Solved Best Wi-Fi Range Extenders


Obviously with the wireless connection, the satellites can't be too far from the router.
Yes, but in a mesh the satellites also communicate with each other. (Even, if the backhaul is wireless.) If the backhaul is wireless, then the satellite that is farthest from the router is held back more due to it having to depend on other nearby satellites, wirelessly that is, to still be able to reach the router. BUT... placing a satellite too close to the router and/or too close to another satellite causes interference in that area to be so severe that it is what effectively becomes the dominant factor, enough for it to degrade performance. Distance is not the only factor, though. There exist quite a few other things that either weaken the signal or block it completely. So, exactly because it is so multifactorial, wired backhaul very often proves to be the only way to get a mesh system to perform well enough for it to be truly worth.
 

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Yes, but in a mesh the satellites also communicate with each other. (Even, if the backhaul is wireless.) If the backhaul is wireless, then the satellite that is farthest from the router is held back more due to it having to depend on other nearby satellites, wirelessly that is, to still be able to reach the router. BUT... placing a satellite too close to the router and/or too close to another satellite causes interference in that area to be so severe that it is what effectively becomes the dominant factor, enough for it to degrade performance. Distance is not the only factor, though. There exist quite a few other things that either weaken the signal or block it completely. So, exactly because it is so multifactorial, wired backhaul very often proves to be the only way to get a mesh system to perform well enough for it to be truly worth.
I could wire them together, as I have Ethernet ports in a few places in my house.
Right now, I'm not sure if I'll switch to a mesh system. The TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender is currently working superbly in the one low signal area that I had prior to installing it. I'll see how it continues to perform.
 

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    Windows 10 Pro
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    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
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    Core i7-8750H
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    Zephyrus M GM501GS
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    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
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    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
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    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
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    N/A
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Yeah, the NETGEAR Orbis look good.
I don't know much about the Tomato firmware, and I'm not really interested in messing with stuff like that.

This thread is becoming a real fruitfest.
Someone mentioned a lemon, and you mentioned a tomato. :LOL:
Yeah this thread is bananas now lol.

Maybe OP should mark it as solved.
 

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    ASUS Vivobook 14
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    I7
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    Yep, Laptop has one.
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    16 GB
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    Integrated Intel Iris XE
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    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
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    Yep, got one
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    Stella Artois
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    Built in
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    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
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    Edge mostly
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Yeah this thread is bananas now lol.
You're sending this thread pear shaped. :D


By the way. I think it'd be a bit premature to mark a thread about what's the best wi-fi range extender after two days.
 
Last edited:

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    Windows 11 Pro
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    Intel Core i9-10900X
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    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
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    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
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    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
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    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
You're sending this thread pear shaped. :D


By the way. I think it'd be a bit premature to mark a thread about what's the best wi-fi range extender after two days.
Yeah perhaps I suppose we need to keep upto DATE with CURRANT design, RAISIN our awareness so we can CHERRY pick a PLUM device.
 

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    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
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    I7
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    Yep, Laptop has one.
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    16 GB
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    Integrated Intel Iris XE
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    Realtek built in
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    N/A
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    1920x1080
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    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
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    Stella Artois
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    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
Right now, I'm not sure if I'll switch to a mesh system.
With what you currently already have, I am fairly convinced that switching to mesh is not worth the investment. For most people, mesh is simply not needed, and I wouldn't have bought my mesh system (nor would I have bought any other mesh system, for that matter...) had it been possible for me to achieve very similar WiFi performance at a significantly lower cost (i.e. by going for just a single "normal" wireless router and a wireless AP). It's just that this 2 Pack from Asus performs better (and has better features) with just two nodes, when compared to an Orbi with three nodes. The main reason why the Asus still gets overlooked by many, in spite of the fact that firmware issues have properly been fixed, is because many continue to wrongfully believe that it will underperform. That is, due to it having only two nodes (because it is a 2 Pack) instead of three and due to a few other things (like not being able to aim the antennae and it not being truly tri-band, etc.) so then they buy the Orbi from Netgear or something similar, and they get average performance with it, yet they still continue to believe that performance is great, like, even when it quite simply is not. lol
 

