Bro, this was like watching a teacher explaining their science experiment. steps are clearly explained, results are displayed clearly. bro even took average results to show that there weren't any bias for a specific testing session. keep it up. 2 points i wish you will be able to include in your next round of testing would be 1. Comparing against ISP provided routers 2. Choosing the server to test instead of using default - this is because default could mean that Google is choosing the "best" server to connect to and this might change depending on the latency of the servers etc. thanks for the content man
lol thanks, i really love to teach though 1. unlikely especially ISP do change which router they supply time to time 2. yup i should have, just lazy to do that and google speed test is the easiest to access
I've watched several wifi 6 mesh explainers/reviews this week. This is the best of them by a long way. All key concepts explained clearly, concisely and quickly, and the review was similary sharp. Exactly what I have been hunting for. Excellent editing by an exceptionally good content creator. Thank you!
Hi Alex..any advice pls..I'm living in old HDB Executive apartment with area approx.abt 141 sq metres..I'm thinking of buying 2 Asus XT8 is tt ok for my house or do I need 3 of tt? Appreciate any suggestions from U on tt..thks
I dont comment much on any video but I really wanted to support what you do here as you are literally the only person who included a proper home layout in your tests. Thanks a lot for this comprehensive test and keep up the great work!
Reading through some of these comments, your thoroughness is rightfully recognized and appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to produce this video comparison - we found it very useful and used it to direct our purchase selection. Cheers to you!
Great video alex! I used to struggle with AC mesh setup(even with 2 x AC5300) as my current place does not have rj45 port in the room, heavily rely on wireless backhaul for node in the room, to do pc desktop gaming, the latency is so bad that i got disconnected from the game and video streaming in the bedroom as weell. After upgrading the XT8 i no longer have all these issue. Speed is amazing even the latency as well! No longer have to suffer all these after the change, For those who struggle with no ethernet backhaul for ur 2nd node, go with AX router mesh! AX is the biggest change from AC!
Alex, wifi 6 mesh high speed network coverage area is going smaller than wifi 5 mesh AP. The location of where you put the router is going to be very important. I recommend moving your main router to the center of your house (like your guest rooms near the hallway of your house) with wire connection to your fiber modem near the main door and then place the 2nd AP no more than 5 meter from your main router in the other side of your living room closer to your main door. Place the 3rd AP in the master no more than 5M away from your main router in your guest bedroom since your goal is to get higher speed. If you don’t have cat5e or cat6 cable run to your guest bedroom, most apartment should have wire connection run to the living room. You can place your main router there and then place your other AP closer to main router will increase that back hall speed to the router and then the main router will send the traffic to your fiber modem -> internet. In order to cover dead zone, you will need to get more APs. Keep in mind that wifi 6 doesn’t go through concrete walls as good as wifi 5. In theory, wifi 6 can reach 1G+ speed but I have not seen any good test results even with wifi 6 card with external antenna. Good luck with your wifi 6 deployment
Another great video from Alex Teo. I myself am using the Asus XT8, and can attest to the stability, strong network signal and fast performance. I've been using it for my WFH for about 2 years, and so far they've been very reliable. Highly recommend!👍
Hey Alex! Appreciate the time and effort you put into this video. This is no easy feat! And of course we are thrilled that the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is your pick of the bunch as the mesh system for your home network. ❤
Asus router firmware and network stability has issues. initially upgrading Firmware brick the router. the technician blamed it on me while he failed to fix it, and told me he need more time ( maybe 3 years). got a brand new replacement. Router keeps dropping connection to my home security camera. Initially thought it was due to the camera, however after i restart the router, miraculously all the camera connected. hence dont tell me its the camera's issue.
Awesome review! Unbiased and professional - delivered with the beautiful Singapore accent (which I miss a lot after living in Singapore for 3 years - it was great hearing it again). Thanks!
Well done sir! Quite literally helped me make a decision on what mesh systems to purchase. Professional clear strait to the point. Well done brutha! Love from the states!
I’m glad someone finally made a video like this. My 4rm is 136sqm, old hdb long-ish floor plan. I upgraded to Orbi RB 853. I’m wondering why I’m still having dead spots with 3 units. Your video explains why specs on paper may not be representative to our hdb in Singapore. Thanks!!!
yup, expensive models have a better range but if you are going to be enclosed in a room with thick concrete walls, the signals still can't penetrate through
Always found your review thorough. Based on them, bought orbi triband 8x. The next step is setup. Here in Australia, i pay $90 for 100Mbps and get 65Mbps on a good day.
great detail... many thanks! I'm struggling with my decision and conversion to a mesh network. Probably going with the Orbi to support 3500sqft home with 2 floors. My GB plan with Verizon just wasn't being fully used and 2nd floor reception was always struggling for consistent stream. Thank you once again and look forward to more content!
Hei Alex, awesome comparison in including the tri-band routers. Got the Linksys MX4200 in January and have been getting fantastic coverage throughout my unit.
Hello Alex. Tq for making this video. I watched twice. Yr video has helped me decide to buy TP Link X20 due to budget when I had to renew to wifi6. It was gd enough for my 5 rm flat w or w/o additional mesh. Tqsm!
What is a wired mesh system / wireless mesh system? 13:57 Does it mean that the nodes are connected to each other via wires or at each node is a lan cable??
thanks for the video. would say a x20 (or the tp link x60 from myrepublic's plan) be sufficient if i would like to connect LAN cables throughout the house (for TV in living room, computer in study room etc) via the routing in the DB box? or would i need to get a mesh system that can support more connections as the x20 only has two ports?
