my upcoming BTO (since my SO likes the sleek look of the in-wall AP so much). Could I ask how would you handle security for your IOT devices and how you would segregate your home network? After doing my research, it seems that people tend to create a separate VLAN for their IOT devices (in case they are compromised), however I am unsure how to set up the ACL and if the ER7212PC supports setting up separate VLANs (internal, IOT, guest) or roaming for swapping between APs with the best signal strength?
Interesting video, curious to know why in the 1 AP/mesh comparison mesh is so much better. Since when there is only one node, the deco is not really mesh-ing and is just an AP. Is it a hardware thing? Ie the deco has more broadcasting power?
Finally a TP-Link Omada line up video. Personally rocking 1. TP-Link OCN200 (Omada Controller) 2. TP-Link ER605 (Router) 3. TP-Link SG2008P (POE Switch for wireless APs and TV Console Switch) 4. TP-Link SG2008 (TV Console switch) 5. 2 x TP-Link EAP670 I still prefer individual devices performing its own function instead of a controller+router+poe switch combined. Love the flexibility of this: 1. VLANS for internal network, IOT devices, Guest network, management (of the network devices) 2. ACLs to deny IOT devices to reach other networks if it is exploited or hacked 3. POE schedule to automatically turn off TV console switch, APs at night
Thanks for sharing your setup. Personally I would prefer separate devices too, avoid single point of failure. Main point of this video is to share this type of AP which is very popular now in many china homes
@@keyoke for your ceiling AP, its either you get electrician to lay cables do conceal which is massive work or you run cables exposed with trunking which is not minimal anymore
Great video showing an alternative to mesh. I was wondering on the ap + ac setup. Would it also be a unified access point that my device logs on to (single wifi to connect to regardless of which AP has the strongest signal)?
@AlexTeo thanks! This mean it should frequently switch to a different AP with the strongest signal automatically like a mesh setup, so technically it can mitigate the weak signal over the wall issues with the multiple AP
@@gapchan89 yeah that's right, the test is based on just 1 AP to test the signal strength and speed. In real world, you would install 1 AP in all the rooms that you require strong wifi
hi there, hope u can review gaming routers, and best location to setup these routers if not using mesh in new BTO, anyways appreciate these education video!
Ac + AP only applicable with copper cable ready inside the walls. If not ready, you have to ready to bear the charges for hacking or else you can see messy wire running around your house. Other option better go for FTTR solution by using invisible fibre cable. More reliable of course better throughput because of fiber.
I am using TP link one mesh, an archer router and a extender that supports one mesh. It works great, covering the dead spot I have in the toilet area, i live in a 4rm HDB. To my knowledge, it is the most affordable set up. My set up cost around 150 dollars. Archer AX 73: $140 (Got it on carousell) RE200 (Version 4): $10 (Second hand on carousell) Only 2 cons, there is a huge drop in speed as it's using wireless mesh and the RE200 is a wifi 5 device. Also sometimes it drops the mesh connection, a few times per month. which i set it up to reboot weekly at around 4am in the morning. If you're going this route, do research on the hardware if it supports one mesh. Hope this helps.
I have a Netgear GS108PE PoE switch, do I still need a router for this setup? Can I simply plug the M1 ONT to this switch and then connect to the wall AP. Thanks
That’s why I prefer to separate the 5g vs 2.4g wifi. Your other rooms are not that far so if you were connected to 5g, I doubt the speed would have dropped as much
@@AlexTeo thank you for your reply Alex, i am new to this sorry to ask what AC you talking about. Actually i am getting the tp link E810v so do i still need ER7212pc?. Thank you Alex have a wonderful day
@@AlexTeo Will the AmpliFi Alien Router and MeshPoint be more than sufficient for a 4 room (104sqm) HDB in Singapore? I am intend to run smart home automation and prefer a wireless backhaul mesh instead of wired to reduce costs as long as performance is not significantly reduced.
You are better off getting the ones from China TPLink AX 6000 PoE and 2.5G (TL-XAP6030GI). Cost way lesser for higher spec compared to Omanda ones. These items are generally catered to commercial usage rather than home use. 😀
@@AlexTeo it works by itself as FAT mode. If you want the FIT mode you need their Routers. I had the XAP-3000 and works fine in any router. Was planning to get their routers for my upcoming home. And no there is no English, UI is very crude commercial SAP style, but you don't need to know that much chinese to configure anything.
