Got Deco X20 last year. Connected main deco to modem, then connected 4 additional nodes with ethernet through my attic. Have fast mesh wifi throughout house with minimal speed loss since system wired (no need for tri band). App and free antivirus software is excellent. Thanks TP link!
I got two of the Alien Amplify routers and used them in a mesh. They are soo much better than the Apple express mesh setup I had been using before. One unit almost covered the entire 2 story house. The meshed unit almost behaves like its the main unit in terms of the speed and quality of the internet. I'm very happy with them. I also like actually seeing the data on both the main and the mesh unit so I bought two of the Alien routers rather than the bundle with a second unit with no screen.
The majority of these routers won’t need your ISPs one if you are on fibre. Definitely something worth looking into. Also if your plugging them into the isp router you will want to enable bridge mode.
True but I usually don't recommend sending back the fiber one even if you can replace this as if something goes wrong with fiber a lot of times you'll need the original router to fix it unfortunately (least in my experience) but yeah bridge mode is always a good idea for the original router when using any third party router in conjunction with it agreed!
I have been very impressed with the Asus XT8 Mesh setup (2 piece) so far. My house is 3 stories and about 2400 sq/ft. Bottom floor is my office and garage, all with concrete floors and concrete exterior walls. I previously had an Orbi AC3000 system with 2 satellites. It worked decently, but some areas of the house still struggled getting strong speeds regardless of placement. The Asus XT8 system, with the router in my office on the bottom floor (same as the Orbi) and placing the satellite on the second floor at the other end of the house (tried a couple other positions) and every square inch of my house is now getting around 500Mbps transfer rates (most my devices are wireless ac still), even on the third floor where previously with the Orbi, it was averaging about 50-100mb/s in my daughters room. The only problem I have ran into is that some of my existing IOT devices do not like the Asus with AX enabled and refuse to connect. But even with it disabled, speeds are generally unchanged.
hey i do have the exactly floor plan as you, 3 floors with 2400sqft. I've actually tried 3 different mesh so far: google wifi (3 devices), nest wifi (3 devices), and currently asus AX1800 (3 devices). I have a gigabit internet and placed my main hub on the 3rd floor as I have my main desktop there. wired, I do get the full speed, and wireless right next to each other using my iPhone I do get about 300-400mbps. But using 2nd and 1st floor the highest I've ever got was 60-80mbps. is this normal? Also, trying to download some games, I should be getting 200mbps in my desktop on my 3rd floor, but in 2nd floor using wifi I'm only getting like 1mbps maximum and it's extremely frustrating. would you still recommend just using 2 XT8 and should still be fine?
@@leomode2 I think each use case is different with different obstacles and interference. I had to experiment with placement of my 2nd XT8 to get proper coverage and good speed to all rooms. Additionally my daughters computer has built in wifi, but the motherboards built in AX wifi module was garbage and never got a good signal. Hilariously, a old TP-Link USB AC wifi module I had laying around had much better signal and allowed for triple the speeds in her room.
What's hand-off like between the access points? so e.g. you're on a Facetime or WhatsApp voice/video call and walk upstairs. Does it disconnect momentarily and reconnect or switch seamlessly? Ditto e.g. MacBooks/laptops, if you take them upstairs/downstairs, do they stubbornly stay connected to the first access point with weak signal or switch seamlessly to the one with the strongest signal?
A friend gave me a mesh orbi a year ago. When I tried to install it, it would not connect to internet. I knew from experience I needed to call my ISP to get them to allow it on their side. Called and they said everything was good on their end and it should be working fine. I asked them to double check, but they insisted. I had to call Netgear and pay the absurd price for their customer service. I asked before hand if they were 100% confident they could fix it on their side. They assured they could. So I paid their bs fee and went through all the steps you would normally try on your own. 2 hours later, they said, you have to call your ISP for them to solve the issue. Called ISP again and sure enough, they had to activate it. I will never buy another Netgear product. Still mad at my ISP but don't have a choice
Linksys is one of the companies that with MX5 Velop AX Whole Home WiFi 6 (SKU MX5300) only serves 80MHz - Cisco Meraki MR56 is another. A number of manufacturers do not follow the WiFi 6 certification but are still marked as a WiFi 6 product. The problem here is that they do not follow the Wi-Fi Alliance standard 160Hz from the ax standard (up to 1733 Mbps - 4804Mbps on the shorter 5GHz channel), but instead 80MHz which theoretically stops at 450Mbps. What you have to do before you choose one, if you want to really upgrade the speed at home, is to check in the manual that 160Hz is max. Do not buy anything lower, because then the performance is also worse and you do not really have a real WiFi 6 router.
Worst purchase of my life-bar none-was the Linksys Atlas Max8400AXE Wi-Fi 6E tri-band mesh 3-tower Velop…too many reasons to list them all, but among the worst is that 6E is an advertising ploy…and will likely never be more than that. 6 Ghz signals have real trouble connecting if you have anything obscuring a clear line of sight from router to client. That includes say a right turn in your hall. Walls? Doors? Floors? You’re pissing in the wind trying to get the “parent” node to connect with “child” nodes on the 6GHz band. They dont do much better with the 5 GHz either but thoughtfully Linksys did equip all nodes with 1 wlan port and 4 more lan ports..I use wired connections as often as possible with mine… one final word on 6E…it really doesn’t matter that connectivity sucks on that band. Because other than competing 6E mesh routers systems, there are exactly zero consumer level devices that are even able to DETECT a 6GHz signal…much less actually communicate on one. And since the range of a particular sound wave frequency is not adjustable, whatever claims being made about theoretical boosts in wifi speeds with 6E are seriously only relevant in a hermetic laboratory somewhere and border on false advertising in my opinion. I’ve got mine listed for sale on Craigslist, lightly used for $650 if anyone disagrees with me and just has to have one…..by all means let me know
I have the eero pro 6 and honestly, I’m a bit disappointed to the point I’m thinking of changing it out. Hence, why I’m here. There are two issues I have with Eero Pro 6. My hue bridge/sync disconnects constantly and it’s distracting when the sync lighting matches content and then stops working and then it goes back to bright white default light. Sometimes it fixes itself with 20 secs, sometimes minutes, sometimes never in that watch session. The bridge is hooked up by Ethernet directly to the Eero as well. The root cause is 2.4 vs 5ghz which you can’t fix as hue only officially supports 2.4. Second, my main satellite/router spent months not having a single device connect to it. So it was only working for backload. Recently, that started to fix itself, but I’m already disappointed with it.