Excellent explainer. In the market for a Mesh setup myself and it's true, it can be a minefield for those who don't take the time to study the speed/bandwidth ratings. Thanks for this.
On the ET12, If you use it as an AP (disable the router function) can both 2.5gb ports be used for LAN? I would love to use one 2.5gb port for backhaul and the other for a gaming PC in two different rooms. Basically using it like a switch. The 1 gb ports can be used for other devices like my Shield TV and printer. I plan to run an OPNsense router/FW that has 2.5 GB ports.
Yes, for the tech and network savvy, Access Points + wired router/firewall are the way to go. I am achieving your max speed using only AC with 2 APs (1 in Living, 1 in MBR). The roaming on APs are much better too. With multiple IOTs and demand for stable and reliable wifi, I recommend going with the APs setup for new home.
yeah of course every IT solution has a scale from consumer grade to an enterprise level. My guess is the network savvy will know its better to split up device functionality, thanks for sharing!
Thank you once again for an awesome comparison video! Very useful as I’m considering what set up to get for my new place, esp if I want it to be a smart home. Looking forward to your next video!!
Can I check with you on the wired connection setup at db box area for hdb? The main node (which I will place in db box) will connect to the optical network terminal (aka modem) For only other nodes , I will connect a Ethernet cable to the modem to the designated room Ethernet port in the db box . All I need to do at my designated room is to connect the Ethernet cable to the nodes? I am asking this because I understand the main node only has 2 Ethernet port. Not sure of the setup
number of ethernet ports on your main node depends on what model you purchase, if you need more ports then get those with 4 ports or a separate switch. Only your main node will have direct connection from your modem, the rest of the mesh nodes should connect to your main node
I got a 2gbps plan, but got the same combi of 2 XT8 and 1 XD6, any recommendations on how i should set up the router and nodes? My house's layout is similar to yours :D
Hello, thank you very much for your video. I have Linksys Velop AX4200 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh, I have 2 and I must say that I am not totally satisfied as the range is not tremendous. What I mean is, from my house to the garden the signal gets very week so I wanted to get a wifi 6 extension. My question is : Can I get an other brand than Linksys which is Mesh enabled and link the Velop with this new unit. In other word is Mesh a standard? Or do I have to stick with Linksys?
So, thanks for the good video. I am sure lots of efforts goes into a nice video like this. One thing that caught my attention is that at 06:48 I see that you are placing your devices on the outer perimeter of your apartment. Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring the devices closer to each other by, perhaps, placing them closer to the center of your apartment?
Hi Alex, do you need a Cat6 data cable for the home before you can use wifi6? I moving into a new house (resale ) and would i need to reroute the house with Cat6 cable in order to use wifi6. Not sure if the existing cable from this 7yr old HDB is CAT what…
I've got 2 google nest H2D routers (one is an extender). Currently moving house and signing new wifi plan - wondering if I should keep using the google nest with a routerless plan (starhub) or sign a contract with a linksys mx2 or mx2001 router included and ditch the google nest. Have you got any insight to offer?
Hello, I considering getting a MX12600. I noticed the Linksys website says that we have to connect the third node to the upstream node (child node). Do you have any idea if we can connect both child node to the parent node instead? TIA!
that's fine, it all depend on the placement. If you have the main node right in the middle, 2 nodes at the left and right, then both of them will connect to the main node
thanks very helpful. For a 3 storey landed semi d up to 4500 sqft built up area, if there is a wired terminal point on every floor, does one still need a bigger range mesh system like the Netgear Orbi rk75x or would the asus xt8 suffice? If the main router is on the ground floor, does it mean mesh unit is needed on second and one on third floor ie 2 units needed? Or one mesh unit is also needed on the ground floor to attach to the main router? Thinking of pairing with the ASUS RT-AX3000 WiFi-6 Router that myrepublic offers with 1Gbps Broadband plan
Hi Alex, would Asus XT8 2 nodes sufficient for hdb typical 5rm 113sqm flat? If so, where would you recommend to place the second node? Thanks for the reply.
its really hard to say because it depends on the layout and where exactly in the house are you going to use wifi most frequently. You can always play around the placement to find the sweet spot
I’ve looked into these because I have a bad Wi-Fi connection and get 60-80 ping and wondering if using this would help that also could I just plug 1 into my router then 1 into my Xbox or no
Your 2nd node location, when you say it is 'wired', is there a LAN cable connecting the primary 1st node to the 2nd node? I am in similar situation as you now, so was researching where is the ideal place to place the mesh or an extender. Wouldn't the ideal position be somewhere in the corridor?
Hello, i have the xt8 mesh but the connection between the wired mesh and wireless mesh is weak averaging arnd 10mbps on ookla speedtest. The router also displays a yellow instead of white led. I have tried powering it off and on but it doesn’t change anything and remains yellow. Can you help me out with that?
What would you suggest for a 2 piece system? I have a 2 story home, current router is upstairs and I have trouble with wifi connection downstairs and especially in my garage. I have a ethernet cable ran to my garage for mining sometime so was considering using that to have a wired connection in my garage and a wireless point in downstairs area.
Hi Alex, quick question from a networking newbie. Can I place an Asus router in the DB box, and connect Asus XD6S via the wired backhaul from the different outlet points in the house?
Idk if anyone will have an answer for me but i've been trying to figure out if my modem/router will be compatible with a wifi mesh system which has wifi 6. My modem/router has wifi 4 in it and i don't want to buy a mesh system that wont work.
Hi Alex, which Wi-Fi model will you recommend for a landed property, I have a 4 storey building. I dun have CAT5/6 cabling on every floor. Please can you provide me some advice.
