Lyra Voice (LYRA VOICE)

Asus XT12. I too complicated my life with extenders, wifi routers 9in repeater mode or WDS, cheaper mesh systems like Asus Lyra, Mercusys, TPlink, all in the range of $50-$100/ device. All with issues, poor performance, random disconections of the nodes, fluctuating speeds and occasionally low bandwith connections despite good signal. About 6 months ago i got myself a set of XT12 mesh nodes for $300, i never paid so much for a 2 node system. I liked it so much two weeks late i bought another set. I has no WiFi 6, WiFi 7, but it has rock solid signal,no disconnections and you get over 10MB/s (enough for 1080p YT) and devices stay connected even when i am over 2 houses away and the signal bars dissappear and you are at -90db

I have been using the Asus AI-Mesh system for years. Seems very robust, to me. Devices seemlessly switch between the nodes. It handles 2.4ghz and 5ghz fine. Sonos works without a hitch. I am definitely using wired ethernet backhaul, however, from the remote node. Currently two of the Asus RT-AX55.

Netgear isn’t who I’d recommend. Not only are they expensive but they need a specific base station router rather than all the satellites being capable of running the whole thing. ASUS with AImesh is the most versatile as it will work with any of their own products even older ones and you can mix and match freely. I don’t think you can mix and match TP link but at least they don’t require a specific base station so you can use the routers in any location/configuration and extend/replace as needed without a worry that it’s not compatible because it’s only a satellite/base station. TP-Link/Netgear software and features are worse than ASUS and far more basic/limited. Eero requires a subscription for stuff you get for free/default on ASUS, also MerlinWRT is a god send.

Unifi is not the way for WiFI mesh and even if you don’t need mesh it’s not for the average joe either. They are expensive but the easiest setup and most feature rich for the average consumer is ASUS.

Older ASUS AiMesh user here, and similar story. Portal plays shockingly well, and my PS5 isn't even hardwired.

if you insist on wifi i personally love asus ai mesh. i’ve had nothing but great experiences with it so far. speeds are consistent through my entire house. eero on the other hand i personally have had very, very bad luck with. Devices that don’t roam properly across the nodes correctly, hit or miss connection drops during hand offs, poor speeds on satellite nodes (even with the pro models with tri band) and half of the good features being behind a stupid paywall. i personally wouldn’t ever touch eero again.

Most mesh systems will support as many nodes as you wish. But not all nodes are created equal. You’ll obviously need fewer nodes with a high powered node vs a cheap node with little range. I would HIGHLY suggest wired backhaul if possible, no matter the hw you ultimately decide upon. Ubiquity has a good solution for your use case at attractive price points. Asus’ AIMesh setup also works well, allowing you to easily tailor the hw for your home’s needs

Most consumer based router/mesh system is not that great. Already tested Deco and Asus AI-mesh but it never gave me good signal and performance. If you really want the best then you should try prosumer/enterprise solutions like from Ubiquity Unifi AP. I switched from consumer wifi mesh to Unifi U6 pro almost 4 years ago and never looked backed. Up until now my wifi signal is still doing great. The single Unifi U6 pro AP was able to cover my house 200sqm unlike from my previous wifi mesh with 3 nodes there were still dead spots.