I have 1 APU2E4 and used 2 KIWI310 wired to it as access points. Excellent coverage and easy upgrading the wifi by swapping the M.2 2230 cards. Should be standard if you ask me, saves replacing your entire wifi mesh just to get a newer standard.
@@magnus00125 Not fully, buy parts. You have to buy the APU board, buy a drive, buy the wifi, same for the KIWI ones, then arrange housing for the boards. Install OS (1 over serial). My ISP requires certain vlan settings, so input those by hand (automatic settings only supported with their own equipment).
I missed this video somehow, but nice if came back here to check your channel, I need to five some issues and needing something's like this, so nice recommendations sir!
No Asus ZenWifi? Otherwise great video. I never cared for tp-link, always considered them lower quality but the x90 looks pretty great in terms of what you get
Great information! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. What is the best mesh system which is ceiling mounted and CAT6 compatible? I am building a new home, and wish to intergrate a mesh system into it. Thanks!
AmpliFi Support (AmpliFi) Oct 24, 2021, 13:19 PDT Hi Mark, Thanks for getting in touch with us! Amplifi will give the same wifi speed which your isp is providing. However, i can cover a large area giving good results. For example, if you have 200 speeds from the ISP, then the Amplifi router should give the same speed on wireless and wired on the client devices. It will not boost the speed above 200 as the ISP is only providing that much speed on your connection.
You can’t get more speed out of the ISP with a router. But the different router will get you closer to the speeds your ISP has at the modem over WiFi. I.e. I have 1000Mbps and depending on the router I’m using I can reliably get anywhere from 300-900Mbps. So it makes a difference for sure.
Funny thing I was looking for a hotspot and long story short end up looking towards Routers / Hotspots (Routers that double as a hotspot should the home internet go out). Again long story short settled on Netgear. It ended up being having to choose between the Orbi model (LBR20) and the Nighthawk model (LAX20). I was thinking future proofing in case I ever move or needed to extend the range plus internet goes out just popping in my phone's sim card to continue internet use; of going with the Orbi (LBR20). But after talking with Netgear the Nighthawk (LAX20) (Not a mesh so you have to buy another device to extend range if you ever need) won out because even though not a mesh, it had the best performance because of WiFi 6 so it was faster speeds and a more stable network when you pop a sim in to use on a cellular carrier.
I quite like the Asus system. My wider family has appointed me to be their IT guy and their needs are quite varied, so I’ve found that the ASUS Mesh system is very suitable with it’s versatility and I can control it all from my app. I did have some issues with stability but it seems that asus has ironed those problems out.
I’m looking into purchasing the ASUS XT8 system. Any experience with that? Our house is 2100 SqFt house with the internet coming in to the basement and a office for the computer on the 2nd floor, opposite side)
What's hand-off like between mesh access points? so e.g. you're on a Facetime or WhatsApp voice/video call and walk upstairs. Does it disconnect momentarily and reconnect or switch seamlessly? Ditto e.g. MacBooks/laptops, if you take them upstairs/downstairs, do they stubbornly stay connected to the first access point with weak signal or switch seamlessly to the one with the strongest signal?
Regarding the Deco X20 I found they worked great as router for 2 months and then the Internet connection became unstable even after rebooting everything. I had to place back the old reliable Linksys as router and set the X20 as AP only to return to normal. I don’t know if all the fault relies on the X20 or is shared with my ISP since on the old router I have to release and renew the IP address from time to time, but at least the router lets me do more and the workaround is less painful
@@noahark4670 Right now I’m still using the Deco in AP mode instead of router and it’s been working fine. I also changed to fiber which seems to have helped a lot. My biggest complaint right now with the Deco is the smart DHCP; so you can access the devices when the router is down. Sometimes it is too trigger happy so I have to periodically check if it’s on and shut it off again. Otherwise some of my devices lose connection, but it’s not often.
Nice review except where you quote routers' aggregate data rate spec as the throughput. The actual max throughput of an 4x4 Mimo AX router is about ~70% of the max data rate (2400 Mbps assuming 80Mhz channel width) which works out to about 1.6 Gbps which you're still unlikely to get unless your connecting device also supports 4x4 MIMO, is AX compatible and is right next to the router 😂
I have a question with the NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home WiFi 6 System My router I have now is from my isp (spectrum) but can't reach the whole house is my issue but I have a house phone that plugs into the router I have now is there a way to plug the phone cable into the netgear orbi or will my isp be able to connect my house phone through the orbi? Or will I be able to plug the orbi into the existing router and be able to get the better range, speeds, and be able to have the house phones?
Very informative... just needed some routers for my dads house... no better moment to see this video. Thanks for the info. 👊. Now i know the mesh is the best option.
if i just upgraded to gigabit internet what would you recommend? i'm the one paying the bill and the wifi router is on the other side of the house, i'm trying to get the best possible speed. i'm not allowed to run an ethernet cable through the kitchen(only way to my room) please tell me if this is a bad idea. i was going to run an ethernet cable from the router to the edge of the kitchen doorway, put something like the deco x20 at the door way, and the other one on the opposite side of the kitchen and then run an ethernet cord from that one to my room. so sorry this message turned out longer than i expected.