Very good video. However at this pricing of XT8, i will recommend getting a full entry level enterprise grade network setup from tplink omada series though. Now, HDB houses.comes with 1 LAN point per room. A wired backhaul is always better than a wireless backhaul. Moreover, with the tplink omada series, u can do vlans, and even acls to block any IoT devices from entering your private network just in case they are hacked (of course provided that you have the knowledge to do so). I was looking for mesh system too but settled with tplink omada lineup (cheaper than ubiquiti).
I had Nokia wifi Beacon wired mesh with 2 nodes at home (land not apartment). First node setup wired (connected to router) inside master bedroom on 2F and the other node (wireless) installed near the ladder area on 1F. They are only 6m apart. My question is: 1. Why internet connection always dropped when using 2nd node? My phone always try to get signal from 1st node at bedroom. is it the hardware issue from nokia? My internet connection is stable and using ADSL optic fibre 20 Mbps. 2. I ended up using TP Link network extender and not using wired mesh anymore.
hard to tell the root cause this way, will have to do some troubleshooting. did you try to reach out for support from your isp since your setup is entirely from them?
which has the ability to create multiple SSIDs, especially for the 2.4 and the 5 bands? thanks and great video ... I already returned the TP link b/c unlike my old wifi router, which allows multiple SSIDs, their mesh ones don't.
Hi, i see that you place a node in db box just beside the wifi router, is that a requirement? The living rm can just tap on the router connection? And i can place 2 other mesh in the rooms where wifi are weaker? Or i need 3 nodes? Pls advise. 🙏🏻
your first mesh node is the router, you can place it in the db box or anywhere in the living room its up to you. Number of nodes required depends on size, layout of the house and living habits
interesting....oh yes..in this case of having a smart home .would i need to have my ISP/wifi mesh system up first before getting my smart switches?..think my electrical work might start in about 1 weeks time.thats where im replacing my switches with jarvis switch
Do we know what the power consumption of the different units are? As these are on 24/7 and with energy prices increasing, in some regions that could be the biggest factor cost wise.
Hi Alex, i stay in the 1200sqft 5-room hdb w the same layout as yours. My parents master bedroom and common toilet cant received the signal. Same situation as yours. I am wondering is a mesh better than a wifi router? I was looking at Tp-Link Archer AX90 AX6600. I live in a big family household. Currently on a Starhub 2gbs plan and outlet 1gbs to a nokia beacon. One in living room one in my bed room and one in master bedroom. Another 1gbs is connected to linksys mx4200.
hi bryan, seems like you have quite a messed up network setup, high chance of wifi congestion and signal interference going on. There are different ways you can setup a home wifi network such as mesh, relay/bridging, AC+AP, wifi extender.. in my opinion i will only consider either mesh or AC+AP, mesh is more suitable for most of the general household
Hi Alex, great video. I am trying to decide between rt-ax86 pro single router and xt8/xt9 mesh for a single storey medium house. currently having number of automations with Philips hue, ring and arlo using homekit, google and alexa. Currently using apple time capsule and the unit can still cope with the load but having issues with the ring doorbell with poor connection. extender seems working but doorbell battery runs out quickly. what is your opinion? should i go with single 86u or xt8/xt9? thanks.
Another important note: if you are going with 3x setup that means you already have a lot of devices and if you can have some wired connections you definitely should consider buying an extra unmanaged switch like a linksys lgs 108
Nice sum up. Your reviews are often more applicable for us (Singaporean). It's interesting that you mentioned pair XD6(node) to the XT8. Ideally, XD6(dual band) and XT8(triband)....the XD6 if wireless, will "lose" one of its band to connect...its often not recommended to mix them (only for tech ppl).
@@AlexTeo that would means XD6 will be wired....and it's 5GHz will be used as backhaul.....only left with 2.4Ghz . If device connect to it wireless, would max at 100++ instead near 300 when connect wireless to the XT8
@@kyleongwl if its wired, it won't be using a wireless band for backhaul. That is why tri band is sort of wasted if you could go with a wired mesh setup
I really appreciate the amount of time and information you provided in this video. There were things I hadn’t considered, as how many units I really need. You have set the bar high for others. Thank you😊
Hi everyone, can i have recommendations for how to have good coverage for hdb maisonette pls? am currently in mid of renovation doing electrical work, does having Cat 6 cable is good enough? Should do 1 Fibre optic Terminal Point on each level or remain 1 FTP point on level 1 will do then run mesh to cover both level? Which ISP to go for? Really appreciate the Pros advise as really sick of weak coverage in the past 4rm hdb even without 2nd level. Thus afraid will be worse moving into EM. Another issue is i dun think i have existing FTP in my unit after all the hacking works had done. What is the steps i should proceed to carry these networks stuff? pardon that i kinda noob & hope to learn more. thanks in advance :)
Hey Alex, current im on singtel 2gb with singtel mesh for 3 story landed house. The connect is not very good for the whole house. Any advise which telcom should i sign for how many gb and what mesh should i use ? Normally the house will be using wireless connections and not lan port.
i always prefer the big telcos - singtel or starhub depending on your area, as for mesh systems you can either go with my recommendation for best overall or best range
@@AlexTeo thank you so much. I'm still thinking to get Asus XT8 or Netgear orbi 850x. any recommendation for 3 story house ? Do i need to get tri band or just 2 pack is enough ?
Hello, thank you for the video. I'm looking for a budget mesh system wired back haul. I've tried to set a few systems up but all of them are wireless only. Halos50, Deco m4. Although it seems to work it is not ideal and I would rather use the ethernet cables I've got everywhere in my house. Do you have a recommandation?
