ASUS - RT-BE92U

I’m running BE92u and 2 BT10 as aimesh, not bad though

Tried both MLO and eventually wired backhaul. Some challenges at first but now it works well. Main router BE92u and 2 BT10 added as mesh node

I use Asus aimesh. Using 2 x rt-be92u. My pov and opinion. Very good system overall. Doesn't like wifi/ ip cameras on mesh and doesn't like smart home products eg bulbs or speakers. I have had to create a separate IoT network for the cameras, bulbs etc as all on 2.4G. Then turn off the 2.4ghz radio on the node forcing everything to main router so doesn't disconnect from WiFi. I have one camera which buffers a bit as quite far from main router.

I use aimesh without issue. 2 x rt-be92u. I also have an ax92u which was also a node. I removed that one as found didn't need 2 nodes. One router and one node. 10gb and 2.5gb ports. Use NAS with it. Also has dual WAN which was useful recently when ISP went off and used my iPhone 5g.

We have three Asus RT-BE92U. Works great. At any time 75 devices online, use 2.5Gbit backhaul have client wireless speeds close to that. Have 2.3Gbit internet.

Asus checks all the boxes for me: mesh network with wired backhaul, will use phone as wired wan via usb, no 1gbeports (only 2.5gbe and one 10gbe). I have three be92.

Go for a WIFI 7 Mesh system. I Love ASUS, excellent software,frequent firmware updates. Good Luck!

When my Nest wifi was finally on its last life, I purchased a much more expensive Asus mesh router setup that supported wifi 7. For whatever reason the more advanced features of MLO didn't work with my TV. So basically I had to cripple my expensive setup to work with the device I use all the time. I ended up returning that and switched to the Nest Pro and have had no issues. Been about a year now. Solid connectivity and speed. I bought the 2 pack for 250, not on sale.

my asus tri-band does really well. i get hardwired speeds on 5G using the dedicated 6G backhaul but the 6G band does not penetrate well, so it's important to not put too much distance or material between the main router and the mesh units

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.

Hey OP. I've been living with wireless backhaul mesh for the last few months in our new place and with a few tweaks, it's been fine. I'm using Asus AiMesh with two remote nodes, plus a couple of old OpenWRT routers purely as bridges for wired devices. I'm in the process of running cable just now just to make the most of my FTTP connection but some generic tips that seemed to help me, if you do go down the wireless route. - Choose a system with multiple radios in each node, so you can dedicate a channel to the backhaul. - Look for mesh nodes that allow you to plug devices into them and position them accordingly. The "wired" devices will obviously still be using wireless via the mesh, but keeping their own radios quiet keeps the spectrum free for the mesh nodes and wireless-only devices to talk. The mesh nodes will almost certainly have better antennae and radios than the client devices. - Try to position the nodes so they are all talking with the main router rather than hopping via each other. On consumer gear this can be more of an art than a science but it boils down to finding different locations with the same signal strength to the main router so they link directly. - Although not acting as mesh nodes, I've repurposed a couple of old routers running OpenWRT + Relayd in the office and games room, so my PCs and old consoles without wireless can get internet. - Some mesh systems allow you to lock clients to a particular node. Play around with this - you can steer dumb devices to their nearest node rather than them trying to pick up a faint signal from a further one and shouting over everything else. Smart speakers and displays are particularly bad for this. In my office, about 25 metres and 1.5 floors (it's a L-shaped split level house) away from the main AP, my main PC wired into a mesh node can pull around 400Mbps down on a 990Mbps fibre connection. Previously with the PC and laptop using their own radios, I'd be lucky to see over 150 on either. Good luck!

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.