Which one would be good for using in a condo and setting up the ither in another condo 600ft away? Setting the router in the window and the satelite in the other condos windoe in line of sight
Hi, I have one question. I know that these things are just routers. You still need MODEM. If my modem is 2 in 1 with the router can i still using these? or i need to buy a modem only device for better result?
Watched this tube on Mesh Networks to extend existing router but did not find the answer I was looking for. 1. What is the range between each node. 2. Can you link multiple sets together to cover/extend your WiFi in a commercial restaurant with a upstairs/downstairs with alot of metal in the building to reach the whole area of need. pls advise. Thx
Excellent material...and actually the Ubiquiti it's not that expensive (~320€) here (Christmas gift suggestion for my wife :D ). I have do have some questions for some future materials (if possible): what NAS for home would you suggest for home usage: QNAP or Synology? Also, regarding PoE can you give us some info on best devices for best possible speeds? And, considering that we're slowly moving towards 5G , can WiFi 6 be justifiable? I mean you can simply set up a hotspot from your smartphone and you're all set with a high speed network. As always great video and very informative! Keep it up
Thanks so much! I'd recommend Synology usually as their software is just so versatile but maybe I'll do a best of NAS video soon (thanks for the suggestion!). As for 5G, I think it's still not quite there yet for it to replace your home wifi just yet. We're years from that right now (unless you're in a location that can't get landline internet which is where they're trying to deploy 5G at home as fast as possible--aka rural areas). As for tethering from your phone, you'd need some seriously reliable mmWave coverage to get fiber like speeds (I currently have 1gbps up and down from FiOS and won't get that any time soon from 5G--one day probably,but not yet). Thanks for watching!
the problem with the alien is that is difficult to add a satellite. i mean $400 for a satellite is a bit too much. only reason why I am thinking to switch to Deco(s) as I have a large home and a blind spot.
@@SIDNOPL I finally found a solution with my DLink COVR mesh. It isn't WIFI 6, but it does claim to support ethernet backhaul. A claim I doubted for the first 5-6 months of having it. So here's the story : During setup I did what any self respecting techie would do. I plugged in the main DLink Mesh AP to my existing (and expensive) router. Then tried to plug in the other AP's to the same router using ethernet. Running the mesh into bridged mode. That meant that every mesh point suffered severely. I mean speed was about 2/3'rds of what it should have been, and that's download speed. I then tried to daisy chain the satellites to the main AP, well that had the same effect. Now I would never have suspected my main router to be the problem, because it has nothing wrong with it. On it's own it's a capable router and AP and any connected device does get full speed, but at some point while fault finding I eventually got around to "Let's try removing the router". What do you know, suddenly all connected devices got full speed. So I want to add another caveat with these "budget" consumer mesh systems. They might just not play nice with existing routers (and potentially even unmanaged switches). Even if that router or unmanaged switch is working perfectly. In the end I'm a bit limited now, and one satellite is connected over the air, because there just aren't enough native ports to go around, but at some stage I'll risk getting an unmanaged switch. So my advice to anyone is, watch out for this when you get your mesh, and thinking of extending your existing network with mesh AP's. Sometimes not everything is going to play nicely together. Also want to mention that after fixing this, the DLink COVR is actually a super mesh. Does an outstanding job of keeping the internet flowing with absolutely no weird issues at all. I do have it on a schedule to restart daily, so that also helps keep things in check.
@@blahdiblah2169 Yeah, wired backhaul isn't always as straightforward as one might think. Most cases I've seen have all satellites wired on a seperate unmanaged switch of the same brand as the mesh system to reduce weird issues. Don't really know what's up with that. BTW, that daily restart schedule, is that a function that is integrated in the COVR AP's? Sounds like a nice thing to have.
@@SIDNOPL Yes it is. You can set the time of day to some early hour of the morning. I guess it would also be possible to integrate some smart event, because it has some smart functions, like rebooting or turning on and off the guest wifi. Interesting you mention same brand, that's actually a nice tip, when I get the unmanaged switch.
So I bought a TP-Link mesh wifi to improve Frontiers garbage wifi. So I have previously exchanged out the router and I had to use a splitter to set this up.. but after I thought about it further.. I wondered how this all would work and would the wifi improve or be the same?
Hello, I have been searching for the best mesh system for month and I still don’t know what to get. What I’ve been told is that for it to actually work and make a difference, it needs to be plugged into the router. I don’t have the wires ran through my house for that and don’t want to. I don’t have cable (just internet). My router is in the lower level of my home (basically the basement because it’s a split level). There is a room on the upper level that has very poor internet. It’s upstairs on the opposite side of the house. If price isn’t a factor- can you please tell me what you recommend and if a solution is even possible without plugging the system into my router with an Ethernet?
I'm looking to set up a NAS system to store my photos in preparation for the Google Photos changeover. Which one of these mesh system support NAS? It's my understanding that not mesh systems can.
uh? A NAS is just a stand alone pc, so to speak, that you attach to your network, just like a pc. I don't see why a mesh wifi system would interfer with this. Just connect it via a an ethernet cable to your network, preferably to a switch, which is connect tot the router. You should be fine
Need Feedback / Assistance, for Deco X20 (or Linksys unit) with Gigabit ethernet, isnt it pointless to have Wifi 6 (1200 MBPS) while the ethernet port connected to the modem is Gigabit ethernet (1000mbps)? so it means it will mostly bottleneck in case using a wifi 6 device at full speed?
There are more benefits to wifi 6 than the speed (see my video on it linked in the cards in the video for more info). As for speed it generally still means faster speeds in general because it has higher bandwidth with more devices using it at once but also if you're sending thing within your network then the max speed of the router is the only bottleneck
Does anybody know if we can select a specific deck device as a source signal for another deco device ? I mean that in my house we have 4 different deco mesh E4 devices but the one receive weak signal from the first main but not from the one which is situated more close. I wish I am clear
What about an outdoor scenario where your on 5 acres and want Wi-Fi mesh to cover that entire area indoors and outdoors. That’s a scenario you didn’t cover for those who don’t live in big ass cities.
