How to choose a mesh router

[xiaofan]

Netgear Orbi RBK852 vs Asus Zenwifi XT8 from DongKnows.
https://dongknows.com/netgear-orbi-rbk852-vs-asus-zenwifi-xt8-matchup/
Both are very good solution for wireless backhaul. RBK852 has some wireless performance advantages compared to Zenwifi XT8 and the CPU used in RBR850 (the main node in RBK852) is much better than the one used in Zenwifi XT8. But the cost is also higher. Zenwifi XT8 has better FW feature and lower cost. In this case, I will recommend Zenwifi XT8 to majority of the users.

Both are NOT RECOMMENDED if you can use Ethernet backhaul.

 

[cloudangel]

Netgear Orbi RBK852 vs Asus Zenwifi XT8 from DongKnows.
https://dongknows.com/netgear-orbi-rbk852-vs-asus-zenwifi-xt8-matchup/
Both are very good solution for wireless backhaul. RBK852 has some wireless performance advantages compared to Zenwifi XT8 and the CPU used in RBR850 (the main node in RBK852) is much better than the one used in Zenwifi XT8. But the cost is also higher. Zenwifi XT8 has better FW feature and lower cost. In this case, I will recommend Zenwifi XT8 to majority of the users.

Both are NOT RECOMMENDED if you can use Ethernet backhaul.

I have lan ports in most of the major rooms (e.g. study room, masterbed room..etc). I will most probably be using a AX11000 as a router.. so what asus mesh would u recommend if im looking to extend my wireless coverage thru out the house (5rm) via ethernet backhaul?

I was initially thinking of getting the XT8

 

[xiaofan]

I have lan ports in most of the major rooms (e.g. study room, masterbed room..etc). I will most probably be using a AX11000 as a router.. so what asus mesh would u recommend if im looking to extend my wireless coverage thru out the house (5rm) via ethernet backhaul?

I was initially thinking of getting the XT8

XT8 is of course good but a bit overkill since you can use Ethernet backhaul. You can go with the cheaper Zenwifi XD6.

 

[cloudangel]

XT8 is of course good but a bit overkill since you can use Ethernet backhaul. You can go with the cheaper Zenwifi XD6.

Thanks! i will take a look at XD6 then

 

[kikapoo]

Hi @xiaofan I'm planning to update my home network. And read through the thread with your recommendation.

Currently using a Asus AX55 as a wireless router in my study room and I was thinking to buy an AX56u to sit in the DB box with my ONT, turn off the WiFi and use it as a router.

Then use the current AX55 and buy another one to set up as AiMesh, sitting in the MBR and Study Rm respectively.

Is this setup ok?

Main goal is to strengthen signal in the living and MBR and also for my smart home devices.

The issue now with the router in the study room is that the signal is not good in the MBR and not very good in the further area of the living room either.

Note: Each room mentioned has a LAN port so I was thinking to do ethernet backhaul.

Another way is I could instead shift the AX55 from study into Living and use a Switch instead in the study. Study room fine with using LAN.

 

[xiaofan]

Hi @xiaofan I'm planning to update my home network. And read through the thread with your recommendation.

Currently using a Asus AX55 as a wireless router in my study room and I was thinking to buy an AX56u to sit in the DB box with my ONT, turn off the WiFi and use it as a router.

Then use the current AX55 and buy another one to set up as AiMesh, sitting in the MBR and Study Rm respectively.

Is this setup ok?

Main goal is to strengthen signal in the living and MBR and also for my smart home devices.

The issue now with the router in the study room is that the signal is not good in the MBR and not very good in the further area of the living room either.

Note: Each room mentioned has a LAN port so I was thinking to do ethernet backhaul.

Another way is I could instead shift the AX55 from study into Living and use a Switch instead in the study. Study room fine with using LAN.

Yes your setup will be good. Buying the extra RT-AX56U and putting it in the DB box is a good idea. You do not really need to disable the Wifi in this case.

 

[kikapoo]

Yes your setup will be good. Buying the extra RT-AX56U and putting it in the DB box is a good idea. You do not really need to disable the Wifi in this case.

Thank you @xiaofan ! In that case, I was wondering, does that mean the RT-AX56U in the DB box will serve as the primary node of the mesh?

I took a look around and noticed ASUS, locally, is selling the AX1800HP (which is similar to AX55 but with higher gain antennas) so I was wondering if that is a better choice or if there are any other device recommendations.

One of the concern I have is also the number of connections I can support (multiple smart home devices on WiFi) so this setup should be fine as well?

Given my current layout, do you think I could get away with just 2 devices in this case? (1 DB box + 1 somewhere else), but if not I am ok with 3 too

 

[xiaofan]

Thank you @xiaofan ! In that case, I was wondering, does that mean the RT-AX56U in the DB box will serve as the primary node of the mesh?