@@Magurosenbei yeah better not do FAT AP, kinda defeat the whole purpose. Thanks for the confirmation that china tplink products will work overseas. Fun fact: china TP-LINK logo is all caps while global is tp-link 😂
imo the inwall isnt super good for large areas and also read they they dont have any good wifi behind them, i would have gone with a ”real” ap instrad of the inwall as they provide better coverage, great video otherwise!
Great effort but need more substance. You can get the same speed and effect of wifi coverage using the Omada system as compared to using the deco. Yes you will need more AP to replicate the same results and yes you can get the AP to work as a mesh set up also. Apart from that I believe you did not separate the wifi SSID. Hence the AP will just push you over to the 2.4Ghz. 1 wall AP should be able to penetrate over to the next wall with 5Ghz band. So do check it out. As for consumer mesh another disadvantage is, in most cases and newer HDB scenario, one of the main node has to be in the db box where the FTP is. A great potential loss of coverage going that route. Any way I digress, been using Omada for quite some time now and I would recommend this route for a long term savings. Example: if I were to go for a new wifi 7. For mesh, I replace the entire mesh system. Which again very costly. Unlike ap setups, they tend to go lower and cheaper over a period of time. And you don't need to replace the router and the switch as is a separated device unlike mesh. Nevertheless, good video to show case an alternative than just mesh systems. Of cause for mesh system, as a consumer, it is easier to set up and easier to navigate around their operating system.
if band steering is good then you shouldn't need to separate them. With or without using mesh, I would use like those server rack kind of door for the db box for heat dissipation, helps with wifi signals and zigbee as well for home automation Very good and valid point on the cheaper upgrade path from wifi 6 to 7, but on the other hand its easier to resell mesh router vs AP
@@AlexTeo band steering is not supported in some of the IoT devices and it can cause some connectivity issues. Hence as such, we will always separate the bands. Take for instances, Hikvision CCTV or some other brands CCTV cams some cannot accept band steering properly. In any case, you might wanna check why the AP drops or handover to 2.4Ghz in this case. Cause by right it shouldn't.
no man ac + ap reminds me of powerline speeds not very good . By the way , i am not sure we can buy from taobao . i ask the vendors before they mentioned about a china server or language issue. or they simply reply "Domestic products may not work when taken abroad or to Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. It is recommended that you purchase our corresponding products directly in the local area to ensure the normal use of the equipment." 😅
Unless the whole network wired are using at least FTP or SFTP cable else it does pose a safety concern. As we are talking about POE, the risk of children poking their finger into the empty port. Moreover WiFi 8 is scheduled to be out by 2028.
I think a better choice will always be share your internet connection into your electric sockets and just plug your ethernet cable with an adapter to that socket. Why use WIFI? Why radiate yourself for hours and hours and then people wonder why they can't think clearly. It's anti-human tech, my fellow tubers. ⚡︎⛔
7:08 excellent point to compare based on budget rather than focusing on the difference in tech specs. Very practical thinking, thank you!!!
Thanks for your comparison. It is interesting and good for me as I will be setting up network for my new place .... can't wait for your new video 😀
Waiting for wifi 7 👍 great vid as always
Thank you for the video Alex. May need to pick this up
That was very helpful so thanks for your efforts there. The WiFi7 comparison will be great as well. Cheers
Personal thoughts on trying to get a better network for my 4RM HDB flat, but realised I could actually just switch to my 4G/5G data while I am at the kitchen toliet (Wifi dead zone), and actually nowadays telco offer more and better 4G/5G data package which I will not able to finish it every month.. But if you have a nice budget, this video definitely is a good outcome/tips for new home owners. Great job Alex!
Yeah for mobile phones you can just turn off wifi n use your data, if you have other devices then it will be a problem.. its like not having lights in the toilet which you can also use your handphone torchlight 😅
@@AlexTeo especially for Smart Home.
Another excellent video! Thank you so much, Alex.
Hey Alex thanks for all your vids, so glad I found your channel for sg smart home and tech. Are mesh networks really necessary for 4 room HDB? Can a single AP not cover most of the house?