The TP-link Deco AX1800 looks like a roll of TP. I wonder if that was intentional 🤔 My only warning to those watching this video in 2022 is that Netgear no longer allows you to use their Wifi app without automatically opting you into analytics. That means they collect your data for many reasons, including marketing. The only way to opt out is to email them. If privacy is a concern to you, I would avoid anything Netgear. I don’t know if other manufacturers are doing the same thing, but I’m replacing my Nighthawk system because of that and the fact that the Netgear satellites are absolute trash and will suddenly never connect to the main hub again for no reason. Good luck, everyone ✌️😁
I really like your videos and I was wondering if you could help me decide on which mesh system to get. My current internet plan is 500/500. I am deciding between ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (XT8 2PK) for $377.00 and NETGEAR - Orbi RBK753S AX4200 WiFi 6 Mesh System 3PK (1 router 2 satellites) - $349.99 costco. I know one is AX6600 and one is AX4200 but I am confused due to the extra satellite with the Orbi. Also, with Asus i think its life long cyber security and with the orbi its only for 1 year. According to you, which one is a better deal? Your help would be really grateful.
Working on a Decodr episode soon to explain what it is and then as more routers come out with it I'll do another video like this for wifi 6e models (it's a ways away though)
@@TheUnlockr yeah. There's only a couple of routers but the AX210 adapter is super cheap and can be upgraded in pretty much any computer. 6E is just so much better and it's technically here. I always recommend my customers skip 6 and go to 6e because it's an actual generational improvement.
@@BryantAvant If you want to future proof, right now not enough client devices with a 6e card. Easy way to explain the difference 6e more channels in 160 range (more lanes on the highway analogy). The drawback of 6 and 6e is range of signal compared to 5. The benefits less channel traffic, speed increase, bandwidth, etc. Oh we should note people near airports (10 miles) and weather stations have the DFS channels issue (radar) to think of with wifi 6, as routers requires DFS for top end wifi 6 speeds.
I found a used set of the deco AC1200 for 40$. Would this limit my 500mbps internet or would I be better off with a newer system in 2023? We just have a wide house and need something for range increase
Can I just plug 1 into my router then the other one in my room cus that would be best for me also would the Ethernet of the second floor be in my room make my ping better because I get 60-80 over wifi
Why is no one comparing the ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System? I see single reviews, but no comparison reviews. Especially since Arris is boasting that it's the fastest system on the market.
Got Deco X20 last year. Connected main deco to modem, then connected 4 additional nodes with ethernet through my attic. Have fast mesh wifi throughout house with minimal speed loss since system wired (no need for tri band). App and free antivirus software is excellent. Thanks TP link!
how is the device works so far
Still works great! My new galaxy s21 is wifi6 so I get full 500 mbs speed on it. Very happy with mesh wifi system.
@@danielfox9860 I'm thinking getting it for my new house at the end of February.
Hi! do the parental controls carry over all over the mesh network? need this feature for my kids. thanks.
When I called my isp they seemed to have taken my new router purchase personally lol
Ha they just want that extra money lol
Good thing we can do most things on the internet now, no need to call a isp and wait just to feel unsatisfactory at the end of the call
Great video. I still have a WiFi 5 mesh set up with Ethernet backhaul but eventually will move to WiFi 6 Tri-Band. This video helps a lot.
So glad you found it helpful 🙏
I have the Alien setup and absolutely love them. No issues whatsoever and super fast. Running over 50 devices and tons of streaming with no hiccups.
Thanks, I've been wanting to get that one but haven't found much info about it .
I got two of the Alien Amplify routers and used them in a mesh. They are soo much better than the Apple express mesh setup I had been using before. One unit almost covered the entire 2 story house. The meshed unit almost behaves like its the main unit in terms of the speed and quality of the internet. I'm very happy with them. I also like actually seeing the data on both the main and the mesh unit so I bought two of the Alien routers rather than the bundle with a second unit with no screen.
The majority of these routers won’t need your ISPs one if you are on fibre. Definitely something worth looking into. Also if your plugging them into the isp router you will want to enable bridge mode.
True but I usually don't recommend sending back the fiber one even if you can replace this as if something goes wrong with fiber a lot of times you'll need the original router to fix it unfortunately (least in my experience) but yeah bridge mode is always a good idea for the original router when using any third party router in conjunction with it agreed!
Or you can disable the WiFi setting on your old router.
ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 AX6600
I couldn't be happier with this system.
Got the same. Absolutely great for me too.
@@dbpreacher69
Can't think of a single problem I've had since I set them up.
Have heard about firmware issues and devices getting disconnected
I have been very impressed with the Asus XT8 Mesh setup (2 piece) so far. My house is 3 stories and about 2400 sq/ft. Bottom floor is my office and garage, all with concrete floors and concrete exterior walls. I previously had an Orbi AC3000 system with 2 satellites. It worked decently, but some areas of the house still struggled getting strong speeds regardless of placement. The Asus XT8 system, with the router in my office on the bottom floor (same as the Orbi) and placing the satellite on the second floor at the other end of the house (tried a couple other positions) and every square inch of my house is now getting around 500Mbps transfer rates (most my devices are wireless ac still), even on the third floor where previously with the Orbi, it was averaging about 50-100mb/s in my daughters room. The only problem I have ran into is that some of my existing IOT devices do not like the Asus with AX enabled and refuse to connect. But even with it disabled, speeds are generally unchanged.
hey i do have the exactly floor plan as you, 3 floors with 2400sqft. I've actually tried 3 different mesh so far: google wifi (3 devices), nest wifi (3 devices), and currently asus AX1800 (3 devices). I have a gigabit internet and placed my main hub on the 3rd floor as I have my main desktop there. wired, I do get the full speed, and wireless right next to each other using my iPhone I do get about 300-400mbps. But using 2nd and 1st floor the highest I've ever got was 60-80mbps. is this normal?