Morning Alex, thanks for the video! I am moving into my new 4 room now and thinking to upgrade my mesh system . (currently using Deco M9 Plus). One concern I have is that when you put the Main Node in the DB box (with cabinet covering the DB box area). Will the Main node get over heated?
There will definitely be heat same for the ont/onr, some models in the list i tested are hotter. I will look at the design of the equipment and see how heat can escape
Hi Alex. Need your advice. I have PS4 in my bedroom. Once in a while I play FIFA / EA FC 24 online but it seems laggy connecting to my home singtel wifi. Should i get a mesh router to place it inside my room and connect to my PS4 via LAN cable? I'm looking into Xiaomi AX3000 at the moment if it's suitable.
Coming back to this video since I have moved to a landed property and I couldn't get good signal in my room. I think I need to get the TP-link Deco X20 (2 packs) afterall. However, I happen to come across TP Deco X68 (2 packs). X68 is a tri-band and is only $100 more. What do you think? Is the $100 extra worth it? OR do you recommend i just go for X75? Thanks!
in my experience its not, you can always test it out with your phone playing some live streams or mobile game, walk to every corner of the house and see whether you start to lose any signal
Between Deco X75 3 pack vs X95 2 pack, which is better for a 5room HDB, 1300 sf? They are both about the same price now. I feel the x95 might be better since x95 2 pack seems to offer better performance at a slightly smaller area coverage than the x75 3 pack.
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the reply! I betting on the fact that my unit is very squarish given that it's a point block unit, hence the corner dead zones might not be too jialat. Of cos, i can always buy a 3rd deco node of any kind for the dead zone area in future. Too bad, there isn't a simulation online to see how the system will work for me.
Sincere, unbias and no nonsense review. Indeed a rare stone in the RUclips community! Keep up the good work!
wow thanks for the compliment!
Came to say the same thing. On point. Great video and the best one for the other 20+ videos I have watched.
@@AlexTeofrfr
Bro, this was like watching a teacher explaining their science experiment. steps are clearly explained, results are displayed clearly. bro even took average results to show that there weren't any bias for a specific testing session. keep it up.
2 points i wish you will be able to include in your next round of testing would be
1. Comparing against ISP provided routers
2. Choosing the server to test instead of using default - this is because default could mean that Google is choosing the "best" server to connect to and this might change depending on the latency of the servers etc.
thanks for the content man
lol thanks, i really love to teach though
1. unlikely especially ISP do change which router they supply time to time
2. yup i should have, just lazy to do that and google speed test is the easiest to access
Ridiculous request.
I've watched several wifi 6 mesh explainers/reviews this week. This is the best of them by a long way. All key concepts explained clearly, concisely and quickly, and the review was similary sharp. Exactly what I have been hunting for. Excellent editing by an exceptionally good content creator. Thank you!
wow thanks for the comment! this is really a huge encouragement for me
Hi Alex..any advice pls..I'm living in old HDB Executive apartment with area approx.abt 141 sq metres..I'm thinking of buying 2 Asus XT8 is tt ok for my house or do I need 3 of tt? Appreciate any suggestions from U on tt..thks
I dont comment much on any video but I really wanted to support what you do here as you are literally the only person who included a proper home layout in your tests. Thanks a lot for this comprehensive test and keep up the great work!
Thanks and appreciate the kind comment!
Reading through some of these comments, your thoroughness is rightfully recognized and appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to produce this video comparison - we found it very useful and used it to direct our purchase selection. Cheers to you!
Thanks for the support!
Great video alex! I used to struggle with AC mesh setup(even with 2 x AC5300) as my current place does not have rj45 port in the room, heavily rely on wireless backhaul for node in the room, to do pc desktop gaming, the latency is so bad that i got disconnected from the game and video streaming in the bedroom as weell. After upgrading the XT8 i no longer have all these issue. Speed is amazing even the latency as well! No longer have to suffer all these after the change,
For those who struggle with no ethernet backhaul for ur 2nd node, go with AX router mesh! AX is the biggest change from AC!
yes indeed 100%, thanks for sharing!
Alex, wifi 6 mesh high speed network coverage area is going smaller than wifi 5 mesh AP. The location of where you put the router is going to be very important. I recommend moving your main router to the center of your house (like your guest rooms near the hallway of your house) with wire connection to your fiber modem near the main door and then place the 2nd AP no more than 5 meter from your main router in the other side of your living room closer to your main door. Place the 3rd AP in the master no more than 5M away from your main router in your guest bedroom since your goal is to get higher speed. If you don’t have cat5e or cat6 cable run to your guest bedroom, most apartment should have wire connection run to the living room. You can place your main router there and then place your other AP closer to main router will increase that back hall speed to the router and then the main router will send the traffic to your fiber modem -> internet. In order to cover dead zone, you will need to get more APs. Keep in mind that wifi 6 doesn’t go through concrete walls as good as wifi 5. In theory, wifi 6 can reach 1G+ speed but I have not seen any good test results even with wifi 6 card with external antenna. Good luck with your wifi 6 deployment
thanks for the comment and suggestion
Another great video from Alex Teo. I myself am using the Asus XT8, and can attest to the stability, strong network signal and fast performance. I've been using it for my WFH for about 2 years, and so far they've been very reliable. Highly recommend!👍
Hey Alex! Appreciate the time and effort you put into this video. This is no easy feat! And of course we are thrilled that the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is your pick of the bunch as the mesh system for your home network. ❤
@@micker9830 Thanks for the love!
Asus router firmware and network stability has issues. initially upgrading Firmware brick the router. the technician blamed it on me while he failed to fix it, and told me he need more time ( maybe 3 years). got a brand new replacement. Router keeps dropping connection to my home security camera. Initially thought it was due to the camera, however after i restart the router, miraculously all the camera connected. hence dont tell me its the camera's issue.