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    11 Home
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    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
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    i7 13650HX
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    16GB DDR5
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    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
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    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
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    37TB external
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    Li-ion
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    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
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    Logitech K800
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    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
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    Medion S15450
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    i5 1135G7
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    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
With what you currently already have, I am fairly convinced that switching to mesh is not worth the investment. For most people, mesh is simply not needed, and I wouldn't have bought my mesh system (nor would I have bought any other mesh system, for that matter...) had it been possible for me to achieve very similar WiFi performance at a significantly lower cost (i.e. by going for just a single "normal" wireless router and a wireless AP). It's just that this 2 Pack from Asus performs better (and has better features) with just two nodes, when compared to an Orbi with three nodes. The main reason why the Asus still gets overlooked by many, in spite of the fact that firmware issues have properly been fixed, is because many continue to wrongfully believe that it will underperform. That is, due to it having only two nodes (because it is a 2 Pack) instead of three and due to a few other things (like not being able to aim the antennae and it not being truly tri-band, etc.) so then they buy the Orbi from Netgear or something similar, and they get average performance with it, yet they still continue to believe that performance is great, like, even when it quite simply is not. lol
I have an ASUS mesh system and love it. It was pricy, so I'm thankful my wife got it for me as a gift last year.
 

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    Windows 11 Pro Beta
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    PC/Desktop
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    Home built
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    Ryzen 9 5900X
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    MSI MPG X570S Edge Max WiFi
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    Patriot Viper Gaming DDR4 Extreme Performance (2 x32MB)
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    Proprietary
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    ViewSonic XG2530 25"/Benq XL2411P 24"/ ASUS VA24DQSB) 23.8"
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    1920x1080 240Hz/144Hz/60Hz (based on monitor setup above)
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    SK hynix Gold P31 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD
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    Thermaltake Smart 700W 80+ White Certified PSU
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    Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case, Gaming Case with Blue LED for Desktop
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    Corsair iCUE H60i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    ~950Mb/s upload/ ~700Mb/s download
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    MSI B550 Gaming GEN3 Gaming Motherboard
    Memory
    32MB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    I forget, but it's old. I can't see the need to upgrade it.
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    Propietary
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    ACER LED 24"
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    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung SSD 3.5"
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    Corsair
    Cooling
    Stock
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    ~750Mb/s download / ~750Mb/s upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender and Malware Bytes
This past Christmas I was interested in updating our Wif-Fi...nothing caught my interest in price range. Still on Wifi 5 with a Linksys EA9500 router, (2) Linksys RE7000 range extenders, and (1) Linksys RE9000 range extender. On a 1Gbps Internet connection the RE7000s provide great "coverage" but I figured download speed would be faster...they top out at about 110 Mbps on a 2 x 2 802.11ac laptop card. My desktop has a 3 x 3 PCIE card (also 802.11ac) and I average around 300 Mbps off of the RE9000. The router itself is in the center of the house (living room) and I get about 450 Mbps off of a 2 x 2 802.11ax laptop card. For comparison, at our old house the router and desktop were in the same room and I could hit 800+ Mbps. I've never found any settings that could improve both range and speed using the range extenders. I read that while I could see increased speed with an upgraded Wifi 6 or 6e setup it might not be that dramatic. I'm hoping that with Wifi 7 devices come out I might take advantage of that (and upgrade my desktop PCIE card) or see prices of WiFi 6e come down.
 

