Hi all, looking for recommendations on our home networking setup. I’m trying to figure out what Wi-Fi setup to buy and how to configure it, but the more I read, the less sure I am what I actually need: Router, Mesh, Access point, Wi-Fi 6, 6E? No clue at this point.
What would you guys focus on first?
With a question this vague, nobody can give you a real answer. Apartment or house? One floor or two? Thick walls? How many devices? Do you need Ethernet ports? VPN? Fast internet plan? Right now people would just be recommending whatever they personally own.
Frankly, relying on advice with so much data is a bad idea. Try uploading the room layout to a design tool like NetSpot or Cambium’s Wi-Fi Designer. There, you can virtually select different models, move access points, and immediately see the actual coverage.
@Sharp-Homework187 I actually tried the Cambium one a bit. Unless I’m missing something, it looked like the AP models there were basically just Cambium gear. Am I understanding that right?
Yes, that’s basically right. Cambium’s tool is free, but it’s really for planning around Cambium hardware. If you want a full network planning tool, NetSpot is a safer bet — it lets you try different layouts and AP placements, choose models from the built-in list, or enter the AP specs manually if the exact one isn’t there.
Recommending a router at random is a thankless task. Unless you have information about the layout, flooring material, and mounting locations, any advice will be ineffective. Most often, in such cases, people simply praise the model that works for them, without taking into account the specifics of your home.