Romaniac
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 52
- Location
- Denver and Seattle
Hey all,
So I have a situation where I need some advice/previous experience feedback as there are some variables at play. I am also lacking some experience with a large home and the different solutions that are now available; so please take it easy.
If you want to see what I want to accomplish/what the client wants, scroll to the bottom. It's possible this is simpler than I think.
Thanks for the help!
Physical setting:
- Location is in the foothills in Colorado; Cell reception is weak, and thus the client needs reliable WiFi connectivity and coverage.
- 6,500 square foot log home, with a partial second floor. Additionally, the client would like some coverage in the yard.
- Mostly wood walls (Perhaps 8"-10" thick logs), though there are other materials in some places, like plaster or drywall.
Current Network info:
- Comcast, 150mbps down
- The client has done a good job wiring the house with Ethernet runs. He has 6 cable runs throughout the home. I speed tested all of them and the throughput was good. (Tested with a Dell i7 laptop).
- He has 10+ port forwarding rules he had to setup for certain devices.
Comcast Modem (modem only) > Netgear Router (old) > A basic Switch (straight through, no config) > All other Eths go throughout house, one desktop and a couple bridges (more under additional network info).
One line has a wall jack it goes through, and the throughput there was a little lower than others.
Current WiFi configuration:
- A hodgepodge of APs that are wired via the Eths. Different types of Netgear (1 with bad wifi output, 2 OK), a D-Link (not great wifi), and a Cisco (OK wifi, but this is the one on the line that goes through jack and has lower throughout).
-WiFi signals seemed OK, but speeds were terrible. I was getting 20mbps from most of them, even being right next to them.
- APs have same network SSID and password on all the APs.
Additional network info, considerations:
I'm hoping to impact these very little, or at all as they're working great.
- DELL server running on the network; sounds like a simple setup hosting a OneDrive account for backup.
- EnGenious (brand) Wireless bridge going to his son's house, half a mile down the road. That's working great.
He also has a wireless bridge going out to a shed where he has an AP. That also works great.
What's happening and What the client wants:
- The current APs he has do OK-ish, but not great (hence he called). I think devices connect to an AP and tend to hold onto that signal even though a better one may be available. Basically, there needs to be a better "hand-off" and also throughput.
- The client would like reliable WiFi connectivity throughout the house (and some yard coverage), as family relies on WiFi calling, etc.
- Equipment budget seems to be fine at $800 and possibly even more.
Solution thoughts:
Is a mesh network what I want here?
Is there a solution - mesh or otherwise - where we can utilize more than 1 or 2 eth runs for better throughput? Perhaps even all 6 throughout the house? He also wanted to use them because I think he though it's a shame if they're idle.
Would a Google mesh network work and be more user friendly? Setup WiFi with this and leave most of the network untouched? But can it utilize the eths?
Saw a review noting that if the ISP modem can't act as a pure bride, you have to deal with a NAT; don't like that.
Ubiquity for home?
He is willing to do a Ubiquity enterprise solution, but I'm wondering if that will get too complicated with the settings. He does seem capable though. But I don't want to get bogged down in a ton of configs.
I'd like to leave his switches and bridges alone, if possible.
Thank You!
So I have a situation where I need some advice/previous experience feedback as there are some variables at play. I am also lacking some experience with a large home and the different solutions that are now available; so please take it easy.
If you want to see what I want to accomplish/what the client wants, scroll to the bottom. It's possible this is simpler than I think.
Thanks for the help!
Physical setting:
- Location is in the foothills in Colorado; Cell reception is weak, and thus the client needs reliable WiFi connectivity and coverage.
- 6,500 square foot log home, with a partial second floor. Additionally, the client would like some coverage in the yard.
- Mostly wood walls (Perhaps 8"-10" thick logs), though there are other materials in some places, like plaster or drywall.
Current Network info:
- Comcast, 150mbps down
- The client has done a good job wiring the house with Ethernet runs. He has 6 cable runs throughout the home. I speed tested all of them and the throughput was good. (Tested with a Dell i7 laptop).
- He has 10+ port forwarding rules he had to setup for certain devices.
Comcast Modem (modem only) > Netgear Router (old) > A basic Switch (straight through, no config) > All other Eths go throughout house, one desktop and a couple bridges (more under additional network info).
One line has a wall jack it goes through, and the throughput there was a little lower than others.
Current WiFi configuration:
- A hodgepodge of APs that are wired via the Eths. Different types of Netgear (1 with bad wifi output, 2 OK), a D-Link (not great wifi), and a Cisco (OK wifi, but this is the one on the line that goes through jack and has lower throughout).
-WiFi signals seemed OK, but speeds were terrible. I was getting 20mbps from most of them, even being right next to them.
- APs have same network SSID and password on all the APs.
Additional network info, considerations:
I'm hoping to impact these very little, or at all as they're working great.
- DELL server running on the network; sounds like a simple setup hosting a OneDrive account for backup.
- EnGenious (brand) Wireless bridge going to his son's house, half a mile down the road. That's working great.
He also has a wireless bridge going out to a shed where he has an AP. That also works great.
What's happening and What the client wants:
- The current APs he has do OK-ish, but not great (hence he called). I think devices connect to an AP and tend to hold onto that signal even though a better one may be available. Basically, there needs to be a better "hand-off" and also throughput.
- The client would like reliable WiFi connectivity throughout the house (and some yard coverage), as family relies on WiFi calling, etc.
- Equipment budget seems to be fine at $800 and possibly even more.
Solution thoughts:
Is a mesh network what I want here?
Is there a solution - mesh or otherwise - where we can utilize more than 1 or 2 eth runs for better throughput? Perhaps even all 6 throughout the house? He also wanted to use them because I think he though it's a shame if they're idle.
Would a Google mesh network work and be more user friendly? Setup WiFi with this and leave most of the network untouched? But can it utilize the eths?
Saw a review noting that if the ISP modem can't act as a pure bride, you have to deal with a NAT; don't like that.
Ubiquity for home?
He is willing to do a Ubiquity enterprise solution, but I'm wondering if that will get too complicated with the settings. He does seem capable though. But I don't want to get bogged down in a ton of configs.
I'd like to leave his switches and bridges alone, if possible.
Thank You!
Last edited:
