A fan's reply:
In fact, there are many people who have fallen into a preconceived notion. I always feel that if you want to build a home wireless network with a large coverage area, you have to use a router.
Not to mention that MESH itself is a technology to fool consumers, it is actually a big waste to buy an additional router and adjust it to AP mode.
Let's talk about your plan:
It seems to be a more complex weak current box, but there is actually only one wireless-related device, which is this TL-R488GPM-AC integrated gigabit routing module.
The device itself includes routing, switching, PoE, and AC functions.
It can power up to 4 PoE devices at the same time, so this kind of small device can be considered comfortable for an average home network.
When I was decorating my iN girlfriend's house, I chose this device as an AC.
I just went to see the price, and the current offer is only more than 500.
Even in the second-hand market, you can get this device for more than 200 yuan. Therefore, you don't have to think about how high the price of an AC+AP solution is, and how difficult it is to accept.
For the AP part, if you choose the suction top AP, you can choose a wide range of options, basically the AP with this AC with easy exhibition function is only a little more than 200.
If you look carefully for the 86 panel, you can get brand new goods for less than 200 yuan.
Basically, the overall price is a better Wifi 6 router. However, it already includes four important functions: dial-up Internet access, switch, AC controller, and PoE.
At this time, some people will ask, can such a cheap set of solutions really achieve wireless coverage of the whole house? Don't you use the popular Mesh? The answer is yes! Such a solution is far better than Mesh, and the price is more competitive.
THE CHOICE OF AC/AP SOLUTION OVER THE NOW POPULAR MESH NETWORK IS MAINLY BASED ON CONSIDERATIONS OF PERFORMANCE, COST, AND FLEXIBILITY OF USE. First of all, although the MESH network emphasizes wide coverage and easy installation, in actual use, each node is connected through wireless backhaul, which is easy to cause waste of bandwidth, especially in the case of large data transmission, the network speed will be reduced. In contrast, the AC/AP solution connects each AP by wired to ensure that each AP can make full use of the bandwidth and provide more stable network performance.
Second, the overall cost of the MESH system is usually high, and the price per node is expensive, while the AC/AP solution, such as the use of TL-R488GPM-AC, an all-in-one device, combined with a ceiling-mounted or 86-panel AP, has a lower overall cost, especially when purchasing in the second-hand market, and is more cost-effective. In addition, the APs in the AC/AP solution can be powered by PoE, which is simple to wiring and flexible to install, without considering the limitations of power outlets, further reducing the difficulty and cost of installation.
In addition, the AC/AP solution is also more advantageous in terms of management and scaling. Access Controllers (ACs) are used to centrally manage all APs, allowing users to easily configure and optimize their networks, providing a more flexible network management experience. In contrast, although the MESH system is easy to use, it may be limited in some advanced configurations and is not as flexible as the AC/AP solution.
Of course, not only AC/AP solutions, but also traditional Mesh solutions need to pay attention to this, but most of them do not provide a way to adjust.
This is the roaming threshold - only by adjusting the roaming threshold can you truly achieve wireless roaming in the WiFi room with the support of 802.11K/V/R.
To put it simply, if you don't adjust the roaming threshold, most people's home WiFi itself is in a "half-dead" state.
Ideally, when the next device moves away from the currently connected AP and comes into range of another AP, the two APs need to be switched. However, we need to pay attention to the issue of signal strength:
When moving within the coverage area of the wifi signal, the device will gradually move away from the connected AP and enter the range of the next AP, at which point the device will enter the superimposed area of two or more APs
In this area, what the device should do is to disconnect the original AP to connect to the new AP, so why should the device be disconnected? That's where the roaming threshold is set. When the signal of the original AP drops below a certain value, the device must choose to connect to the new AP.
Depending on each person's room, this threshold is actually something that needs to be tested and experimented with by yourself. Usually we can use the WiFi signal detection software to test the signal strength at the point where we need to switch. Or intuitively, you feel that it is time to switch and lower the threshold without switching, and you feel that you don't need to switch and increase the threshold.
Ideally, the switching point is reached just to reach the switching threshold.
In this case, the device can avoid connecting to the AP in the bedroom or study in the living room.
Of course, everyone's house is not a straight line, and when adjusting the switching threshold, we can also fine-tune the transmit power of the AP itself. Appropriately increasing or decreasing the transmit power of the AP can form a relatively responsive switching area. At this time, the goal of roaming the whole house can be basically achieved.