Also, trying to download some games, I should be getting 200mbps in my desktop on my 3rd floor, but in 2nd floor using wifi I'm only getting like 1mbps maximum and it's extremely frustrating.
would you still recommend just using 2 XT8 and should still be fine?
@@leomode2 I think each use case is different with different obstacles and interference. I had to experiment with placement of my 2nd XT8 to get proper coverage and good speed to all rooms. Additionally my daughters computer has built in wifi, but the motherboards built in AX wifi module was garbage and never got a good signal. Hilariously, a old TP-Link USB AC wifi module I had laying around had much better signal and allowed for triple the speeds in her room.
What's hand-off like between the access points? so e.g. you're on a Facetime or WhatsApp voice/video call and walk upstairs. Does it disconnect momentarily and reconnect or switch seamlessly?
Ditto e.g. MacBooks/laptops, if you take them upstairs/downstairs, do they stubbornly stay connected to the first access point with weak signal or switch seamlessly to the one with the strongest signal?
Got Deco x20 last year. They work wonders
You have a wifi connection or via Ethernet?
I'm using X20 in my 5200 sqr ft 3 story house. Lots of walls between different floors and rooms but the x20 is running really good !
Videos like this are what sets David apart from other "tech" youtubers who only review mobile techs... another great informative video 🤜🏼🤛🏼
Thank you so much!!
Would love to see a review comparison of the security features all these mesh wifi devices offers
do it yourself then
A friend gave me a mesh orbi a year ago. When I tried to install it, it would not connect to internet. I knew from experience I needed to call my ISP to get them to allow it on their side. Called and they said everything was good on their end and it should be working fine. I asked them to double check, but they insisted. I had to call Netgear and pay the absurd price for their customer service. I asked before hand if they were 100% confident they could fix it on their side. They assured they could. So I paid their bs fee and went through all the steps you would normally try on your own. 2 hours later, they said, you have to call your ISP for them to solve the issue. Called ISP again and sure enough, they had to activate it. I will never buy another Netgear product. Still mad at my ISP but don't have a choice
Linksys is one of the companies that with MX5 Velop AX Whole Home WiFi 6 (SKU MX5300) only serves 80MHz - Cisco Meraki MR56 is another.
A number of manufacturers do not follow the WiFi 6 certification but are still marked as a WiFi 6 product. The problem here is that they do not follow the Wi-Fi Alliance standard 160Hz from the ax standard (up to 1733 Mbps - 4804Mbps on the shorter 5GHz channel), but instead 80MHz which theoretically stops at 450Mbps. What you have to do before you choose one, if you want to really upgrade the speed at home, is to check in the manual that 160Hz is max. Do not buy anything lower, because then the performance is also worse and you do not really have a real WiFi 6 router.
wow...so much thanks for this extra info!
Worst purchase of my life-bar none-was the Linksys Atlas Max8400AXE Wi-Fi 6E tri-band mesh 3-tower Velop…too many reasons to list them all, but among the worst is that 6E is an advertising ploy…and will likely never be more than that. 6 Ghz signals have real trouble connecting if you have anything obscuring a clear line of sight from router to client. That includes say a right turn in your hall. Walls? Doors? Floors? You’re pissing in the wind trying to get the “parent” node to connect with “child” nodes on the 6GHz band. They dont do much better with the 5 GHz either but thoughtfully Linksys did equip all nodes with 1 wlan port and 4 more lan ports..I use wired connections as often as possible with mine… one final word on 6E…it really doesn’t matter that connectivity sucks on that band. Because other than competing 6E mesh routers systems, there are exactly zero consumer level devices that are even able to DETECT a 6GHz signal…much less actually communicate on one. And since the range of a particular sound wave frequency is not adjustable, whatever claims being made about theoretical boosts in wifi speeds with 6E are seriously only relevant in a hermetic laboratory somewhere and border on false advertising in my opinion. I’ve got mine listed for sale on Craigslist, lightly used for $650 if anyone disagrees with me and just has to have one…..by all means let me know
Good list. I would also added the eero 6 mesh system
Thanks bud and good call!
@@TheUnlockr Why is there no ASUS Ai-Mesh system in this lineup. It would have been a solid contender. Hope you include it in the next one.
I have the eero pro 6 and honestly, I’m a bit disappointed to the point I’m thinking of changing it out. Hence, why I’m here. There are two issues I have with Eero Pro 6. My hue bridge/sync disconnects constantly and it’s distracting when the sync lighting matches content and then stops working and then it goes back to bright white default light. Sometimes it fixes itself with 20 secs, sometimes minutes, sometimes never in that watch session. The bridge is hooked up by Ethernet directly to the Eero as well. The root cause is 2.4 vs 5ghz which you can’t fix as hue only officially supports 2.4. Second, my main satellite/router spent months not having a single device connect to it. So it was only working for backload. Recently, that started to fix itself, but I’m already disappointed with it.
@@AnotherOfficeDay I'll second that rating on the Eero Pro 6 - complete garbage! I'm looking for a better mouse trap regardless of price.
Great video! I bought the Alien a few days ago!
Thank you! Do you love it?
@@TheUnlockr So far yes, I came from the Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 which was a disaster
I have 1 APU2E4 and used 2 KIWI310 wired to it as access points.
Excellent coverage and easy upgrading the wifi by swapping the M.2 2230 cards. Should be standard if you ask me, saves replacing your entire wifi mesh just to get a newer standard.
Is that a homemade setup?
@@magnus00125 Not fully, buy parts. You have to buy the APU board, buy a drive, buy the wifi, same for the KIWI ones, then arrange housing for the boards. Install OS (1 over serial).
My ISP requires certain vlan settings, so input those by hand (automatic settings only supported with their own equipment).
Nice video as always... Waiting for some new WiFi 6E routers to come out here in Portugal :/ .. Currently rocking a R8000 from Netgear
Thank you!