When will XT9 be sold in Singapore?
@Asus Singapore Anyway we can feature Asus products on the VR Essentials channel? We have many PCVR gamers looking for the best wireless solutions :)
Any info on the fix blue led blinking error? Couple or users have already mentioned this on reddit
I’m only half way through your video and I had to stop to write that this is such an incredible video. Keep up the great work!
thanks for the high praise!
Awesome review! Unbiased and professional - delivered with the beautiful Singapore accent (which I miss a lot after living in Singapore for 3 years - it was great hearing it again). Thanks!
hahaha thanks mate
I completely agree with your closing statement about typical reviews. Thank you for putting together this review. I found the information helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Well done sir! Quite literally helped me make a decision on what mesh systems to purchase. Professional clear strait to the point.
Well done brutha!
Love from the states!
wow thanks for the high praise!
This is the best comparison I’ve seen by a long shot. Fantastic job!
Great review Alex! lighting, sound, location, multiple times of the day testing and of course a nice range of Mesh products for all
thanks mate!
Really well dont video bro - both is editing and the design of the tests. Extremely well done bro, thanks!
thanks mate
I’m glad someone finally made a video like this. My 4rm is 136sqm, old hdb long-ish floor plan. I upgraded to Orbi RB 853. I’m wondering why I’m still having dead spots with 3 units. Your video explains why specs on paper may not be representative to our hdb in Singapore. Thanks!!!
yup, expensive models have a better range but if you are going to be enclosed in a room with thick concrete walls, the signals still can't penetrate through
Lifesaver, I’m looking at purchasing a mesh system for my newly purchased 5rm HDB. Really informative! Thank you!
haha perfect timing
Always found your review thorough. Based on them, bought orbi triband 8x. The next step is setup. Here in Australia, i pay $90 for 100Mbps and get 65Mbps on a good day.
sounds bad the isp in aus, over here in sg we are paying around $50 for 1gbps
great detail... many thanks! I'm struggling with my decision and conversion to a mesh network. Probably going with the Orbi to support 3500sqft home with 2 floors. My GB plan with Verizon just wasn't being fully used and 2nd floor reception was always struggling for consistent stream. Thank you once again and look forward to more content!
thanks for sharing, hopefully it resolves your wifi issues
Hei Alex, awesome comparison in including the tri-band routers. Got the Linksys MX4200 in January and have been getting fantastic coverage throughout my unit.
coverage is good but i keep having some upload speed issue with it, always at around 1/2 to 2/3 of what i am getting for download speed
Hello Alex. Tq for making this video. I watched twice. Yr video has helped me decide to buy TP Link X20 due to budget when I had to renew to wifi6. It was gd enough for my 5 rm flat w or w/o additional mesh. Tqsm!
What is a wired mesh system / wireless mesh system? 13:57
Does it mean that the nodes are connected to each other via wires or at each node is a lan cable??
thanks for the video. would say a x20 (or the tp link x60 from myrepublic's plan) be sufficient if i would like to connect LAN cables throughout the house (for TV in living room, computer in study room etc) via the routing in the DB box? or would i need to get a mesh system that can support more connections as the x20 only has two ports?
Excellent explainer. In the market for a Mesh setup myself and it's true, it can be a minefield for those who don't take the time to study the speed/bandwidth ratings. Thanks for this.
glad its helpful!
Alex, thanks! Just what I needed to help make my decision for my new home setup.
thanks for the sub!
On the ET12, If you use it as an AP (disable the router function) can both 2.5gb ports be used for LAN? I would love to use one 2.5gb port for backhaul and the other for a gaming PC in two different rooms. Basically using it like a switch. The 1 gb ports can be used for other devices like my Shield TV and printer.
I plan to run an OPNsense router/FW that has 2.5 GB ports.
Yes, for the tech and network savvy, Access Points + wired router/firewall are the way to go. I am achieving your max speed using only AC with 2 APs (1 in Living, 1 in MBR). The roaming on APs are much better too. With multiple IOTs and demand for stable and reliable wifi, I recommend going with the APs setup for new home.
yeah of course every IT solution has a scale from consumer grade to an enterprise level. My guess is the network savvy will know its better to split up device functionality, thanks for sharing!
Hi, can I please ask what brand/model of AC and APs you use for you setup?Thanks
Thank you once again for an awesome comparison video! Very useful as I’m considering what set up to get for my new place, esp if I want it to be a smart home. Looking forward to your next video!!
thank thanks!
Great review! I like that you mentioned you can mix models.
Amazing review thank you I own an original mesh system. It’s now time to upgrade and I’ve been confused. This helps a lot.
Can I check with you on the wired connection setup at db box area for hdb?
The main node (which I will place in db box) will connect to the optical network terminal (aka modem)
For only other nodes , I will connect a Ethernet cable to the modem to the designated room Ethernet port in the db box .
All I need to do at my designated room is to connect the Ethernet cable to the nodes?
I am asking this because I understand the main node only has 2 Ethernet port. Not sure of the setup
number of ethernet ports on your main node depends on what model you purchase, if you need more ports then get those with 4 ports or a separate switch. Only your main node will have direct connection from your modem, the rest of the mesh nodes should connect to your main node
I got a 2gbps plan, but got the same combi of 2 XT8 and 1 XD6, any recommendations on how i should set up the router and nodes? My house's layout is similar to yours :D
you can setup accordingly to how i conducted my test
Hey Alex, thanks for the in depth video. Great job! Much easier to relate since its SG context. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
thanks man!
