@R1D2 

Does the Omada software controller  has to be on all the time to use it? Running a laptop all the time like  a server is probably not a good idea.

Thank you for your reply! 

@R1D2 

Understood thank you. I guess I'll have to see if I'm satisfied with the basic roaming. And if not I'll get the OC-200 controller. 

Thanks again 

@R1D2 

I keep reading that mesh support isn't implemented yet for the EAP 245 v3. But looks like tp-link is working on it. 

I get confused with what mesh is. Is mesh wireless compared to hard wired access points? Can you even do a mesh system with the EAPs only or do you need to buy something else? (like the 225 outdoor). 

Also don't mesh systems act like repeaters, so essentially you are cutting your speed? 

Hi @Jmusic88,

"MESH" is largely just a "pro-sumer" marketing term to describe wireless backhaul between multiple access points.  Sometimes this includes some additional management, coordination, and failover features to (in theory) make the network "smarter" and "more resilient."

Historically, wireless access points were always connected/uplinked/backhauled to an Ethernet switch using Ethernet cabling (copper, twisted pair) and they still are in most corporate/commercial enviornments.  The best solution is always Ethernet backhaul.  It's fast (has a high capacity), reliable, secure, has a very low latency, and can even supply power (PoE) to network connected devices (like AP's, Cameras, etc.).

But most people don't have Ethernet cabling running through their homes.  As homes have gotten larger, and home wifi networks faster/more clients, using one central AP (as part of the broadband router) is becoming less optimal.  In particular, because of the poor range associated with 5.8GHz signals. 

Other technologies exist for "bridging" networking traffic over non-traditional media (e.g. MOCA, PowerLine, etc.) but some of this equipment has not been very reliable/performant over the years, and it adds additional cost and complexity to the overall solution, so there has been a lot of interest in a seemless, integrated solutution to enable AP's to "talk" to each other over the very same wireless networks they are already hosting (essentially making these devices both an AP and a STA).

You are correct that using some of the Wireless capacity for backhaul between AP's will create some overhead and thus potentially limit the performance of wireless clients.  But in practice, most wireless networks, especially home networks, are actually very lightly loaded so there is a lot of spare capacity that is going unutilized -- especially as Wifi networks get faster (e.g. 802.11ac and 802.11ax).  Also keep in mind that most home users broadband connections are still slower (especially on the Upload) than modern 802.11ac networks.  So there is some "extra capacity" built into the wireless network that you cannot use anyway when accessing the internet.  (it could be used, however to STA to STA, communications -- like file sharing, backup, etc.)

Most of the time, when STA performance declines, in the home, it is predominantly due to insufficient RF signal (generally from the client back to the AP) due to distance, attenuation (wood, drywall, doors, etc.), reflections cause by physical barriers (ductwork, piping, wiremesh for plaster), and competing RF signals (neighbors, microwaves, Radar, some CFL/LED ballasts) causing interference.  Having multiple AP's, closer to the STA addresses all of these problems.  Just as small cells due for cellular.  Of course this means buying more equipment.  And the wireless spectrum is still limited so there are only so many channels (e.g. bandwidth) to go around.

Some more expensive MESH solutions for the home add additional "bells and whistles" such as having two 5.8GHz radios (one dedicated for wireless backhaul), additional MIMO transmit and receive chains (e.g. 3x3, 4x4, or even more), MU-MIMO, etc. as part of the 802.11ac Wave2 specification.  But a lot of these "add ons" are really just there to increase the price and bragging rights of the solution.  For the vast majority of customers none of this extra capability is really needed and many of these extra capabilties are too new, buggy, and inconsistently implemented to be of much use.

-Jonathan

@R1D2 

 

If the client is connected to the 5 GHz radio a mesh node acts pretty much like a repeater does, therefore affecting bandwidth, yes. But if the client is connected to the 2.4 GHz radio or to the LAN port of a mesh node, the mesh node works much better than a repeater can do, avoiding the typical problems repeaters introduce.

What's the reason the 2.4Ghz would be better? Is it just a specific AP or is it universal? 

I have a cheap TL-WA850RE repeater that I used with my router previously (no longer needed since the eap245 provides the coverage). But it was cutting my 2.4 ghz speed in half.