Thanks for the video very tempted to get it. Not sure if it works with Asus XD6 as I have 2 spares and the rest to run on TPAPs as in your video. Wanted to put the Asus XD6 to good use
Nice to see alternative to mesh. Very informative on the choice of product needed for AP+AC route.
Just a couple of questions: Are the speed test for deco from 1x node or 3x node? was under the impression that the AP has 3x as well in the price comparison. But the speed test from AP+AC combo on picture explanation only shows 1 AP coming from gym room.
The test is to see the speed and with and without walls so it makes sense to enable only 1 AP and 1 mesh node
An alternative option would be to use Unifi hardware for a home setup. For example, Cloud Gateway Ultra as the router/firewall. Then some Unifi Express units as the AP around the home. While it would cost more compared to your solution here, there is less to install.
too bad ubiquiti doesn't have this kind of AP i shown in the video
@@AlexTeo The U6 In-Wall APs by Unifi are comparable, but Omada tends to be slightly more budget-friendly than Unifi. I’m personally using Unifi and it’s a rabbit hole for my wallet 😂
I cannot get Unifi products in the UK
Excellent video! Am looking to use this setup in my new place..I'm thinking to get separate devices instead of just one. If i have a ONR, then do i still need the router?
Hmm i don't have an ONR anymore to test it out, so can't confirm
great video as always! do you think it's overkill to place the in wall AP in each room? or perhaps 1 in one bedrom closest to the living room ( better connection to the kitchen and living room) and another in the master room? assuming it's a 4 room standard bto layout
nah i don't think its an overkill, living room definitely 1 there, all the bedrooms 1 each, for those rooms that you don't think you will be using wifi inside you can skip those
Great sharing!
Hi Alex, I saw comments on the net saying EAP-650/ 655 wall APs unable to mesh. So you have to connect each time to another network?
Hey Alex, Another great video after coming from your HA guide! Great timing for me too as I am doing research for my BTO, wanted to have your thoughts on your a solution like a Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra and 2 APs like the U7 Pro compared to the Decos.
Just nice i have a video coming next month on those devices haa, ubiquiti is more compelling when you go with their security cams as well
@@AlexTeo looking forward to it!
Hi Alex, great video! Can please advise if its for 4rm (1000sqf) hdb and with the three AP for each of the rooms. Can i get the internet coverage for the entire house including toilet, kitchen, living room and door bell?
your living room needs to have a AP
Thanks for the video Alex! Was wondering about this exact situation for my upcoming BTO (since my SO likes the sleek look of the in-wall AP so much). Could I ask how would you handle security for your IOT devices and how you would segregate your home network?
After doing my research, it seems that people tend to create a separate VLAN for their IOT devices (in case they are compromised), however I am unsure how to set up the ACL and if the ER7212PC supports setting up separate VLANs (internal, IOT, guest) or roaming for swapping between APs with the best signal strength?
Yup vlan is probably the most common way and yes this setup supports vlan
Interesting video, curious to know why in the 1 AP/mesh comparison mesh is so much better. Since when there is only one node, the deco is not really mesh-ing and is just an AP. Is it a hardware thing? Ie the deco has more broadcasting power?
the mesh router has better specs to produce stronger signals
Finally a TP-Link Omada line up video.
Personally rocking
1. TP-Link OCN200 (Omada Controller)
2. TP-Link ER605 (Router)
3. TP-Link SG2008P (POE Switch for wireless APs and TV Console Switch)
4. TP-Link SG2008 (TV Console switch)
5. 2 x TP-Link EAP670
I still prefer individual devices performing its own function instead of a controller+router+poe switch combined.
Love the flexibility of this:
1. VLANS for internal network, IOT devices, Guest network, management (of the network devices)
2. ACLs to deny IOT devices to reach other networks if it is exploited or hacked
3. POE schedule to automatically turn off TV console switch, APs at night
Thanks for sharing your setup. Personally I would prefer separate devices too, avoid single point of failure. Main point of this video is to share this type of AP which is very popular now in many china homes
@@AlexTeo the AP very minimalist. Don't require any mounting on the wall
@@keyoke for your ceiling AP, its either you get electrician to lay cables do conceal which is massive work or you run cables exposed with trunking which is not minimal anymore
@@AlexTeo haha i mean the one u recommend. Mine i just use a 3m tape and mount it
@@keyoke oh ok haha
Thanks Alex 😁 Would you be able to suggest if Ubiquiti APs or Mesh would make more sense for a 5 level landed property? TIA!