Thanks for the video! I used your link for tplink mesh WiFi when I ordered and made me decision way easier. Look forward to upgrading.
Thank you!
I’m glad this was video was served to me. I’m changing things at home and looking to buy something new for the WiFi at home
I missed this video somehow, but nice if came back here to check your channel, I need to five some issues and needing something's like this, so nice recommendations sir!
Thank you!
What?!? No Eero Pro? That's what I use and would have appreciated the comparison.
Looking sharp David and awesome content as always 🔥
Thanks!!
No Asus ZenWifi? Otherwise great video. I never cared for tp-link, always considered them lower quality but the x90 looks pretty great in terms of what you get
Second for ASUS
Great information! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. What is the best mesh system which is ceiling mounted and CAT6 compatible? I am building a new home, and wish to intergrate a mesh system into it. Thanks!
Any help on which one of these is better for going through concrete walls and marble floors in a 5k sq ft/~500sq m home?
I have 2 units of Deco X-60 and it works great.
You have them connected via wifi or Ethernet ?
@@just25fm they are connected to each other via wifi
@@callmemarc do you have speed losses?
@@gautham6190 not that I have noticed
Great video. Which would you prefer for someone using them just for ps5
AmpliFi Support (AmpliFi)
Oct 24, 2021, 13:19 PDT
Hi Mark,
Thanks for getting in touch with us!
Amplifi will give the same wifi speed which your isp is providing. However, i can cover a large area giving good results.
For example, if you have 200 speeds from the ISP, then the Amplifi router should give the same speed on wireless and wired on the client devices. It will not boost the speed above 200 as the ISP is only providing that much speed on your connection.
You can’t get more speed out of the ISP with a router. But the different router will get you closer to the speeds your ISP has at the modem over WiFi. I.e. I have 1000Mbps and depending on the router I’m using I can reliably get anywhere from 300-900Mbps. So it makes a difference for sure.
Funny thing I was looking for a hotspot and long story short end up looking towards Routers / Hotspots (Routers that double as a hotspot should the home internet go out). Again long story short settled on Netgear. It ended up being having to choose between the Orbi model (LBR20) and the Nighthawk model (LAX20). I was thinking future proofing in case I ever move or needed to extend the range plus internet goes out just popping in my phone's sim card to continue internet use; of going with the Orbi (LBR20). But after talking with Netgear the Nighthawk (LAX20) (Not a mesh so you have to buy another device to extend range if you ever need) won out because even though not a mesh, it had the best performance because of WiFi 6 so it was faster speeds and a more stable network when you pop a sim in to use on a cellular carrier.
I quite like the Asus system. My wider family has appointed me to be their IT guy and their needs are quite varied, so I’ve found that the ASUS Mesh system is very suitable with it’s versatility and I can control it all from my app. I did have some issues with stability but it seems that asus has ironed those problems out.
I’m looking into purchasing the ASUS XT8 system. Any experience with that? Our house is 2100 SqFt house with the internet coming in to the basement and a office for the computer on the 2nd floor, opposite side)
I found asus stability to be poor
amplifi alien has ethernet backhaul, which is better than wireless backhaul.
Nice video, well explained, no fluff.
Thank you!
Excellent content as usual, great job David!
Thank you!!
I wish this video would show if any of those router have VLANs and isolated guest networks, I did some research and only a few have it
i have TP link mesh, but i have problems with coverage through our massive walls.. any that are better regarding this?
What's hand-off like between mesh access points? so e.g. you're on a Facetime or WhatsApp voice/video call and walk upstairs. Does it disconnect momentarily and reconnect or switch seamlessly?
Ditto e.g. MacBooks/laptops, if you take them upstairs/downstairs, do they stubbornly stay connected to the first access point with weak signal or switch seamlessly to the one with the strongest signal?
Great list and comparison. Thanks!
Thank you!
Very informative. Thanks a lot!
Regarding the Deco X20 I found they worked great as router for 2 months and then the Internet connection became unstable even after rebooting everything. I had to place back the old reliable Linksys as router and set the X20 as AP only to return to normal.
I don’t know if all the fault relies on the X20 or is shared with my ISP since on the old router I have to release and renew the IP address from time to time, but at least the router lets me do more and the workaround is less painful
how is it right now?
@@noahark4670 Right now I’m still using the Deco in AP mode instead of router and it’s been working fine. I also changed to fiber which seems to have helped a lot.
My biggest complaint right now with the Deco is the smart DHCP; so you can access the devices when the router is down. Sometimes it is too trigger happy so I have to periodically check if it’s on and shut it off again. Otherwise some of my devices lose connection, but it’s not often.
Nice review except where you quote routers' aggregate data rate spec as the throughput. The actual max throughput of an 4x4 Mimo AX router is about ~70% of the max data rate (2400 Mbps assuming 80Mhz channel width) which works out to about 1.6 Gbps which you're still unlikely to get unless your connecting device also supports 4x4 MIMO, is AX compatible and is right next to the router 😂
Thanks for letting me know about the Alien one, im getting that one no matter the price !!!
The Amplifi Alien looks the coolest, but it lacks 160 mhz and the satellite only has 1 ethernet port.
Hey David quick question…Which one is the best one for port forward…want to add my nvr camera system…I have 3,600 sqf
Loved the video mate
Thank you!
@@TheUnlockr :)
I have a question with the NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home WiFi 6 System My router I have now is from my isp (spectrum) but can't reach the whole house is my issue but I have a house phone that plugs into the router I have now is there a way to plug the phone cable into the netgear orbi or will my isp be able to connect my house phone through the orbi? Or will I be able to plug the orbi into the existing router and be able to get the better range, speeds, and be able to have the house phones?
Very informative... just needed some routers for my dads house... no better moment to see this video. Thanks for the info. 👊. Now i know the mesh is the best option.
