What Deco unit to add to a 3 x M4R network?
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I have had to reconfigure my network due to an exterior Cat 6 cable going down.
I have 3 M4Rs, all connected on Cat6 backbone, working perfectly. I now need to extend the network to one (or maybe two) weak spots where I had previously had M4Rs (ethernet) serving.
I was considering buying a newer/more powerful Deco model to serve as MAIN DECO, and then move the M4R to a wireless position (The MAIN deco would be the closest).
If the best solution involved buying TWO of the newer models, I would then also add another wireless node (M4R wireless or new one on wireless?)
Anybody recommend which unit to purchase, and if I purchased 2 newer longer range, am I better putting one new one as MAIN and other new one as wireless, or other new one replacing a M4R?
Any advice welcome, thankyou.
Thanks David, that's helpful.
I have tried the older versions of Powerline before, and it was intermittent quality I think a) the wiring in the house is older and b) there are several ring main circuits.
Certainly the MAIN Deco would be on a different fuse box than where the first of the required Deco units would go. (It's upstairs with a floor and couple of walls between).
I've enclosed a screenshot from the app.
Basically the 'Lobby' is where the Fibre Router is (1Gb up and down), I have the 3 M4s coming off that, via a switch, and all cabled in.
If I went for a Powerline solution as the main Deco, I'd be nervous about it interfering in the backhaul traffic with the Cat6 satellite decos, which all seems to work perfectly now.
That said, I'm also concerned about the impact of wifi backhaul if I don't use Powerline upstairs, (and in the possible other weak zone if I bought 2 units).
Prior to the ethernet connections, one of the M4's was wireless, and performance was definitely significantly reduced.
Would the wifi backhaul be better managed by a new Unit in the (wireless) upstairs?
Or would it be OK to have a new Unit in the main position downstairs, connected by Cat 6 to the router, and put the M4 upstairs on wifi, with maybe 6-10 devices at a time?
Or even 2 newer units, one as main, and one upstairs wifi?
And which of the newer units do you think would be the best option to handle additional wifi traffic?
Overall I've got about 10-15 devices that are usually on, AV, Hifi, TV etc, and up to 10-15 extra when we have a full house.
The other alternative is replacing the cable, but that means getting up on the roof and buying about 75m of Cat6, and I'm also trying to keep infrastructure costs down as we may be moving on in 12-18 months, and a Deco unit can move with us.
Thanks again to anyone who can help
Hi, Thank you very much for the message.
Take the following network layout for example:
First, I believe you set the Deco M4 into Access Point mode.
You can check it under the Deco APP>More>Advanced>Operation Mode.
So if the upstairs Ethernet cable went down,(the red X cable), if you plan to add two more powerful Deco units(Deco PX50 for example) to extender the coverage.
the first Deco PX50 would still be connected to the downstairs switch, then the 2nd Deco PX50 would be wirelessly connected to the first Deco PX50.
The idea is great. But wireless Backhaul is not a recommended solution for multi-floor connection since the distances/walls and other barriers in between would block quite a lot of wireless signal.
And the two Deco PX50 units here work quite like a pair of Powerline adapters in certain ways.
So if you try to test the Wireless Backhaul performance between two Deco PX50 units, you already have more than 2*Deco M4. You could put one M4 somewhere downstairs(which is closest to the upstairs wireless Deco but still capable of an Ethernet connection from the switch). Then test the wireless speed from the wireless upstairs M4.
If it is Deco PX50, the speed would be better, maybe 30-50% higher than M4.
The good thing about Deco PX50 is that it supports both wireless and powerline backhaul. So if different fuse boxes are still under the same power grid/service meter box, the two PX50s could use a powerline network to transfer data which would be more reliable than a wireless connection.
And Deco PX50 would be set as the new main Deco. the original Deco M4(Wired or wirelessly connected) would still work as the satellite Mesh units.
Thank you very much and best regards.