I will go for AP, but brand wise depends on yout budget - tplink, ruijie, ubiquiti, aruba are the ones i like
Nice
I was thinking just to get 2.5gbe switch n deco xe75 pro for 2 room of my 4 rm.bto
Great video showing an alternative to mesh. I was wondering on the ap + ac setup. Would it also be a unified access point that my device logs on to (single wifi to connect to regardless of which AP has the strongest signal)?
yup it will be 1 single ssid
@AlexTeo thanks! This mean it should frequently switch to a different AP with the strongest signal automatically like a mesh setup, so technically it can mitigate the weak signal over the wall issues with the multiple AP
@@gapchan89 yeah that's right, the test is based on just 1 AP to test the signal strength and speed. In real world, you would install 1 AP in all the rooms that you require strong wifi
hi there, hope u can review gaming routers, and best location to setup these routers if not using mesh in new BTO, anyways appreciate these education video!
unfortunately i am not a fan of those routers
Is the speed limited by the cables inside the walls of the hdb itself?
Yes in terms of speed if you are running 10g, at 1g or 2g cat5e is good enough. But for poe, its best to go cat6
Is it possible to use AC+AP and Mesh together?
Ac + AP only applicable with copper cable ready inside the walls. If not ready, you have to ready to bear the charges for hacking or else you can see messy wire running around your house. Other option better go for FTTR solution by using invisible fibre cable. More reliable of course better throughput because of fiber.
Have you tried Tp link one mesh? With extenders . Would like to see that comparison with Tp link deco mesh
no point, might as well get their archer routers then
I am using TP link one mesh, an archer router and a extender that supports one mesh. It works great, covering the dead spot I have in the toilet area, i live in a 4rm HDB. To my knowledge, it is the most affordable set up. My set up cost around 150 dollars.
Archer AX 73: $140 (Got it on carousell)
RE200 (Version 4): $10 (Second hand on carousell)
Only 2 cons, there is a huge drop in speed as it's using wireless mesh and the RE200 is a wifi 5 device. Also sometimes it drops the mesh connection, a few times per month. which i set it up to reboot weekly at around 4am in the morning.
If you're going this route, do research on the hardware if it supports one mesh. Hope this helps.
I have a Netgear GS108PE PoE switch, do I still need a router for this setup? Can I simply plug the M1 ONT to this switch and then connect to the wall AP. Thanks
you need a router and a controller component
Wah I thought is Ryan Higa haha
Mesh also need power source at every place you place it. More cumbersome but with added speed.
that's right!
That’s why I prefer to separate the 5g vs 2.4g wifi. Your other rooms are not that far so if you were connected to 5g, I doubt the speed would have dropped as much
i stopped using separate bands like 5 years ago, with today's tech band steering should be smart enough
Hi what brand of vertical GPU mount did u use in 5:00 ? is it compatible with other brands of cases?
that is an asus 3080, vertical GPU mount is a feature that you will find on the case
@@AlexTeo oh it came with the case? The vertical mount
@@jimmythefatadam9560 yeah so just search for cases that support vertical gpu
Hi Alex, if i have a WiFi 7 router and use this TP LINK ER7212PC will that still work?. Thank you
if you already have a router that you want to use then there is no need to get this model, get a separate POE switch and AC will do
@@AlexTeo thank you for your reply Alex, i am new to this sorry to ask what AC you talking about. Actually i am getting the tp link E810v so do i still need ER7212pc?. Thank you Alex have a wonderful day
Do an episode on your gym machine 💪
Not a fitness channel 😅
@@AlexTeoIt will be a viral video 😄
AC+AP available for Apple Home Kit integration? So far only Linksys AX4200 Mesh is recommended
Amplifi alien mesh as well
@@AlexTeo Will the AmpliFi Alien Router and MeshPoint be more than sufficient for a 4 room (104sqm) HDB in Singapore? I am intend to run smart home automation and prefer a wireless backhaul mesh instead of wired to reduce costs as long as performance is not significantly reduced.
how to get my house wired? any recommendations?
wiring is done by a certified electrician
has powerline adapter tech become obsolete already?