I took a look around and noticed ASUS, locally, is selling the AX1800HP (which is similar to AX55 but with higher gain antennas) so I was wondering if that is a better choice or if there are any other device recommendations.

One of the concern I have is also the number of connections I can support (multiple smart home devices on WiFi) so this setup should be fine as well?

Given my current layout, do you think I could get away with just 2 devices in this case? (1 DB box + 1 somewhere else), but if not I am ok with 3 too

Yes RT-AX56U will be the primary node of the AIMesh.

I do not think it is that useful to get the AX1800HP but I have no experiences of such stuff.

As for whether two nodes will be good enough or not, I can not predict and you have to experiment yourself. It will heavily depend on whether the DB box blocks wifi signal badly or not. Some yes and some no.

You can try two first to see how it goes, carry out experiments to see where is the optimal location for the mesh node -- I think either in the living room or the master bedroom.

But I see that you have two LAN ports in the living room and the two LAN ports are not too far away, in that case, two nodes may be good enough with an extra switch in the DB box (cheap TP-Link TL-SG105 will do, below S$30, or TL-G108 which has more LAN ports just in case you need that in the future).

1) ONT -- Living room LAN Port 1 -- RT-AX56U main router and main AIMesh node -- Living room LAN Port 2 -- DB Box switch
2) DB Box switch -- LAN ports in MBR, BR2 and BR3.
3) LAN Port in MBR -- RT-AX55 mesh node

As for the main router, RT-AX56U is the minimum I will recommend. But if you can bear with higher budget, RT-AX58U/82U/86U and GT-AX6000 will be better. GT-AX6000 (M1) and RT-AX86U (Singtel) are superb router which have faster CPU than RT-AX55/56U/58U/82U. If you are not with M1 or Singtel, then you can consider GT-AX6000 from Carousell at around S$450 to S$480 which is a superb buy.

 

[kikapoo]

Yes RT-AX56U will be the primary node of the AIMesh.

I do not think it is that useful to get the AX1800HP but I have no experiences of such stuff.

As for whether two nodes will be good enough or not, I can not predict and you have to experiment yourself. It will heavily depend on whether the DB box blocks wifi signal badly or not. Some yes and some no.

You can try two first to see how it goes, carry out experiments to see where is the optimal location for the mesh node -- I think either in the living room or the master bedroom.

But I see that you have two LAN ports in the living room and the two LAN ports are not too far away, in that case, two nodes may be good enough with an extra switch in the DB box (cheap TP-Link TL-SG105 will do, below S$30, or TL-G108 which has more LAN ports just in case you need that in the future).

1) ONT -- Living room LAN Port 1 -- RT-AX56U main router and main AIMesh node -- Living room LAN Port 2 -- DB Box switch
2) DB Box switch -- LAN ports in MBR, BR2 and BR3.
3) LAN Port in MBR -- RT-AX55 mesh node

As for the main router, RT-AX56U is the minimum I will recommend. But if you can bear with higher budget, RT-AX58U/82U/86U and GT-AX6000 will be better. GT-AX6000 (M1) and RT-AX86U (Singtel) are superb router which have faster CPU than RT-AX55/56U/58U/82U. If you are not with M1 or Singtel, then you can consider GT-AX6000 from Carousell at around S$450 to S$480 which is a superb buy.

Thanks for the advice!
I'll probably turn to carousell to look for the AX55 instead.

So you're suggesting moving the main router out of the DB Box and making use of the 2nd LAN port in the LR to route the traffic back into the Patch Panel. That sounds like a good idea, let me see if I could find a way to effectively hide the cable from Port 1 to Port 2.

Possibly I'll just get a better router at this point and play around to see if I can cover the house with 2, and if not, just get another AX55 to add on as a node.

I'll also check out the higher-budget routers that you've recommended. Just wondering, if, at the end, the main router is kept in the DB Box, is it a bit wasted to get the higher tier routers or are they still good to get for their better processing/routing/wifi performance?

 

[xiaofan]

Thanks for the advice!
I'll probably turn to carousell to look for the AX55 instead.

So you're suggesting moving the main router out of the DB Box and making use of the 2nd LAN port in the LR to route the traffic back into the Patch Panel. That sounds like a good idea, let me see if I could find a way to effectively hide the cable from Port 1 to Port 2.

Possibly I'll just get a better router at this point and play around to see if I can cover the house with 2, and if not, just get another AX55 to add on as a node.

I'll also check out the higher-budget routers that you've recommended. Just wondering, if, at the end, the main router is kept in the DB Box, is it a bit wasted to get the higher tier routers or are they still good to get for their better processing/routing/wifi performance?