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    Windows 11
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    Intel i7-7700K
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    Asus Prime Z-270A
    Memory
    32GB 2666Mhz (Kingston Hyper X Fury)
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    N/A
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    Samsung C27F390
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Evo 512GB
I have an ASUS mesh system and love it. It was pricy, so I'm thankful my wife got it for me as a gift last year.
The ZenWiFi AX (XT8), or?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF

My Computers

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  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Beta
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    Home built
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    Ryzen 9 5900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG X570S Edge Max WiFi
    Memory
    Patriot Viper Gaming DDR4 Extreme Performance (2 x32MB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ZOTAC RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC 12GB GDDR6/ ZOTAC Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Super 6GB GDDR6 192-bit Gaming Graphics Card
    Sound Card
    Proprietary
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic XG2530 25"/Benq XL2411P 24"/ ASUS VA24DQSB) 23.8"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 240Hz/144Hz/60Hz (based on monitor setup above)
    Hard Drives
    SK hynix Gold P31 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen3 M.2 2280 Internal SSD
    ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart 700W 80+ White Certified PSU
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    Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case, Gaming Case with Blue LED for Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H60i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    ~950Mb/s upload/ ~700Mb/s download
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    MSI B550 Gaming GEN3 Gaming Motherboard
    Memory
    32MB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    I forget, but it's old. I can't see the need to upgrade it.
    Sound Card
    Propietary
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER LED 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung SSD 3.5"
    Case
    Corsair
    Cooling
    Stock
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    ~750Mb/s download / ~750Mb/s upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender and Malware Bytes
Do you mean that the mesh functionality on each mesh satellite is disabled? I don't think I understand.

Nope, the system still has all of that available, but the backhaul is wired. Node Steering, DFS and client Steering are all also on.

I have a 2 story house with an additional 'story' in the basement, and the basement is where my entire networking setup is, including where the fiber runs in to the house.
 

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  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
With what you currently already have, I am fairly convinced that switching to mesh is not worth the investment. For most people, mesh is simply not needed, and I wouldn't have bought my mesh system (nor would I have bought any other mesh system, for that matter...) had it been possible for me to achieve very similar WiFi performance at a significantly lower cost (i.e. by going for just a single "normal" wireless router and a wireless AP).

This. You've got it working as it is - leave it alone.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Nope, the system still has all of that available, but the backhaul is wired. Node Steering, DFS and client Steering are all also on.

I have a 2 story house with an additional 'story' in the basement, and the basement is where my entire networking setup is, including where the fiber runs in to the house.
Still curious, what did you mean by "glorified AP"? When in mesh mode, if I turn AP mode on, essentially it makes the router function of each node behave just like a network switch. Still in mesh mode, if I turn AP mode off, then the primary node keeps its router function, the secondary node makes its router function behave just like a network switch that sits behind the router function of the primary node.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
With what you currently already have, I am fairly convinced that switching to mesh is not worth the investment. For most people, mesh is simply not needed, and I wouldn't have bought my mesh system (nor would I have bought any other mesh system, for that matter...) had it been possible for me to achieve very similar WiFi performance at a significantly lower cost (i.e. by going for just a single "normal" wireless router and a wireless AP).
Thanks for the tip. (y)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Still curious, what did you mean by "glorified AP"? When in mesh mode, if I turn AP mode on, essentially it makes the router function of each node behave just like a network switch. Still in mesh mode, if I turn AP mode off, then the primary node keeps its router function, the secondary node makes its router function behave just like a network switch that sits behind the router function of the primary node.

It's LinkSys - and they want to try to do everything *for* you. So there are no real settings to control this, but it works as I have them set up and wired.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Thanks all for your invaluable input. I've now marked this thread "Solved".

I've been running the TP-Link RE650 V2 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender for almost two months now, and it's been rock solid.
I updated the firmware to the latest version shortly after setting it up, even though I wasn't experiencing any issues.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
There are many factors with wifi extenders - distance, wall thicknesses etc. and it difficult to say how well one will work. In the end, it is trial and error.

If it is all indoors in same building, a pair of homeplugs may be a better solution.
I went mesh because I faced the same problems. Too many areas where wiring was a nonstarter. I now have whole-house coverage - and bandwidth up the Yin-yang - without wires. And I bought the equipment last year! Even more embarrassing - it's not gone anywhere - it's the Netgear Nighthawk 64AX. Despite it not being current - current is the Netgear Nighthawk 84AX - which uses the same extenders - why overspend when you don't have to?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    H-P
    CPU
    Pentium-G
    Memory
    8 GB
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
    CPU
    i7
    Motherboard
    Optiplex 9020 SFF
    Memory
    32 GB

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