Asus ZenWiFi BT8 Ai mesh system will do what you want. I doubt anything is specifically optimised for Homebridge which works on any LAN, wireless or wired.
For your setup with 800 Mbps FTTP and two floors, mesh is definitely the right call. Single router in garage won't reach bedroom 2 properly.
Best options under 600 AUD:
TP-Link Deco BE85 (WiFi 7) - 550 for 2-pack. Future-proof, tri-band, 10G port for your FTTP. Place one in garage, one upstairs central.
ASUS ZenWiFi BT8 (WiFi 7) - 500 for 2-pack. Similar specs, better app.
Cheaper WiFi 6E option:
TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro - 350 for 2-pack. Handles 800 Mbps easily, save money now.
Placement:
- Node 1: Garage (replace that X mark)
- Node 2: Upstairs hallway between bedrooms
WiFi 7 is nice but overkill for 800 Mbps. WiFi 6E will max your line. Your call on future-proofing vs saving 200.
Gaming in bedroom 2 might still want Ethernet if possible - mesh is good but adds 5-10ms latency.
With aimesh, getting them properly placed is key. If at all possible, they should all be connected to your single main router. I have 5 - 3 zen Wi-Fi bt8s and two old rt-ax92. I may add a third ax92, but I'm not sure yet.
I just upgraded my Asus system to zen WiFi bt8 and it's worked flawlessly ever since. Well, except for yesterday morning when the chickens knocked the main router down...
I'm here because I'm trying to figure out if a unifi system is worth it. We've had an Asus aimesh system for years. A couple of the routers are starting to fail, requiring regular restarts.
I'm debating getting new Asus routers, vs upgrading to unifi. What I can't figure out is if unifi even offers a mesh system - all the ap, whether "wired" or "wifi" seem to require Ethernet. And there's just no way we're going to run cable here.
Thanks. This is helpful. Theoretically we could run cable, but it's probably not going to happen. Especially since the aimesh just works. Also, as our internet is fairly slow to begin with (50x10mbps), I just don't think it's worth it.
Have just bought a ZenWifi BT 8. Was also worried about support forum reports regarding dropped connections. But the system is super fast and after 3 days using perfectly stable. Not a single issue. Connections dropping can have a multitude of reasons. We placed the second box in a place where it has good connection to the main router but still serves our previous dead spots well and it works perfectly as promised.
Just buy somewhere with a good return window, test it and return if necessary.
But our worries were unfounded.
In your situation the answer is definitely yes. Anything is going to be an upgrade over one WiFi router and a EOP adapter with old wiring.
I recently upgraded to an ASUS BE14000 WiFi7 mesh for cheap. I also upgraded my ISP to 2.5Gbps and upgraded my switch to 2.5/10Gbps for relatively cheap since I have more and more devices using WiFi7 and 2.5Gbps or faster.
I was coming from a dead-end LinkSys Velop system that had served me well but has no upgrade path with a mix of WiFi6/6E nodes.
After some initial issues with WAN dropping off, the ASUS mesh has been great. I reset and swapped a new node as primary, wired 2.5Gbps backhaul via unmanaged switch to each of the other 2 nodes. WiFi 7 try speeds in the same room are over gigabit speeds. Whole home WiFi coverage and speeds are better with half the nodes. IoT devices (especially dumber 2.4ghz devices like smart lights and power switches) are handled better with same SSID across all bands.
I want to add a more robust primary mode at some point with more 2.5/5/10Gbps ports so I don’t have to rely on the unmanaged switch so much but that can wait. The BE14000 is also limited as it has only 4 total ports and just 1x2.5Gbps WAN port and rest gigabit which is more limiting than I would like especially if you have a lot of wired devices local to the mesh node.
Top Mesh Wifi Systems on Reddit
1
eero
Pro 6 Series
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Easy, reliable, smart home ready; but paid features.
datasmog