It is a bit wasted to get the higher-spec wireless router and put in the DB box, especially if your DB box blocks wifi badly.

You can carry out experiment using your current RT-AX55 and put it in the DB box, check its coverage.

I do not recomend RT-AX55 as the main router myself due to the limited 256MB RAM. I will recommend minimum RT-AX56U as it has 512MB RAM. And importantly to me is that RT-AX56U supports Merlin FW and has USB port. But that is just me.

What is the better router you have in your mind?

 

[kikapoo]

It is a bit wasted to get the higher-spec wireless router and put in the DB box, especially if your DB box blocks wifi badly.

You can carry out experiment using your current RT-AX55 and put it in the DB box, check its coverage.

I do not recomend RT-AX55 as the main router myself due to the limited 256MB RAM. I will recommend minimum RT-AX56U as it has 512MB RAM. And importantly to me is that RT-AX56U supports Merlin FW and has USB port. But that is just me.

What is the better router you have in your mind?

Thanks @xiaofan !

Will try putting the AX55 in the DB box to test the signal blocking.

I was looking at the AX56U, AX58U, and AX82U, and read through your threads and posts on those routers as well. Am I right to say if I were to decide in putting the router in the DB box, I would be better off just getting the cheaper AX56U since it has the same RAM as the AX58U and AX82U.

If I am going with your plan of putting it in the Living Room, then go for the AX82U instead to utilize the better WiFi performance?

 

[xiaofan]

Thanks @xiaofan !

Will try putting the AX55 in the DB box to test the signal blocking.

I'm looking at the AX56U, AX58U, and AX82U. Am I right to say if I were to decide in putting the router in the DB box, I would be better off just getting the cheaper AX56U since it has the same RAM as the AX58U and AX82U.

If I am going with your plan of putting it in the Living Room, then go for the AX82U instead to utilize the better WiFi performance?

Yes to both of your questions.

RT-AX55/56U (BCM6755) and RT-AX58U/82U (BCM6750) have the similar grade CPU.
RT-AX56U/58U/82U have 512MB RAM.

 

[tyrensky]

hi @xiaofan

i'm going to recontract for my 4rm hdb (modern design with fibre termination inside DB box, dedicated LAN port in each room, but living room only has 1, and i have no intention to add/modify telephone line to 2nd port).

which do you think is better for my case?

- subscribe to M1 and top up for ASUS ZenWifi XD6. main node inside DB box, child node in one of the middle room.

- subscribe to Myrepublic and top up for ASUS RT-AX3000, buy a second hand RT-AX55U and put it inside the DB box. Connect RT-AX3000 in one of the middle room.

these 2 plans have similar monthly costhence im comparing these.

Starhub also has a similar one but they're dont offer ASUS routers (which means i have to pay more upfront).

 

[xiaofan]

hi @xiaofan

i'm going to recontract for my 4rm hdb (modern design with fibre termination inside DB box, dedicated LAN port in each room, but living room only has 1, and i have no intention to add/modify telephone line to 2nd port).

which do you think is better for my case?

- subscribe to M1 and top up for ASUS ZenWifi XD6. main node inside DB box, child node in one of the middle room.

- subscribe to Myrepublic and top up for ASUS RT-AX3000, buy a second hand RT-AX55U and put it inside the DB box. Connect RT-AX3000 in one of the middle room.

these 2 plans have similar monthly costhence im comparing these.

Starhub also has a similar one but they're dont offer ASUS routers (which means i have to pay more upfront).

Either way should be okay. But I tend to think M1 is a better ISP to go with as MyRepublic is using CGNAT (no public IP address).

In case the DB box blocks wiifi badly and your two XD6 setups are not good enough, you may want to get anther RT-AX56U to put in the DB box and then you have two XD6 as mesh nodes.

 

[tyrensky]

Either way should be okay. But I tend to think M1 is a better ISP to go with as MyRepublic is using CGNAT (no public IP address).

In case the DB box blocks wiifi badly and your two XD6 setups are not good enough, you may want to get anther RT-AX56U to put in the DB box and then you have two XD6 as mesh nodes.

noted. thanks for the advise!

 

[MaoZeDuo]

Hey guys, currently my setup is Asus ac2600 in db and xiaomi r3p in middle br. Planning to improve signal in my mbr. Seen good things about aimesh. May I ask what is the difference using ax55 and xd6 as a mesh node?

 

[xiaofan]

Hey guys, currently my setup is Asus ac2600 in db and xiaomi r3p in middle br. Planning to improve signal in my mbr. Seen good things about aimesh. May I ask what is the difference using ax55 and xd6 as a mesh node?

Asus Zenwifi XD6 has higher Wireless spec (AX5400) and some people may like the form factor.