Hi. Which of these routers are able to support separate/ disabling of band steering for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz
ya they can, some brands will require you to login into the web gui to do it instead of the app
wa wa wa like waiting for movie premiere siol. Excited and looking forward!
Hello, thank you very much for your video. I have Linksys Velop AX4200 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh, I have 2 and I must say that I am not totally satisfied as the range is not tremendous. What I mean is, from my house to the garden the signal gets very week so I wanted to get a wifi 6 extension. My question is : Can I get an other brand than Linksys which is Mesh enabled and link the Velop with this new unit. In other word is Mesh a standard? Or do I have to stick with Linksys?
you can't mix brand, so you can only use MX5400 to expand
So, thanks for the good video. I am sure lots of efforts goes into a nice video like this. One thing that caught my attention is that at 06:48 I see that you are placing your devices on the outer perimeter of your apartment. Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring the devices closer to each other by, perhaps, placing them closer to the center of your apartment?
yeah if your house renovation layout allows that then of course, position them in an open area around the height of a kitchen island is the most ideal
Asia xd4 or tp link x20 ? Which is better ? Saw both of the pricing and they are quite similar
x20 as recommended
great video! Thank you for the quality test scenario with objective results. They really help
Very good video and comparison overall. The amount of time and energy to test it all is a LOT of work
indeed it is haha, but the process is fun too
Hi Alex, do you need a Cat6 data cable for the home before you can use wifi6? I moving into a new house (resale ) and would i need to reroute the house with Cat6 cable in order to use wifi6. Not sure if the existing cable from this 7yr old HDB is CAT what…
I've got 2 google nest H2D routers (one is an extender). Currently moving house and signing new wifi plan - wondering if I should keep using the google nest with a routerless plan (starhub) or sign a contract with a linksys mx2 or mx2001 router included and ditch the google nest. Have you got any insight to offer?
Alex, can i ask to set up wifi mesh system using Deco X20 or X75, we need port switch - So For same brand, can LS1005G be used for wired mesh?
i am keen on deco s7 tp link dule band ,do it need to use first satellite as replacement of my existing wifi that connects to modem?
Hello, I considering getting a MX12600. I noticed the Linksys website says that we have to connect the third node to the upstream node (child node). Do you have any idea if we can connect both child node to the parent node instead? TIA!
that's fine, it all depend on the placement. If you have the main node right in the middle, 2 nodes at the left and right, then both of them will connect to the main node
I hit the like button as soon as this guy put “sitting on toilet” as one of his test locations. Top marks for real life usage.
Which is the best value Wifi 6 Mesh Ax3000? Including Tenda or Xiaomi tested.
Great Review! Concise and Unbiased. Love your ID also !
Fantastic review! Subscribed. ❤
@@KAL-589 thanks for the sub!
thanks very helpful. For a 3 storey landed semi d up to 4500 sqft built up area, if there is a wired terminal point on every floor, does one still need a bigger range mesh system like the Netgear Orbi rk75x or would the asus xt8 suffice? If the main router is on the ground floor, does it mean mesh unit is needed on second and one on third floor ie 2 units needed? Or one mesh unit is also needed on the ground floor to attach to the main router? Thinking of pairing with the ASUS RT-AX3000 WiFi-6 Router that myrepublic offers with 1Gbps Broadband plan
i guess it depends on how big is each level, main router = main mesh node, you don't need a separate router for a mesh setup
Hi Alex, would Asus XT8 2 nodes sufficient for hdb typical 5rm 113sqm flat? If so, where would you recommend to place the second node? Thanks for the reply.
its really hard to say because it depends on the layout and where exactly in the house are you going to use wifi most frequently. You can always play around the placement to find the sweet spot
SO if you could get the Asus ET8 over the xt8 would you? is 6E worth the upgrade? THe xt12 looks great but a lot more expensive for my 1400 sqft home.
no idea as singapore doesn't support. Yes the XT12 has the best design of all
@@AlexTeo going with the et-8. Don’t need the range of the 12. Thanks.
I’ve looked into these because I have a bad Wi-Fi connection and get 60-80 ping and wondering if using this would help that also could I just plug 1 into my router then 1 into my Xbox or no
Thanks Alex, pretty useful stuff. I have the same floor plan as yours. How many nodes do you recommend if I go for the Asus XT8
i had to go with 3 to cover all blind spots, anyway asus don't sell 3 nodes so you can test it out with 2 nodes first
Your 2nd node location, when you say it is 'wired', is there a LAN cable connecting the primary 1st node to the 2nd node?
I am in similar situation as you now, so was researching where is the ideal place to place the mesh or an extender. Wouldn't the ideal position be somewhere in the corridor?
Yes 2nd and 1st node are wired.
Need a power socket and somewhere to place it, its not like a wifi access point where you will mount on the ceiling
Hello, i have the xt8 mesh but the connection between the wired mesh and wireless mesh is weak averaging arnd 10mbps on ookla speedtest. The router also displays a yellow instead of white led. I have tried powering it off and on but it doesn’t change anything and remains yellow. Can you help me out with that?
for such matters, i suggest you to seek direct support from the product vendor
@@AlexTeo okay thanks 👌
What would you suggest for a 2 piece system? I have a 2 story home, current router is upstairs and I have trouble with wifi connection downstairs and especially in my garage. I have a ethernet cable ran to my garage for mining sometime so was considering using that to have a wired connection in my garage and a wireless point in downstairs area.
Probably the netgear orbi 852 then, a safer choice
Hi Alex, quick question from a networking newbie. Can I place an Asus router in the DB box, and connect Asus XD6S via the wired backhaul from the different outlet points in the house?
all devices must be compatible with Asus AiMesh
Thank you for making this helpful video. 🤝 I was looking for the best Wi-Fi6 mesh repeater.
first time I see you in my life. this video is just perfect.