Yeah pretty much
i have bought both the things u introduced for the AP+ac. but i have no idea what to do xD
lol, before or after watching this video?
@@AlexTeo after i watch i'm still abit confused xD
You are better off getting the ones from China TPLink AX 6000 PoE and 2.5G (TL-XAP6030GI). Cost way lesser for higher spec compared to Omanda ones.
These items are generally catered to commercial usage rather than home use. 😀
Are you 100% certain that it would work in singapore or basically outside of china? Any idea whether you could change the language setting to english?
@@AlexTeo it works by itself as FAT mode. If you want the FIT mode you need their Routers. I had the XAP-3000 and works fine in any router. Was planning to get their routers for my upcoming home. And no there is no English, UI is very crude commercial SAP style, but you don't need to know that much chinese to configure anything.
@@Magurosenbei yeah better not do FAT AP, kinda defeat the whole purpose. Thanks for the confirmation that china tplink products will work overseas. Fun fact: china TP-LINK logo is all caps while global is tp-link 😂
imo the inwall isnt super good for large areas and also read they they dont have any good wifi behind them, i would have gone with a ”real” ap instrad of the inwall as they provide better coverage, great video otherwise!
Is it 1 AP vs 3 mesh satellite? Didn’t say where is the AP vs satellite also?
1 AP vs 1 mesh node placed at the same spot
@@AlexTeo interesting. I presume a direct comparison would be ceiling AP vs mesh?
@@elvintay2068 why would that be? the comparison here is based on this particular setup that i recommend, vs a mesh system with the same budget
Great effort but need more substance. You can get the same speed and effect of wifi coverage using the Omada system as compared to using the deco. Yes you will need more AP to replicate the same results and yes you can get the AP to work as a mesh set up also. Apart from that I believe you did not separate the wifi SSID. Hence the AP will just push you over to the 2.4Ghz. 1 wall AP should be able to penetrate over to the next wall with 5Ghz band. So do check it out.
As for consumer mesh another disadvantage is, in most cases and newer HDB scenario, one of the main node has to be in the db box where the FTP is. A great potential loss of coverage going that route.
Any way I digress, been using Omada for quite some time now and I would recommend this route for a long term savings.
Example: if I were to go for a new wifi 7. For mesh, I replace the entire mesh system. Which again very costly. Unlike ap setups, they tend to go lower and cheaper over a period of time. And you don't need to replace the router and the switch as is a separated device unlike mesh.
Nevertheless, good video to show case an alternative than just mesh systems. Of cause for mesh system, as a consumer, it is easier to set up and easier to navigate around their operating system.
if band steering is good then you shouldn't need to separate them. With or without using mesh, I would use like those server rack kind of door for the db box for heat dissipation, helps with wifi signals and zigbee as well for home automation
Very good and valid point on the cheaper upgrade path from wifi 6 to 7, but on the other hand its easier to resell mesh router vs AP
@@AlexTeo band steering is not supported in some of the IoT devices and it can cause some connectivity issues. Hence as such, we will always separate the bands. Take for instances, Hikvision CCTV or some other brands CCTV cams some cannot accept band steering properly.
In any case, you might wanna check why the AP drops or handover to 2.4Ghz in this case. Cause by right it shouldn't.
no man ac + ap reminds me of powerline speeds not very good . By the way , i am not sure we can buy from taobao . i ask the vendors before they mentioned about a china server or language issue. or they simply reply
"Domestic products may not work when taken abroad or to Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. It is recommended that you purchase our corresponding products directly in the local area to ensure the normal use of the equipment." 😅
that's a standard copy and paste respond for the customer service officer to use 😆
Unless the whole network wired are using at least FTP or SFTP cable else it does pose a safety concern. As we are talking about POE, the risk of children poking their finger into the empty port. Moreover WiFi 8 is scheduled to be out by 2028.
POE is low voltage
Linus is the worst on CZcams
I think a better choice will always be share your internet connection into your electric sockets and just plug your ethernet cable with an adapter to that socket. Why use WIFI? Why radiate yourself for hours and hours and then people wonder why they can't think clearly. It's anti-human tech, my fellow tubers. ⚡︎⛔
☠️