Asus RT-AX55 is the lower end from Asus and the wireless spec is lower at AX1800.

Your Asus RT-AC2600 does not support AImesh though.
https://www.asus.com/sg/networking-iot-servers/wifi-routers/asus-wifi-routers/rt-ac2600/techspec/
So if you really want to form AImesh, then you need to get two Asus RT-AX55 ot two Zenwifi XD6 units at the minimum.

Do you have LAN ports in the rooms? If you do not have LAN ports in the rooms and need to use wireless backhaul, then probably RT-AX55 and Zenwifi XD6 are not a good solution. Proper solution is Zenwifi XT8 but it is quite expensive.

If you have LAN ports in the rooms and you can use Ethernet backhaul, then either RT-AX55 and Zenwifi XD6 can be a good solution. You may keep the RT-AC2600 in the DB box but then put the two AImesh nodes in two rooms (eg: living room and MBR). You need to set the AImesh main node in AP mode.

You may want to post the floor plan with details of the locations of the ONT (or ONR), LAN ports and the intended location of the wireless nodes.

 

[MaoZeDuo]

Asus Zenwifi XD6 has higher Wireless spec (AX5400) and some people may like the form factor.

Asus RT-AX55 is the lower end from Asus and the wireless spec is lower at AX1800.

Your Asus RT-AC2600 does not support AImesh though.
https://www.asus.com/sg/networking-iot-servers/wifi-routers/asus-wifi-routers/rt-ac2600/techspec/
So if you really want to form AImesh, then you need to get two Asus RT-AX55 ot two Zenwifi XD6 units at the minimum.

Do you have LAN ports in the rooms? If you do not have LAN ports in the rooms and need to use wireless backhaul, then probably RT-AX55 and Zenwifi XD6 are not a good solution. Proper solution is Zenwifi XT8 but it is quite expensive.

If you have LAN ports in the rooms and you can use Ethernet backhaul, then either RT-AX55 and Zenwifi XD6 can be a good solution. You may keep the RT-AC2600 in the DB box but then put the two AImesh nodes in two rooms (eg: living room and MBR). You need to set the AImesh main node in AP mode.

You may want to post the floor plan with details of the locations of the ONT (or ONR), LAN ports and the intended location of the wireless nodes.

Yes, I would like to form AImesh with the lan ports in the room, ideally just port 2 and if there's a need, port 3 too. Unfortunately, due to some reno hiccups and placement of furniture, I do not have usable lan ports in the living room except for one that is converted from a TV port, which I understand there is a speed cap at 100mbps. Port 2 will also provide lan for PC.

Will putting an AX86U (wifi turn on) inside DB help better as compared to the lower end models to provide for the living room?

Can't seem to find AX55 for sale on lazada/shopee... is AX1800HP ($130) a closer alternative?

 

[xiaofan]

Yes, I would like to form AImesh with the lan ports in the room, ideally just port 2 and if there's a need, port 3 too. Unfortunately, due to some reno hiccups and placement of furniture, I do not have usable lan ports in the living room except for one that is converted from a TV port, which I understand there is a speed cap at 100mbps. Port 2 will also provide lan for PC.

Will putting an AX86U (wifi turn on) inside DB help better as compared to the lower end models to provide for the living room?

Can't seem to find AX55 for sale on lazada/shopee... is AX1800HP ($130) a closer alternative?

If you can get RT-AX86U, then that is of course good. You do not need to turn off the Wifi. It may still provide good Wifi access to the living room. And then one mesh node (eg: RT-AX55) in Bedroom 2 will be good enough.

It seems to me there are still many Asus RT-AX55 in Carousell and the price goes down a bit to S$80 to S$90 for BNIB units.
https://www.carousell.sg/computers-tech/asus-rt-ax55/q-213/?searchId=ztlyJr

 

[MaoZeDuo]

If you can get RT-AX86U, then that is of course good. You do not need to turn off the Wifi. It may still provide good Wifi access to the living room. And then one mesh node (eg: RT-AX55) in Bedroom 2 will be good enough.

It seems to me there are still many Asus RT-AX55 in Carousell and the price goes down a bit to S$80 to S$90 for BNIB units.
https://www.carousell.sg/computers-tech/asus-rt-ax55/q-213/?searchId=ztlyJr

Thanks. I noticed I was looking at ax86s, mistook it for ax86u which is above my budget ($400 on Carousell). Also noticed ax86u is also not so readily available. Taobao selling at $250ish before delivery charges. Any experience buying routers from china directly and getting them to work here? Or should I try ax86s? My usage are the typical video streaming on Netflix/YouTube, at most 2 laptops on company vpn at same time, less than 50 smart devices and broadband plan is M1 500mbps.