Do I need to wire ethernet cables between the nodes? Or they connect to each other wirelessly as well with good bandwidth and range extension?
basically wired vs wireless mesh, wired will always give a better performance, for wireless it really depends on the layout of the house
Excellent review! I know what you mean by the ‘Top 5 mesh’ videos. Thanks a lot for this.
yup beware of those
Idk if anyone will have an answer for me but i've been trying to figure out if my modem/router will be compatible with a wifi mesh system which has wifi 6. My modem/router has wifi 4 in it and i don't want to buy a mesh system that wont work.
Very interesting and far more informative than the TP-Link things that show nothing at all. Thank you very much.
I’ve got the et12 pro and wondered if you’ve ever bypassed the supplied WiFi router from your provider and used the ASUs as a router instead?
you don't have to use an ISP provided router
@@AlexTeo so I go straight into the et12…
Hi Alex, which Wi-Fi model will you recommend for a landed property, I have a 4 storey building. I dun have CAT5/6 cabling on every floor.
Please can you provide me some advice.
you can go with my recommendation for best range which is the netgear orbi mesh
Very good video. However at this pricing of XT8, i will recommend getting a full entry level enterprise grade network setup from tplink omada series though. Now, HDB houses.comes with 1 LAN point per room. A wired backhaul is always better than a wireless backhaul. Moreover, with the tplink omada series, u can do vlans, and even acls to block any IoT devices from entering your private network just in case they are hacked (of course provided that you have the knowledge to do so).
I was looking for mesh system too but settled with tplink omada lineup (cheaper than ubiquiti).
i will also consider huawei if I want to go AC + AP
Thanks
I had Nokia wifi Beacon wired mesh with 2 nodes at home (land not apartment). First node setup wired (connected to router) inside master bedroom on 2F and the other node (wireless) installed near the ladder area on 1F. They are only 6m apart. My question is:
1. Why internet connection always dropped when using 2nd node? My phone always try to get signal from 1st node at bedroom. is it the hardware issue from nokia? My internet connection is stable and using ADSL optic fibre 20 Mbps.
2. I ended up using TP Link network extender and not using wired mesh anymore.
hard to tell the root cause this way, will have to do some troubleshooting.
did you try to reach out for support from your isp since your setup is entirely from them?
@@AlexTeo unfortunately not. ISP doesn't care. Thanks for your answer. Maybe it's hardware issue. I want to try Asus XT8 as you recommended 👍
I am looking for an upgrade for my wireless PCVR set up thanks a lot, helps, seems the Asus XT8 would do the trick
which has the ability to create multiple SSIDs, especially for the 2.4 and the 5 bands? thanks and great video ... I already returned the TP link b/c unlike my old wifi router, which allows multiple SSIDs, their mesh ones don't.
i didnt check that during the test, based on what I am using now which is the asus, you can do so by creating different guest network
Are there any problems with connecting the units with a cable? I would like to minimise pings.
as long as there are sufficient ports
Thanks!
Wow thanks!
Hi, i see that you place a node in db box just beside the wifi router, is that a requirement? The living rm can just tap on the router connection? And i can place 2 other mesh in the rooms where wifi are weaker? Or i need 3 nodes? Pls advise. 🙏🏻
your first mesh node is the router, you can place it in the db box or anywhere in the living room its up to you. Number of nodes required depends on size, layout of the house and living habits
interesting....oh yes..in this case of having a smart home .would i need to have my ISP/wifi mesh system up first before getting my smart switches?..think my electrical work might start in about 1 weeks time.thats where im replacing my switches with jarvis switch
yup you need to get your network up to test the connectivity
Do we know what the power consumption of the different units are? As these are on 24/7 and with energy prices increasing, in some regions that could be the biggest factor cost wise.
you can use a smart plug to off it when asleep if you want, power consumption details should be available on the product website
Hi Alex, i stay in the 1200sqft 5-room hdb w the same layout as yours. My parents master bedroom and common toilet cant received the signal. Same situation as yours. I am wondering is a mesh better than a wifi router? I was looking at Tp-Link Archer AX90 AX6600. I live in a big family household. Currently on a Starhub 2gbs plan and outlet 1gbs to a nokia beacon. One in living room one in my bed room and one in master bedroom. Another 1gbs is connected to linksys mx4200.
hi bryan, seems like you have quite a messed up network setup, high chance of wifi congestion and signal interference going on. There are different ways you can setup a home wifi network such as mesh, relay/bridging, AC+AP, wifi extender.. in my opinion i will only consider either mesh or AC+AP, mesh is more suitable for most of the general household
Hi Alex, great video. I am trying to decide between rt-ax86 pro single router and xt8/xt9 mesh for a single storey medium house. currently having number of automations with Philips hue, ring and arlo using homekit, google and alexa. Currently using apple time capsule and the unit can still cope with the load but having issues with the ring doorbell with poor connection. extender seems working but doorbell battery runs out quickly. what is your opinion? should i go with single 86u or xt8/xt9? thanks.
i only recommend mesh or AC-AP for home network design
Hi what are you recommend I use wireless backuel xd5 or deco ax5400 ?
Another important note: if you are going with 3x setup that means you already have a lot of devices and if you can have some wired connections you definitely should consider buying an extra unmanaged switch like a linksys lgs 108
Nice sum up. Your reviews are often more applicable for us (Singaporean). It's interesting that you mentioned pair XD6(node) to the XT8. Ideally, XD6(dual band) and XT8(triband)....the XD6 if wireless, will "lose" one of its band to connect...its often not recommended to mix them (only for tech ppl).