Thank you!!
if i just upgraded to gigabit internet what would you recommend? i'm the one paying the bill and the wifi router is on the other side of the house, i'm trying to get the best possible speed. i'm not allowed to run an ethernet cable through the kitchen(only way to my room) please tell me if this is a bad idea.
i was going to run an ethernet cable from the router to the edge of the kitchen doorway, put something like the deco x20 at the door way, and the other one on the opposite side of the kitchen and then run an ethernet cord from that one to my room.
so sorry this message turned out longer than i expected.
Deco X90 is superb
Netgear Orbi ax6000
canttt wait for your zenfone 8 real world test!
They never sent me one 🤷♂️
Very nice review. Thanks
Which one would be good for using in a condo and setting up the ither in another condo 600ft away? Setting the router in the window and the satelite in the other condos windoe in line of sight
If I decide to buy some mesh routers should I buy a new router that supports wifi6? Or is one fo these mesh devices the new main router itself?
Great! David!!!
Thank you!!!
Among the wifi routers that you reviewed, who among them has dual WAN?
You should try out Plume’s WiFi Mesh.
Hi, I have one question. I know that these things are just routers. You still need MODEM. If my modem is 2 in 1 with the router can i still using these? or i need to buy a modem only device for better result?
Haha you and mrmobile is my favorite ever. Very unorthodox way of reviewing. Hehe.
Thank you!
Hi, I’m looking one that works in heavy concrete walls .
when will you review the m1 ipad pro?
Can you connect two alien routers( with the screen) together on different levels of your house?
Will it provide faster speeds?
So which ones allow hard wired connection between mesh units?
Watched this tube on Mesh Networks to extend existing router but did not find the answer I was looking for. 1. What is the range between each node. 2. Can you link multiple sets together to cover/extend your WiFi in a commercial restaurant with a upstairs/downstairs with alot of metal in the building to reach the whole area of need. pls advise. Thx
Excellent material...and actually the Ubiquiti it's not that expensive (~320€) here (Christmas gift suggestion for my wife :D ). I have do have some questions for some future materials (if possible): what NAS for home would you suggest for home usage: QNAP or Synology? Also, regarding PoE can you give us some info on best devices for best possible speeds? And, considering that we're slowly moving towards 5G , can WiFi 6 be justifiable? I mean you can simply set up a hotspot from your smartphone and you're all set with a high speed network. As always great video and very informative! Keep it up
Thanks so much! I'd recommend Synology usually as their software is just so versatile but maybe I'll do a best of NAS video soon (thanks for the suggestion!).
As for 5G, I think it's still not quite there yet for it to replace your home wifi just yet. We're years from that right now (unless you're in a location that can't get landline internet which is where they're trying to deploy 5G at home as fast as possible--aka rural areas). As for tethering from your phone, you'd need some seriously reliable mmWave coverage to get fiber like speeds (I currently have 1gbps up and down from FiOS and won't get that any time soon from 5G--one day probably,but not yet). Thanks for watching!
@@TheUnlockr any recommendation for some good PoE (Power over Ethernet)? Really want to get rid of the cables (both home and office)..
the problem with the alien is that is difficult to add a satellite. i mean $400 for a satellite is a bit too much. only reason why I am thinking to switch to Deco(s) as I have a large home and a blind spot.
Besides the orbi 6 what other modem/router combos are out there that are as good as or better than the orbi 6? Regardless of price
Check out Taotronics AC3000
Fingering the Pulse: WiFi 6
Would be nice to see an affordable one that straight up supports a reliable ethernet backhaul.
Deco M9, or M5 even, might tick that box.
@@SIDNOPL I finally found a solution with my DLink COVR mesh. It isn't WIFI 6, but it does claim to support ethernet backhaul. A claim I doubted for the first 5-6 months of having it.
So here's the story : During setup I did what any self respecting techie would do. I plugged in the main DLink Mesh AP to my existing (and expensive) router. Then tried to plug in the other AP's to the same router using ethernet. Running the mesh into bridged mode. That meant that every mesh point suffered severely. I mean speed was about 2/3'rds of what it should have been, and that's download speed.
I then tried to daisy chain the satellites to the main AP, well that had the same effect.
Now I would never have suspected my main router to be the problem, because it has nothing wrong with it. On it's own it's a capable router and AP and any connected device does get full speed, but at some point while fault finding I eventually got around to "Let's try removing the router". What do you know, suddenly all connected devices got full speed.
So I want to add another caveat with these "budget" consumer mesh systems. They might just not play nice with existing routers (and potentially even unmanaged switches). Even if that router or unmanaged switch is working perfectly. In the end I'm a bit limited now, and one satellite is connected over the air, because there just aren't enough native ports to go around, but at some stage I'll risk getting an unmanaged switch.
So my advice to anyone is, watch out for this when you get your mesh, and thinking of extending your existing network with mesh AP's. Sometimes not everything is going to play nicely together.
Also want to mention that after fixing this, the DLink COVR is actually a super mesh. Does an outstanding job of keeping the internet flowing with absolutely no weird issues at all. I do have it on a schedule to restart daily, so that also helps keep things in check.
@@blahdiblah2169 Yeah, wired backhaul isn't always as straightforward as one might think. Most cases I've seen have all satellites wired on a seperate unmanaged switch of the same brand as the mesh system to reduce weird issues. Don't really know what's up with that.
BTW, that daily restart schedule, is that a function that is integrated in the COVR AP's? Sounds like a nice thing to have.
@@SIDNOPL Yes it is. You can set the time of day to some early hour of the morning. I guess it would also be possible to integrate some smart event, because it has some smart functions, like rebooting or turning on and off the guest wifi.
Interesting you mention same brand, that's actually a nice tip, when I get the unmanaged switch.
I have the Ubiquiti Alien WiFi Mesh and it’s the fastest and most reliable WiFi routers I’ve ever had.
So I bought a TP-Link mesh wifi to improve Frontiers garbage wifi. So I have previously exchanged out the router and I had to use a splitter to set this up.. but after I thought about it further.. I wondered how this all would work and would the wifi improve or be the same?
