After getting fed up with powerlines keep dropping off I’ve bought a mesh set up. The instructions are pretty poor though and I’m wondering is it best practice to give it the same SSID and password as the router or a different setup? Haven;t been able to find a definitive answer via google so thought STW would help!

Probably best to disable the wifi on the router. The mesh should replace it with a single wifi network, covering the whole house.

Mesh networks usually create their own wifi and will come with an ID and password. As per first reply simplest option is to switch the Wi-fi off on your router, otherwise you’ll end up with 2 separate Wi-Fi networks.

As above….. one of the mesh units plugs into your router via ethernet cable (you need to disable the wifi on the router) – this then becomes the ‘master’ unit.
You can give this any SSID and password you want. Then plug in your other units and link them to the master unit.

I only have experience with the Google mesh system which makes it pretty easy. Other makes = YMMV.

ok thanks – Makes sense as was worried that the devices would be in a constant flip flop between router and mesh.

On my Netgear Orbi the master is the router so there is one SSID (well actually 3 for one guest and 2 personal networks) but all 3 span the whole house/garden.

I’ve just seen the Google Nest mesh setup, would like that if it wasn’t for the ££. Interesting that Amazon haven’t jumped on this too with an Echo setup

I’ve just gone cheap and cheerful with a Tenda set on offer on amazon. Hence why the instructions weren’t’ up to much, just referring to plug master node into the “modem” and not mentioning best to turn off the router wifi function.

All seems to be working well now- thanks!

No need for instructions at all. I just downloaded the phone app, plugged into my BT box (WiFi disabled as my previous set up was with an Apple Airport Extreme), set up first node with the phone -named network and set up security, then added nodes via the app – plug node in, look in app, app finds new node and prompts you to add to your network, click yet…job done.

I have a Tenda Mesh set up and I haven’t turned the wifi off at the router.

Doesn’t seem to have made any difference at all, still nice at faston the mesh network at the far end of the house.

Our modem often drops the WiFi and I have to reboot to get it back. Thinking a mesh could replace the WiFi as well as giving better coverage. Looking at a Tenda 2box system. Would this work?

I’ve just gone cheap and cheerful with a Tenda set on offer on amazon. Hence why the instructions weren’t’ up to much, just referring to plug master node into the “modem” and not mentioning best to turn off the router wifi function.

All seems to be working well now- thanks!

Thread resurrection…..

Is the Tenda still working well for you ?
Any issues.
Currently looling at Tenda MW5 3 pack, or the BT disc jobby which is a tenner more in PC World.
Any other recommendations around the £100 mark.

With these systems do you place one near to the router or can they be all be placed remotely ? Router is in lounge, looking to place one up on the landing, and one near the rear of the house and one in the garage to get a good signal to the camera in there.
Walls 9 inch solid and the garage approx 8 metres away from the house.

Not sure on the difference between the MW5 and MW6, but I have the MW6 and it’s been absolutely flawless.

You disable wifi on your router and run CAT5 to the first node, then position the other nodes within range but not so close that they both give you full reception. From your description I think it will work fine assuming your house is not massive.

One thing to remember, the speed halves every time you go through a node. So if you’re in your lounge it will be (let’s say) 200mbit/s, if you go somewhere it has to traverse two nodes, it’ll be 100mbit, if you go further and need to traverse 3 nodes then it will halve again (50mbit).

Mesh is great, until “someone” unplugs one of the discs and doesn’t tell you about it, then you get ear ache when they are working from home and WIFI is dropping out – phone BT support, oh, one of your discs is off. What ??? Same “someone” insists they told you they’d unplugged it. FFS why ?

Grrr