I'm glad someone commented on this haa, yeah you are right. But i am actually mixing 2x XT8 and 1x XD6
@@AlexTeo that would means XD6 will be wired....and it's 5GHz will be used as backhaul.....only left with 2.4Ghz . If device connect to it wireless, would max at 100++ instead near 300 when connect wireless to the XT8
@@kyleongwl if its wired, it won't be using a wireless band for backhaul. That is why tri band is sort of wasted if you could go with a wired mesh setup
I really appreciate the amount of time and information you provided in this video. There were things I hadn’t considered, as how many units I really need. You have set the bar high for others. Thank you😊
Hi Alex. Can you share if i want to do a wired back haul setup. How should I connect all the router/node with a switch?
you will have the switch placed in the middle of your main node and your other mesh nodes
Hi everyone, can i have recommendations for how to have good coverage for hdb maisonette pls? am currently in mid of renovation doing electrical work, does having Cat 6 cable is good enough? Should do 1 Fibre optic Terminal Point on each level or remain 1 FTP point on level 1 will do then run mesh to cover both level? Which ISP to go for? Really appreciate the Pros advise as really sick of weak coverage in the past 4rm hdb even without 2nd level. Thus afraid will be worse moving into EM. Another issue is i dun think i have existing FTP in my unit after all the hacking works had done. What is the steps i should proceed to carry these networks stuff? pardon that i kinda noob & hope to learn more. thanks in advance :)
Do I need the x75 pro ? What’s the main difference
How do i get the wired mesh in one of the bedroom?
pull a network point in if you don't have one
How do we do wired ? What is required in the room
Hey Alex, current im on singtel 2gb with singtel mesh for 3 story landed house. The connect is not very good for the whole house. Any advise which telcom should i sign for how many gb and what mesh should i use ? Normally the house will be using wireless connections and not lan port.
i always prefer the big telcos - singtel or starhub depending on your area, as for mesh systems you can either go with my recommendation for best overall or best range
@@AlexTeo thank you so much. I'm still thinking to get Asus XT8 or Netgear orbi 850x. any recommendation for 3 story house ? Do i need to get tri band or just 2 pack is enough ?
@@chanyuchi2364 you need both triband and 3 nodes
@@AlexTeo Last question, Asus XT8 or Orbi Tri-band Mesh System(RBK852) will be better choice ?
Hi Alex, would a router still be needed if I have a triband mesh? Or If I have a router, only 2 mesh needed? Thanks!
the first node of the mesh you configure is the router to your isp
Hello, thank you for the video. I'm looking for a budget mesh system wired back haul. I've tried to set a few systems up but all of them are wireless only. Halos50, Deco m4. Although it seems to work it is not ideal and I would rather use the ethernet cables I've got everywhere in my house. Do you have a recommandation?
all the mesh systems in this video support wired backhaul, you can go with my recommendations based on your definition of 'budget'
Morning Alex, thanks for the video! I am moving into my new 4 room now and thinking to upgrade my mesh system . (currently using Deco M9 Plus). One concern I have is that when you put the Main Node in the DB box (with cabinet covering the DB box area). Will the Main node get over heated?
There will definitely be heat same for the ont/onr, some models in the list i tested are hotter. I will look at the design of the equipment and see how heat can escape
If you buy the 2 node pack initially, can you purchase another 2nd hand node for a 3 node setup if necessary?
yes of course, in fact many people do that
@@AlexTeo thanks for your reply. Your videos are very helpful
Hi all, i have got a question. For the main mesh node in the db box, its the same as the other mesh device to be placed in my other room?
Depends on brand and model
Thank you! How about the TP-link Deco X20?
Hi Alex. Need your advice. I have PS4 in my bedroom. Once in a while I play FIFA / EA FC 24 online but it seems laggy connecting to my home singtel wifi. Should i get a mesh router to place it inside my room and connect to my PS4 via LAN cable? I'm looking into Xiaomi AX3000 at the moment if it's suitable.
yes if you can do a wired mesh backhaul, there will be improvement but no guarantee that there won't be lag
Very nice summary. Maybe another video concerning the management of those products? Parental control, antivirus, web interface or simply an app….
Next comparison video!
Coming back to this video since I have moved to a landed property and I couldn't get good signal in my room. I think I need to get the TP-link Deco X20 (2 packs) afterall. However, I happen to come across TP Deco X68 (2 packs). X68 is a tri-band and is only $100 more. What do you think? Is the $100 extra worth it? OR do you recommend i just go for X75? Thanks!
i will suggest the X75, its a small upgrade from the X68
for home 1234sqft, is 2 pack sufficient? Singtel provide AirTies router, does it make any different?
in my experience its not, you can always test it out with your phone playing some live streams or mobile game, walk to every corner of the house and see whether you start to lose any signal
Excellent video - clear, definitive and unbiased tests
Hi, is it possible that I replace mesh with router? Meaning modem to mesh instead of modem to router to mesh?
ya of course, what for do you still want a router
Between Deco X75 3 pack vs X95 2 pack, which is better for a 5room HDB, 1300 sf? They are both about the same price now. I feel the x95 might be better since x95 2 pack seems to offer better performance at a slightly smaller area coverage than the x75 3 pack.
For me i will get the 3 pack instead, network is too unable with 2 nodes in some of the spots in my house
@@AlexTeo Thanks for the reply! I betting on the fact that my unit is very squarish given that it's a point block unit, hence the corner dead zones might not be too jialat. Of cos, i can always buy a 3rd deco node of any kind for the dead zone area in future. Too bad, there isn't a simulation online to see how the system will work for me.