Ubiquiti - AC Mesh

I'll give a nod to the UniFi AC-Mesh - a little old school with "rabbit ear" antennas, but it's a real performer. I had just one inside a 2400 sf house, and it covered all of it plus an outbuilding about 30 feet away. I now have a full UniFi setup, but I still use that AP and bought another one for use on a wall in the house.

>I want them to be connected in to a seamless mesh network for seamless roaming. So, "mesh" has become an obtuse word in home networking. It's really just wirelessly uplinking to access points when cable can't or won't be used. Seamless roaming is built into wifi, it's not something that is only available in mesh systems - marketing hype has steered the understanding that way. You could set up three access points independently, with the same parameters (SSID, passphrase, security method) and your clients will roam amongst them as needed, seamlessly (meaning, no intervention required by the client to move). What mesh systems do bring is a unified management of access points which allows for certain enhancements to improve roaming (sometimes known as "fast roaming"). It's not super beneficial to home networks, but it's there. So if you're not buying a mesh system, using Ubiquiti UniFi or Omada - which both have a central "controller" - will provide those same features (and arguably better in some ways). Both of these are "prosumer" - a large step up in quality and features. Avoiding "the cloud" is maybe a good thing or maybe bad. With UniFi, you can set up access points standalone with an app that communicates directly with the hardware. Or, for a better setup, you would need the controller which allows more control and statistics. You also need to set up a userid with them, but you do not have to manage your network via, or have it connected to them - you can run it standalone. There are some benefits to the cloud access such as remote access to your controller. I run a full UniFi stack and it's been super reliable and easy to work with. I have a Dream Machine Pro, 5 switches and 4 APs. Since you mentioned PoE also, that's the way to go. I have my setup on a UPS, and everything is powered by a 16-port PoE switch. If the power goes out, everything keeps working off the UPS. The remote switches are also PoE powered, which is quite nice. Edit: spelling and some minor clarification

Just so you know, mesh doesn't bring roaming to wifi - any APs set up with the same authetication configuration (SSID, passphrase, security method) will allow wifi clients to roam amongst them as needed. Mesh uses what setups like Ubiquiti UniFi and commercial networking hardware use to allow *faster* roaming. UniFi would be my recommendation. It doesn't matter what your brother in law thinks.

UniFi - reliability, self-hosted, no cloud, no subscriptions etc.

UniFi has all the blocking and other features that you'd want. I have not tried it but it now also has ad blocking. At this point, I would never change. It's easy to maintain and upgrade etc. If something does fail, it's pretty simple to replace the component and keep moving. It's got a lot of enterprise type features that I like.

Unifi meshing works automatically and quite well. I have several APs not wired and they do a great job of connecting spots to the wired APs. I'm getting 100Mbps across a U6LR to Uap-ac mesh bridge right now. If you have long distances, Ubiquity also have these Loco range extenders to get a wireless bridge that works really well too. I have one on a farm with a U6LR at the far end and cover almost 1KM of property with 3 APs. 

You can hook up one unifi AP to the router and mesh off it. you just need the wallwart and an ethernet cable from it to the AP. Not the cleanest but it does work well

If you can get by with the regular Google Wi-Fi, TP-Link, erro, orbi, ECT.. systems. Great! There reasonably priced and reasonably fast.. Heck, there's nothing wrong with using equipment supplied by your ISP as long as the rental fee is reasonable and it works reliably. In some cases, that's free and there isn't a rental fee. True, someone at the ISP has access to your router if you go with their equipment but I'm honestly never come across that being an issue and over 30 years. It either works and people use it or it doesn't and they get their own equipment. If what they're selling in the big box stores is not going to cut it for you, a pretty reliable alternative would be ubiquiti/unifi. Slightly more complicated to set up but in my experience much more reliable, flexible, powerful, works with a broader range of older devices and newer devices, and you don't need to rely on the cloud unless you really want to. Plenty of YouTube videos and help groups as well. If you want something more complicated or expensive.. I don't think you'd be here posting this in the first place and would already have the answers you're seeking lol.

Ubiquiti UniFi APs are rock solid for me.

Ceiling mounted APs are best. You're beaming down around things and people. And with wood framing and floors, many times you can cover the floor below with good placement. Unifi has them. Eero seems to be designed to site on a counter, desk, end table or maybe mounted on a wall.

Just go unifi. Good prosumer stuff. Super extensible. I have everything in my house hardwired but just did my parents place with the cylindrical mesh APs and have been happy with it.

Problem 1 you are using the ISP wifi. Those are usually crap and don't allow you to update settings much. Problem 2 the extenders are like mesh in that they are using your own wifi to resend signals. Info to consider: Are you using 5ghz or 2.4ghz signals? Everyone wants the faster 5 ghz but don't consider that these are more affected by walls. If you can use the 2.4ghz your signal will be better. Second you don't want a bunch of your bandwidth eaten up with "back haul" so you need your remote AP(access point) hardwired back to the router. I am a believer in putting the ISP system in passthrough and using your own router/wifi. Option 1 consumer grade. Asus. Get 2 put one at each end of the house. Run a wire between them, one will be your router, the other will be converted to just be an access point. You can set them up in mesh so it's one wifi network and devices can hop as needed. You cannot buy just an AP from Asus, but can get a better and lower cost device. TP link is also good. I avoid everything else. Option 2 Prosumer Get a Ubiquity unifi system. There can be set up simple or go full on and power a football stadium. For home you can get a single unit as the router or one that is router and wifi AP built in, then get a separate dedicated AP for other locations. You can update the AP s as new tech comes out without replacing the working router. GL

It's the way to go. I have 4 unifi aps in my house, a couple in the garages, a couple outside. All hardwired though, no lossy meshing. No kids and wife complaining about wifi.

Ubiquity is the best way to go. I installed Ubiquity in my home and in 3 family members homes. Has been rock solid for over 7 years now. The range and coverage is very good. I used 2 or APs for a 3,500 sq ft home and 3 for a 5,000 sq ft. Don’t mess with range extenders, total crap.