Reply With Quotethere is no way id swap out hardwired access points for a mesh network.Originally Posted by wileeeeeey
I assume you’ve used this draytek guide for setting them up?
https://draytek.co.uk/support/guides/kb-ap-mobility
Edit: have you tried using the strictly minimum rssi setting to see if the behaviour changes?
Last edited by Captain Morgan; 22nd September 2021 at 10:54.
there is no way id swap out hardwired access points for a mesh network.
My mesh network is hardwired...
ETA: even the mesh network at my in-laws is hardwired (backhauled)
Last edited by wileeeeeey; 22nd September 2021 at 11:47.
TBF you might be using the term mesh as the marketers use it rather than it’s actual meaning.
The unifi only uses mesh when you connect a ap to the system via another ap.
what access points are you using, doesnt sound like mesh as i understand it.
Ubiquiti in my house and Orbi in my in-laws.
Quick guide on Orbi here - https://kb.netgear.com/000051205/Wha...bi-WiFi-System
Ah, so more smart handoff with auto balancing (for RSI probably) than true mesh in the true sense of the word.
i have ubiquiti too, if its hardwired its not mesh (in ubiquiti terms anyway)
Thanks for the advice, I did look at the Draytek guides and yes chose, (I think) Strictly minimum RSI but I will double check as minimum was recommended. I did leave the default dBm settings for this as no real idea what to change them to.
It definitley had handover problems then (Apple & Android) and also some odd behaviour eg laptop not connecting to closest AP on boot.
I then enabled the minimum DL rates and this seems to help, although no idea really where to set them - I just used 5.5/6 MBps as performance is really poo below this and on the correct AP will easily get 20-30 so maybe this could be higher ?
I have 2.4 & 5 GHz enabled (with same SSID & PW) maybe it would be better to separate these - although have Sonos and a few other things so maybe this would cause problems if I did ?
Android does show the signal strength eg rssi = 58 & I can see -70dBm is OK so maybe it is a matter of playing with the dBm on strictly minimum.
Having 2.4 & 5ghz on the same ssid shouldn’t cause an issue, it might help troubleshooting as you’ll see what frq the devices prefer, if the mgt portal doesn’t show this info.
Shouldn’t have issues with Sonos etc unless you are also using different vlans for each ssid.
It might pay to look for a draytek forum to see if this is a known feature.
You could try upping the dl threshold to just below the max you see on a ap and see if that forces the behaviour you want and then tune downward until it doesn’t work to get your spread.
That said I’d suggest trying to make only one change at a time to try and identify the cause.
Thanks for the advice, I found a full manual for the Draytek and it had some more details.
They have an option to hand over the client at a minimum RSSI level provided the adjacent AP has signal, so instead of "Strictly Minimum" I have now set it to handover the client and also enabled "Fast Roaming".
Last edited by MB2; 23rd September 2021 at 11:01.
PSA: 20% off Google Store today, to mark their 'birthday'.Quick questions regarding Google's offerings: Google Nest and Google WiFi.
Even though the Nest WiFi product is better specced and newer, we are looking at Google WiFi, as the latter lacks the microphone/speakers the former has, and we have no desire for Google to be listening to conversations in our home.
With Google WiFi :
1) Does it create a unified WiFi across the home? [If not.....see 2) and 3) below] or does it behave like those powerline adapters where, some devices, keep hold of their existing connection to one access point even if there is a closer one nearby?
2) Can you all access points share the same SSID? (hoping that by definition of a 'mesh' its a yes!)
3) Can you roam the house whilst streaming a video, and the video does not pause/buffer as you move out of range from one point and into range of another point? i.e. a seamless connection
4) Has anyone used it with Sky Q hub without issues? (SkyQ is known for not playing nice with non-Sky hardware!)
We'll be ordering 2 x Nest WiFi Routers (not points which have speakers/mics!) which should cover our house well enough.
Last edited by cman; 27th September 2021 at 12:03.
I've just ordered the wired doorbell, separate camera, and hub max for my mum. 20% off the doorbell, hub max and cable for the camera but not a penny off the camera itself.
10% cashback for being a Google one member. Not a bad deal overall.
Hey Captain, last boring question, I promise.
Of course I'm not allowed regular plastic keystone jacks in the walls, that would be unsightly. They must be antique brass, just like the plug sockets and light switches.
The matching keystone jacks are rated to CAT5E, not CAT6. How much difference will this realistically make do you think?
I'm assuming you'll keep with cat6 at the patch frame.
I've never done it so this is second hand / anecdotal thoughts, worse case it would drag an entire run down to cat 5e speeds, but as that now seems to reach 2.5 / 5 G and reports of 10G in some short runs (aka domestic runs) I'd not be overly worried.
Remember your only going to get 1G anyway as that's currently your fastest switch port and you've only gout ~300M coming into the building anyway.
If in future you move to 2.5/5/10G and find some runs are unstable then that's the time to look at having them re-terminated with cat6 keystones.
That said, these days lots of keystones / faceplates are modula now and you should be able to source keystones to fit, what faceplates are you using?
https://www.dungannonelectrical.co.u...got_faceplates
I'll get a pic tonight.
I thought you would just get face plates and install your own keystones but the place my father in law went to just has C5E built in and now there's a box of 10 in the house. Could probably replace the modular part/faceplate down the line if it's that bad.