NETGEAR ORBI RBR850❤️
Do you have to plug these into your modem first, then spread the rest around the house?
Yes.
I just picked up the Netgear Orbi Quad -band 6E mesh system with 2 satellites and 10.8 gps.. can you do a video on these?
Hello, I have been searching for the best mesh system for month and I still don’t know what to get. What I’ve been told is that for it to actually work and make a difference, it needs to be plugged into the router. I don’t have the wires ran through my house for that and don’t want to. I don’t have cable (just internet). My router is in the lower level of my home (basically the basement because it’s a split level). There is a room on the upper level that has very poor internet. It’s upstairs on the opposite side of the house. If price isn’t a factor- can you please tell me what you recommend and if a solution is even possible without plugging the system into my router with an Ethernet?
I'm looking to set up a NAS system to store my photos in preparation for the Google Photos changeover. Which one of these mesh system support NAS? It's my understanding that not mesh systems can.
uh? A NAS is just a stand alone pc, so to speak, that you attach to your network, just like a pc. I don't see why a mesh wifi system would interfer with this. Just connect it via a an ethernet cable to your network, preferably to a switch, which is connect tot the router. You should be fine
Need Feedback / Assistance, for Deco X20 (or Linksys unit) with Gigabit ethernet, isnt it pointless to have Wifi 6 (1200 MBPS) while the ethernet port connected to the modem is Gigabit ethernet (1000mbps)? so it means it will mostly bottleneck in case using a wifi 6 device at full speed?
There are more benefits to wifi 6 than the speed (see my video on it linked in the cards in the video for more info). As for speed it generally still means faster speeds in general because it has higher bandwidth with more devices using it at once but also if you're sending thing within your network then the max speed of the router is the only bottleneck
Does anybody know if we can select a specific deck device as a source signal for another deco device ? I mean that in my house we have 4 different deco mesh E4 devices but the one receive weak signal from the first main but not from the one which is situated more close. I wish I am clear
We just got fiber we have a lot devices 45 lol can’t decide house big with the garage
So this might be a dumb question but 1 of these stays connected to the main hub and the other 2 or 1 can be placed arpund anywhwere.else right?
How to connect satellite in the basement torouter on first floor?
Hello, from Peru, What do you recommend me to buy. The M9 TP Link or the X20 TP Link. My son enjoy to play video games!
One with best latency
What about an outdoor scenario where your on 5 acres and want Wi-Fi mesh to cover that entire area indoors and outdoors. That’s a scenario you didn’t cover for those who don’t live in big ass cities.
The TP-link Deco AX1800 looks like a roll of TP. I wonder if that was intentional 🤔 My only warning to those watching this video in 2022 is that Netgear no longer allows you to use their Wifi app without automatically opting you into analytics. That means they collect your data for many reasons, including marketing. The only way to opt out is to email them. If privacy is a concern to you, I would avoid anything Netgear. I don’t know if other manufacturers are doing the same thing, but I’m replacing my Nighthawk system because of that and the fact that the Netgear satellites are absolute trash and will suddenly never connect to the main hub again for no reason. Good luck, everyone ✌️😁
Are these router and modem in one? Do you need a separate router for these or you just buy these and set up?
I really like your videos and I was wondering if you could help me decide on which mesh system to get. My current internet plan is 500/500. I am deciding between ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (XT8 2PK) for $377.00 and NETGEAR - Orbi RBK753S AX4200 WiFi 6 Mesh System 3PK (1 router 2 satellites) - $349.99 costco. I know one is AX6600 and one is AX4200 but I am confused due to the extra satellite with the Orbi. Also, with Asus i think its life long cyber security and with the orbi its only for 1 year. According to you, which one is a better deal? Your help would be really grateful.
Best one for a ps5? I had a set of netgear orbi and was only getting speeds of 200mbps and my plan has 500mbps
I've seen a lot of wifi 6 reviews. Where's the 6E reviews? 6E is the actual new generation in the 6ghz spectrum.
Working on a Decodr episode soon to explain what it is and then as more routers come out with it I'll do another video like this for wifi 6e models (it's a ways away though)
@@TheUnlockr yeah. There's only a couple of routers but the AX210 adapter is super cheap and can be upgraded in pretty much any computer. 6E is just so much better and it's technically here. I always recommend my customers skip 6 and go to 6e because it's an actual generational improvement.
@@BryantAvant If you want to future proof, right now not enough client devices with a 6e card. Easy way to explain the difference 6e more channels in 160 range (more lanes on the highway analogy). The drawback of 6 and 6e is range of signal compared to 5. The benefits less channel traffic, speed increase, bandwidth, etc. Oh we should note people near airports (10 miles) and weather stations have the DFS channels issue (radar) to think of with wifi 6, as routers requires DFS for top end wifi 6 speeds.
is there any benefit from connecting two devices by hardwire cable coming from router\switch
What is your opinion on the Asus ET8 mesh system?
So which one do you recommend for gaming?
Which do you recommend for wireless PC VR
I found a used set of the deco AC1200 for 40$. Would this limit my 500mbps internet or would I be better off with a newer system in 2023? We just have a wide house and need something for range increase
What is mesh? Is it ok with ''one mesh'' in the basement or do I need ''all mesh'' Only need internett for the pc, television and for 2 phones.
Could you propose steps to hook Orbi to Starlink?
Can I just plug 1 into my router then the other one in my room cus that would be best for me also would the Ethernet of the second floor be in my room make my ping better because I get 60-80 over wifi
New to this, please how does the Ruckus systems compare to these. Thx
Should I buy a WiFi extender if I’m getting Att Fiber
I love my tp link deco x20 no drop streaming
Why is no one comparing the ARRIS SURFboard mAX Pro Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System? I see single reviews, but no comparison reviews. Especially since Arris is boasting that it's the fastest system on the market.
Can someone tell me how is ping on these mesh routhers when 10 or more device connect