I am a homeowner and someone who is “tech-savvy.”
I want to make the lives of my family easier, so I know that when I introduce technology into the household, it needs to “just work.”
We have a two level house and there is poor Wi-Fi reception with our Fiber modem being located in the southeast corner of our basement. Our original setup in 2020 was two Google Wi-Fi routers and four points. After a year of issues, I realized that Google recommends a maximum of five mesh devices. We then switched to only two routers and two points and the service was more stable, but the range was worse.
The other issue is that we do not have any hardwired devices in the house. We have forty devices that are connected to the Wi-Fi network. Google says it can handle 100, but the less you have, the better your network is going to perform. This mesh network is also Wi-Fi 5 and has only two bands and no 6 GHz band.
Over five years later and I need a new plan. There are three options.
One Super Powerful Router
This is the “brute force” method. The idea is to buy a single, monstrous router and hope its sheer power can blast a Wi-Fi signal through floors, walls, and furniture to every corner of the house. An example would be a top-tier gaming router like the ASUS RT-BE96U. It has a powerful processor, 8 antennas, and tri-band Wi-Fi 7. On paper, it’s the simplest solution: one device to manage, one plug.
However, the reality is that Wi-Fi is governed by physics.
Even the most powerful transmitter can’t magically penetrate two floors and multiple concrete walls from a basement corner. For my house’s layout, this is a non-starter.
Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System
This is the logical evolution of my current setup. These systems use multiple nodes to spread the signal, but with the latest technology. The key players here are systems like the Eero Max 7 or the TP-Link Deco BE85. They offer Wi-Fi 7, which brings faster speeds and lower latency. Crucially, they have a dedicated 6 GHz band that can be used for wireless “backhaul”—the connection between the nodes themselves. This prevents the speed loss common in older mesh systems.
The pros are obvious: cutting-edge speed and simple app-based setup. The main con is the price, as a 2 or 3-pack can easily run over $1,000. It’s a huge improvement, but still relies on a wireless-first approach, which can be susceptible to interference.
Business-Like Wi-Fi
This is the “prosumer” route, using dedicated components like you’d find in a small office.
This involves a separate router, a network switch, and several hardwired Access Points (APs). Brands like Ubiquiti (UniFi) and TP-Link (Omada) excel here. The core advantage is that the APs are connected back to the switch with Ethernet cables. This wired backhaul is infallible and delivers maximum speed to each AP.
- Router/Gateway: The brain of the network. A great example is the UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE). It combines the router, network controller, and a PoE switch in one box.
- Switch: If you need more ports than the gateway provides, a dedicated PoE switch like the UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE can power your APs and other wired devices.
- Access Points: These are what provide the Wi-Fi signal. They are placed strategically throughout the house (e.g., one per floor, ceiling-mounted) for perfect coverage. The UniFi U7 Pro Max is a fantastic Wi-Fi 7 option that balances price and performance.
This is the most work. It requires planning and running Ethernet cables. But the benefits are immense: ultimate control, rock-solid stability, and the ability to hard-wire stationary devices (TVs, game consoles) to take a huge load off the Wi-Fi network. For a “tech-savvy” person, this is the ‘buy once, cry once’ forever-fix.
The Decision
After weighing the options, the path is clear.
While a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system is tempting for its simplicity, I keep coming back to the core problems: too many wireless devices competing for airtime and poor AP placement due to a reliance on wireless backhaul. The “Business-Like” approach with hardwired UniFi Access Points solves both of these issues fundamentally.
It’s time to roll up my sleeves. Building a UniFi network is more work upfront, but it promises the kind of robust, stable, no-compromises network that will truly “just work” for my family for years to come. No more random buffering, no more dead spots, no more excuses.