The antique brass fetish is limited to the main two floors so at least the loft will be generic white plastic C6 which is where my office is anyway.
Awful pics but here it is. Looks like they have a punch down tool in the packaging which is nice but no doubt it's useless.
https://www.astra247.com/antique_bra...ork_socket_cs/
If you don't have one, pick up one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/VCE-Profess...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
When the time comes to go multi gig the cost of a couple of face plates will be but a drop in the ocean of new switches, AP’s and devices… ;-)
To save any headaches later down the line, it would be a good idea to check that this punchdown will accept the 6A cable. 5e is quite a lot thinner than 6A. The thing to check is the gauge size. The Cable is likely to be 22AWG and the connector should accept 22AWG to 24AWG (some I know of won't take larger than 24AWG)Awful pics but here it is. Looks like they have a punch down tool in the packaging which is nice but no doubt it's useless.
https://www.astra247.com/antique_bra...ork_socket_cs/
Thanks for the heads up. When we had to rewire the house we ended up taking out half the C6A and went down to C6 for most things. These face plates will be on C6 cable.
The C6A is quite a beefcake.
It certainly is! Didn't realise you'd removed some of the 6A. I'm referring to the individual conductor sizes, both this and its insulation can be quite a bit larger, even when comparing 5e and 6, letalone 5e and 6A.
I would be relatively easy to find a Cat 6 UTP keystone jack, however not all keystone jacks fit all keystone plates!
A bit of an update at last to my APs...
I finally had some spare time so moved one of the wall mounted APs (hidden behind the TV) to the middle of the ceiling. This was fairly easy as the ceiling is suspended so I slung it across the ceiling as the plasterboard doesn't affect signal much and so the lounge doesn't look like an office.
The ceiling came down in the bathroom to move some pipes so that allowed me to get an AP off the wall and onto the ceiling in the hall.
Finally managed a new AP on the landing ceiling so each floor is now served by a centrally mounted ceiling AP.
This has made a huge difference to the WiFi performance.
They are all managed via a Draytek router so tomorrow I am going to try again making the Sky router serve the WAN port of the Draytek and get Sky TV going on this setup.
Thought I would update this for the interest of anyone. Still running the Sky Router whilst waiting for full fibre to come online.
Was struggling occasionally with roaming handover and Draytek Tech support was really helpful. They reconfigured the APs as a hardwired mesh setup as said that way they talk to each other much better.
Handover does seem much better now.
Still having fun with the UniFi system. Need some security lights so figured I would try their new PoE floodlights and bought two.
It was a rude introduction to PoE+ vs PoE++ and I now have some PoE++ injectors coming as I’m out of PoE juice at one switch and want to lighten the load at another. Turns out my main switch has enough overall power but is only PoE and PoE+ so can’t deliver the power needed to a specific flex switch down the line.
One thing I only found out yesterday when adding SFP for the sake of it is many people seem to add two SPF cables between the DMP and the Switch as a form of aggregation. I’ve got one in there now for no other benefit than mental status/curiosity and the other is coming with the PoE++ Injectors.
Overall very happy with the system and would buy it again. Switched from Virgin to Zen a few weeks back and have the DMP plugged straight into Openreach without any awful ISP router between.
I’ll get to the rack bolts one day!
I too recently joined the Unify club following a Cat 6 installation whilst renovating. Very impressed so far and have a couple of U6 mesh units scattered around the house. Rack bolts included.
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Resurrecting this thread to see if there are any recommendations for a mesh WiFi router for use with a 3gbps internet connection? Currently we’re using an orbi 750 setup with 2 satellites which works well in our tall, narrow house (200sqm, 3 floors but 6 different levels) but we have recently upgraded to a 3gbps internet service and this router only supports 1gbps. 3 is probably overkill but we are fairly heavy users with over 50 connected devices. I looked at the latest Orbi setup but the price is prohibitive at about £1600.
Any suggestions for a multi-gbps setup, preferably under £800.
Cheers
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3gbps is likely overkill but an interesting question - so none of your gear will be able to take advance of that over WiFi for a whole range of reasons and sadly you are too early in cycle for decent priced WiFi 7 gear to future proof (and because everything I have seen has the multigig ports you need).
I could not work out how to do it for less than £800.
Thanks, WiFi is one thing but I also connect a number of devices via Ethernet but the Orbi is limiting everything to that 1gbps.
Hopefully the price of WiFi 6e and 7 will start to come down to more reasonable levels!
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yeah the problem is that even most 6e gear generally only has 2.5gbps ports.
maybe something like a couple of ax206 or similar with a two 10gb port.
I've got the Deco mesh with Ethernet from disc 1 to disc 2 behind the tv with a switch for set top box and PlayStation, Disc 3 wireless with a power line adaptor plugged in with the other end in the garden room, I was surprised the tv in the garden room streams perfectly!
Draytek do some 10/2.5GB routers but they won't be Wifi and they are still an 800 pound router.
They would let you connect your faster than 1GB devices to it and benefit from the speed though i guess.
Seems a "nice problem to have" while I sit her at the end of a 12mbs connection however !
This might come below £800 shortly?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-Vel...cx_mr_hp_atf_m
No scrub that - on second check it's only got a 1gb port lan port!
Last edited by Alansmithee; 9th January 2024 at 10:37.
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