I’m currently running a 4 node Deco M9 network. It’s been starting to act flakey (dropping connections, slow speeds until reset) and I’m thinking it’s time to upgrade. I’ve been looking at WiFi 6E networks. Currently the Wyze AXE5400 is on sale; I can get 4 nodes on the 'zon for $280. PC Mag gave it a good review, but it doesn’t have a dedicated backhaul channel like the Deco. Alternatively, I can get 4 Deco AXE5400 nodes for $400, which does have a dedicated backhaul. I don’t mind spending the extra cash, but only if I’ll notice a difference. We don’t do a lot of gaming here but we do a lot of streaming and have a lot of smart devices, and two of us work from home. Reliability is super important. I have a separate router to handle firewall and DHCP duties, so whatever I buy will be acting strictly as an access point.
Thoughts?
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If you’re not worried about spending some extra money, wire your APs and go for something like Unifi. You’re not gonna find it on “the ‘zon” but it’ll do way more with way less. If reliability is critical, meshing of any sort is the first thing to eliminate.
If there is a radio spectrum issue or a deeper down networking issue, replacing the gear may not solve the problem. So I’d try to isolate the current setup’s issue before blindly replacing it.
A wired backhaul is always going to provide better performance, reliability, and consistency… as well as the lowest latency. Wireless backhaul is going to be more problematic in a radio-heavy area, or if your building has a lot of dense materials. But otherwise a wireless backhaul may be perfectly suitable for your needs.
Four nodes can be a lot. The most nodes I have installed is three, in homes that are about 4500 sq ft. These are in modern North American “wood & drywall” homes, and I was able to position the nodes well, so your situation may demand something else. Generally I want to use as few nodes as I can, because there is a system performance overhead for each node.
6 GHz is great if you have a lot of 6E gear, but it is worse than 5 GHz in terms of traversing walls and materials. So if you have an open floorplan it’s a good option, but otherwise I’d save my money. I only have one 6e kit installed in a home, and there has been at most one client I’ve seen connected to 6 GHz. The backhaul prefers 5 GHz.