Ok I bought a TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender which I am going to try out first but can be used to make a mesh network when combined with their Archer A7 router. Can I use two of those routers to set up a wireless bridge if needed? How do I know if a router can be used like that?
93EXCivic said:Ok I bought a TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender which I am going to try out first but can be used to make a mesh network when combined with their Archer A7 router. Can I use two of those routers to set up a wireless bridge if needed? How do I know if a router can be used like that?
I'm not 100% sure, I'd imagine you can do it? Since an A7 costs like $50 or $60, if that extender doesn't do it, I'd just go with the TP-Link Deco system that I linked since you'd have to buy another A7 to even try it. It's super simple to set up, gives great coverage all over my property and has been rock solid reliable.
The only thing I can ding it for is (as a control freak), it doesn't have the traditional full on control panel. It gets configured through an app that really simplifies it, and I haven't found anything I can't do with what they give you, but as a guy who has hacked his old routers to install DD-WRT (or bought ones that ran it) for the past 20 years, it's weird not having control of the antenna power :)
Update, installed my eero with beacons today. Very happy with it. Very easy setup with a smartphone app to control the network. Great signal from one end of the house all the way out to my detached shop.
Had a spot of trouble getting one machine onto the network (wound up being my fault confusing work security stuff, not eeros fault), but called their tech support. No hold whatsoever and while the tech support person was outsourced to another country it was Ireland and had a good conversation about whiskey and Scotch while rebooting stuff. Lol
This is a fantastically timely thread, but I'm still having trouble with the notion that I'll be happy setting up a wireless connection to something out in the shop (despite the fact that I've already got decent connectivity from the router and AP I have now over most of our 1/3-acre...).
The desire to have a conduit for ethernet (or whatever develops) is strong, though the understanding of where to put one is incomplete and the desire to dig a third trench separate from plumbing and power is low... (I just ran one shallower than the power last shop, and that was fine, I guess. And it was lots of fun blowing a string through it to fish the cable through...)
I ran a two inch conduit underground next to my power feed to the shop. I've never had a problem with data through it.
The best wat to pull a wire through a conduit is to tie a plastic grocery bag to it on one end and stuff it in. Go to the other end with a shop vac and suck it through. It's shocking how fast it works.
Honsch said:The best wat to pull a wire through a conduit is to tie a plastic grocery bag to it on one end and stuff it in. Go to the other end with a shop vac and suck it through. It's shocking how fast it works.
I try to store that in my brain, so I can try it next time I need to pull a wire. Sounds perfect!
I would run 10gig-rated Cat6 cables, I think people who think they're having grounding issues with such setups are more likely having problems with solar flares affecting very long cable runs. I also prefer multiple AP wireless networks (with routers wired together), they're much more flexible than mesh setups, faster than extender setups, and give greater total wireless bandwidth than either of those.
The limit on CAT5/6 cable runs is 100 meters. The only time I've seenissues with it run between buildings is when the buildings aren't properly grounded and there's a lighting strike.
There are lots of wireless options and many of them are good. I prefer wired but I think some of that preference may just be residual from the days when none of the adorable wirelesses options were all that great.
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