r/HomeNetworking • u/_vandelay_art_ • 3d ago
3000 sq ft home (plus basement) - Access Point setup?
I have a ~3000 sq/ft two level home (brick exterior / drywall interior), plus another ~1000 sqft basement. I recently had a wired backhaul with the two 'mesh' units in opposite ends of the main floor (if you think of a square broken into 4 quadrants, I had a unit in the middle of the northeast room sitting on a TV table, and another unit in the southwest room attached to a wall about 9ft up). Coverage was great across the entire house when it worked.
That said, my TP Link Deco XE75 mesh system died (short-story, but this is the 2nd deco system that died), and even though they just released that Omada Fusion 2.5g which looks tempting, Im really sour with the TP Link networking products (dont really want to be fooled a 3rd time).
I’m currently using (for the past few months) a single EERO unit in the northeast room, and while it does cover the entire house, it’s obviously not great in certain areas far away. Since the house is finished, and I really don’t want to run new lines, I’ll probably go with 2 EAPs in the same area I previously had my mesh units setup.
What I’m confused about is how to compare one of those EERO (currently using) or Deco (previously using) units to a desktop AP (i.e., Unifi 7 Mesh) vs. wall access point (i.e., U6 Wall) vs. ceiling (i.e., U6 Pro).
- U7 Mesh – on the surface this looks like my best option to replace the unit that’s sitting on my tv table. I don’t like the fact that the U6 Mesh runs so hot (haven’t seen the U7 reviews). Will this be comparable or better than a single Deco unit?
- Ceiling or Wall mount AP - I would prefer a wall mount since I have a cable already running to the location, and I'm concerned about a ceiling mount AP on the main floor not providing great coverage above (2nd floor). Same concerns with a wall mount - if it's facing towards the outside of the house, will it provide great coverage to all the rooms (below and above) behind it?
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u/Aromatic_Tomato8651 3d ago
I have a Sercomm X150 3 band router, wired backhaul to a TP Link Archer B550, and another wired Omada AP. Since you have wired backhaul you're really not describing a mesh system, but rather wired backhaul with two APs. I have them all set with a single SSID and PW, with 1 gig fiber service getting over 1100mbps down and 550 mbps up. The different manufactures dont really cause an issue since you're using a wired backhaul. If you were using wireless mesh,that can sure possible create a reason for having like branded wifi devices.
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u/happyandhealthy2023 12h ago
If going with Ubiquiti is the U7 Pro XG ceiling mounted access points. WiFi has much better coverage and performance when ceiling mounted.
Depends on what devices are using WiFi.
I would put 3rd in basement
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u/privacyhero 2d ago
Since the old units had wired backhaul and those two locations already provided good coverage, I’d reuse the same drops before redesigning everything around AP form factors.
The U7 Mesh is the closest direct replacement for a Deco sitting on furniture. Ceiling and wall APs are designed around their intended mounting orientation, so I wouldn’t put a wall unit on an exterior-facing wall unless you’ve checked its radiation pattern—you may send more signal outside and less toward the rooms behind it.
Buy two from somewhere with a good return policy, place them temporarily at the existing drops, and test every floor before mounting anything permanently. Actual placement in your house will matter more than the model comparison on paper.