Mesh - Is it the solution or just more problems?

Today's success story is once again about fixing poor WiFi. 

But today we are going to discuss the misunderstandings of Mesh.

Here's the typical scenario: 

Internet service is installed
ISP provides customer with a nice new WiFI Router!
(Oooo, Ahhh....Shiny!)

Customer connects to WiFi and all seems OK.

Customer moves around their home/business and finds
more and more dead zones and weak signal

Customer starts looking for advice and researching how to get better signal
Customer usually is looking for a cheap and painless quick fix

Customer discovers WiFi Mesh or Extenders
and continues to be disappointed !!

 

Shown above are
one common WiFi Router/Mesh Pods (left)
and WiFi Extender (right) 
that I find today


So, what's wrong with Mesh? 

Mesh is the latest name for products that try and solve the weak WiFi problem.
People also use names like Extenders and Boosters. 

And here lies the naming deception to all these devices. 

They don't INCREASE signal strength, they only pass along WiFi signals

The intent of extenders or mesh devices is to connect to the base WiFi unit and then pass along that signal to other devices including other mesh units. 

The expression "only as strong as the weakest link" applies to radio signals like WiFi.
If the connection to the base unit is weak,then the whole mesh suffers. 

This is the reason why some people have good mesh experiences, and others are so poor. 

But there is still more to the problem....

Let's remember that WiFi is based on radio signals in the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz ranges.

A radio source, in this case the WiFi Router and any extender/mesh device,
has some small number of radios for each of those bands.

If those radios are busy communicating with other units, then
there are less channels available for user devices.

This results in bottlenecks and traffic congestion. 

Think of rush hour traffic all trying to exit a single off ramp. 

OK, but how bad is it really? 

I'm glad you asked. 

My recent job began with a home network using the router and mesh pods shown above.
As usual, that router was located in a remote closet.

I began by using a wire and testing the internet speed directly at the router.
(This confirmed there was 1Gbps speed coming into the home) 

Standing next to the router, I used several devices and the best
speed I could read over WiFi was 300Mbps download. 

This is an EXCELLENT baseline and would be ideal if the home saw these speeds. 

However....

I then ran some signal strength and speed tests around the home,
and this is what I found....

Standing directly next to the mesh pod closest to the router, I measured 35Mbps download speed. As I moved away from this pod, the number went down into the low teens. 

The customer also said that when one user was online, it was tolerable.
But when multiple users were online, everyone had connection issues.
(That's the bottleneck problem) 

The result was that the 1Gbps service that is being paid for was not able to be
used by even one device, and multiple devices were worse. 

And given our new need to do more at home, he contacted me. 

So, now what? 

My advice to this customer was to discuss building a WIRED
backbone network with several independent WiFi access points 

The above picture shows some of the things you can do better with a wired network.

All of the devices and AP's (access points) that are wired receive
 the full 1Gbps speed of the network
(or the maximum speed of the service you are paying for)

Other devices like cameras, TV's and NAS have full speed and secure connections.

PLUS...

Each of the AP's have their own set of 4x4 MU-MIMO radios
(This LINK has a good graphic about MU-MIMO)

The AP's can be located where the users are,
and not in a closet somewhere

Many homes built after 2000 have unused phone systems that are Cat5 network cable.
These cables can be re-utilized for networks up to 1 Gbps.

What about older homes or locations where
 there are no pre-existing network wires? 

The short answer is we need to run new wires
Good planning is the key to minimizing this process

Often small openings need to be made in the
walls to make access for drilling
These can be patched and repainted

Adding a wired network backbone is an investment for
better networks today and they add value in the future.

Businesses are often easier due to drop ceilings

New home construction is ideal because you can plan for maximum flexibility!

How much will all this cost? 

This is a very tricky question to answer because every home or business
is different and people have different needs.

That is why I offer a free consultation visit followed by a custom proposal.
This allows me to see first hand YOUR needs.

For reference (and full transparency), the photo below is a basic install with 3 AP's.
The hardware is roughly $1200 and then my labor costs added to that.

The devices shown come from the Ubiquiti Unifi line.
I like these because they give you "Enterprise Grade" hardware and management
 software without all the extra costs for subscriptions and licensing.  

Outcome

The customer is very happy with their new network - they
 are finally using all the speed that is coming into their home!  

As part of my ongoing service, we can continue to fine tune any future issues as they arise. 

Additionally, I can continue to add value by making sure firmware updates stay current through remote access. 

Contact Me! 

Use my convenience WEB FORM to contact me to discuss your upgrade!

Or email me >> rob@blomstrom.tech

If you are building new, let's build a plan right now so I can come in before the walls are up!