Networks NOW: Best Modem/Router for Bridge Mode? (WAS: Confused between different types of wifi extender)

Hello all,

Up until recently we've not really been using the wifi in our house. I mean sure my wife's laptop uses wifi and our phones pick it up rather than mobile data whilst we're here but there's never been anything more stressful than Netflix and so the standard rubbish router that you get free from the ISP has always been adequate.

However, my wife is now working from home and needs access to shared drives and Teams calls etc on her work laptop, which she refuses to let me wire in. In addition we're using 5 Amazon Echo devices, an assortment of TP Link smart bulbs and switches, Steam Link, streaming radio all day, etc etc. In short, the wifi is now inadequate.

Out current 'infrastructure' (lol) is a TalkTalk Sagecom 5364 that is situated in my office upstairs at one side of the house. This pretty much has to stay here. It is connected to my desktops directly and then has a link to the server cupboard under the stairs (right in the middle of the house). In that cupboard is a Netgear gigabit switch, a server and a backup nas.

I had originally planned to buy an Amazon Eero as I know that the Echo dots (we have 3) can be nodes for that and create a mesh system, but I believe that it's really quite difficult to run that alongside a network that is managed by the Talktalk box.

Ideally, what I would like is some way of using the current SSID and just making that better. I was looking at buying an access point to install in the cupboard under the stairs (either into the switch or even into the spare link I installed from the router to the cupboard) but they all look overly complicated. Is there a way to do this seamlessly? As in devices just automatically connect to either the router or the access point depending on which is better? I have enough trouble with all the smart stuff getting lost over 2.4/5ghz and not working together that I really don't want to have to deal with separate networks or ip pools. I'm thinking like in a large business or hotel or something where you can walk around and your device just connects to the same network with the same credentials and moves between different access points 'invisibly'. Alternatively, if the new device under the stairs could be relied upon to cover the whole house I will gladly turn the wifi on the router off, but I really don't to have to deal with separate subnets or related issues, for instance between the plex server (wired) and my wife's laptop (wireless).

Sorry for what is probably a straightforward problem but there's so much overlap (and not) between repeaters, mesh systems, access points, wifi extenders, and a million other similar devices that I'm just a bit lost with what exactly does what.

Thanks,
Jack

 

I think what you're looking for is a mesh network setup, and the Eero is a mesh system.

My understanding is that a mesh replaces the standard SSID/WiFi network with a single identity network distributed by mesh nodes which your devices can connect to seamlessly without having to 'switch' between devices.
AFAIK the cheaper ones are best avoided as they have low bandwidth without a wired backhaul connection and the better ones have a 3rd dedicated wireless network to handle the backhaul and cost a fair bit more.

I looked at it a while ago as we were having problems with coverage in our house. I never got to set up as mesh as my wife took it up with Virgin.
We changed the Virgin powerline based rebroadcaster on the landing upstairs to their new smart plug in mesh WiFi Pod* at £5 a month and a single one upstairs sorted all our blank spots.

* It's a ridiculously small hexagonal unit that doesn't seem big enough to be any use, but it does work

 

What TalkTalk package are you on?

If you can get FTTP Talktalk will give you an Eero. I've got one sat in a cupboard as my existing setup with their wifihub has more lan ports. I'm running a TP link Deco mesh network alongside the TalkTalk hub with no issues, just make sure any mesh hardware is in access mode rather than router mode.

 

Thanks. Yes I sort of understand that, but I thought that with Eero I'd have to 'double nat' as my router doesn't support modem mode. Then I'm going to run into to problems with essentially having two separate networks? If my router would allow modem mode I'd just buy a really powerful Mikrotik router and stick that in the cupboard, that would cover the whole house I'm sure. I've used them in the past and have been happy.

I'm on Fibre 65, do you have any more info on how I might do that please? Are you saying I can effectively set up a mesh system as a system of repeaters? That might be the best solution but it's going to mean buying two or three mesh units and they can be expensive. If that's what I have to do though...

 

It really depends on the kit you're running. The stuff I've used over the years for work (Unifi and Draytek mainly), you can specify not only the signal strength where roaming starts but also have the requirement that it will only start if there's another AP with a better signal strength available.

 

Effectively, you use the mesh system for WiFi duties, and your existing router for modem and routing duties. You should be able to switch off the wifi on the router to avoid signal interference, and your mesh system needs switching from 'router' mode to access point to avoid double NAT (I believe it's called bridge mode on the Eero). Main mesh node is then hard wired to your router as an access point. The number of additional nodes you'd need would depend on what you went for, and the area you want to cover (including wall construction).

I've got 3x TPLink Deco M4s, mainly because they were cheap. (not on par with Gareth's Asus kit, never mind Unifi etc) They provide plenty of coverage and throughput for our needs in a Victorian mid terrace, & max out the Fibre 150 connection. Download speeds in the garden drop to 110Mbps, but that's the furthest node, with weakest signal.

 

I figured you hadn't missed the setting. It's a shame it isn't there though, especially on the pricey kit you've got!

I've used the exact same ones for my partner's parents' house. They do a good job for the price!

 

Thanks for all the help so far everybody. I really do appreciate it and I will go down one of those routes if I have to. However, is there really no way to have my router providing (for example) Jack'sWiFi, then have an ethernet cable going to a device that puts out extra Jack'sWiFi?

 

Not really. You could use a WiFi extender (though I do dislike them personally) but it would need to run a different SSID to avoid confusion. Your best bet overall is simply turning off the WiFi on your router and using access points, whether that's a mesh system or not.

 

Ok after lots of research this has got me back to thinking that the best way to do this is with a proper Mikrotik router that I know I can work really well, can probably cover the house by itself, and I know I can add to properly. Which leas to a new problem! The Sagecom 5364 that TalkTalk provide can't be put in to any kind of bridge or modem mode, whats the best device to buy essentially as a modem? I know that I can go buy a brand new Draytek or similar, but it occurs to me that maybe some of you are using your ISP supplied router as a modem only? Are any of them any good? Any models I should be looking out for on Ebay? I have TalkTalk ADSL.

 

I'm not sure if the TalkTalk supplied router is any good, but to use a different one of your own choosing you can plumb in the details from here: https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Set-up-a-non-TalkTalk-router/ta-p/2205383

There's also this handy tidbit: https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5...Bridge-Mode-or-Modem-Mode/m-p/2565673#M779026

 

Just to provide a resolution to this: I decided that the router part of the TalkTalk box was probably good enough and it was only the wifi that was struggling so I turned the internal wifi off and bought a set of Mercusys AX1800 mesh wifi units. I bought a 2-pack, so I have one in my office and one in my server cupboard, both connected directly to the router.

The one upstairs in one corner (conveniently near the back garden!) and one in the downstairs cupboard under the stairs, right in the middle of the house are covering the whole house just great.

All my smart devices are working perfectly, there's no difference actually using the wifi (which we are admittedly low users for, streaming at the most, no gaming or anything) and the server cupboard unit works fine as an ethernet switch as a bonus.

Can thoroughly recommend.


*Edited for clarity, 2 mesh units not 4.