I like the ASUS AiMesh line. I've got the RT-AX86U Pro & it meets similar needs at my house. If I buy another ASUS AiMesh product, it would likely be the ASUS ZenWiFi BD5 Outdoor - wired or wireless backhaul.
I like Asus since you don't have to go all-in with mesh on day one. Wireless backhaul is an issue with every mesh system. I started with an AiMesh Extendable Router and I can add anything from the Asus line-up if I need better coverage. And, yeah, that RT-AX86U Pro is pretty nice with its 2.5 Gbps port connecting to my Arris cable modem. This computer is wired to a LAN port and works very well, and the wi-fi around the house is very reliable.
That is a terrible suggestion.
In one of my two homes, I’ve had the same Nokia wireless router for over a year. Still works like a charm.
In the other home, I have a trio of Asus BD5’s. They’re all hardwired. They work absolutely flawlessly. I’ve had them for about 5 months.
I have a 3pk of Asus ZenWifi BD5’s. They were about $300 for the set.
They’re all connected with a wired backhaul. They each have two Ethernet ports capable of 2.5G. I just plug my network switch into one of them to get more ports.
They’re only dual channel. But that’s not a deal breaker at all due to the wired backhaul.
I’ve had them for probably 5 months. They work pretty flawlessly. I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. So there’s no trouble using Apple products with them.
Asus does make more expensive versions if you really want to spend the whole $1k of your budget.
I’ve have good luck with ASUS. I upgrade my main router every couple years and turn the old one into a wired node. I now run one one each floor and a BD5 outdoor in my backyard
I have always used Asus for as long as I can remember but I just got a TP Link system because I recently tried upgrading my Asus mesh with newer models (2 different ones) and one had constant rebooting issues which they can't fix and the other has 2.4 GHz WiFi issues which they also can't fix. Both are their WiFi 7 models.
Asus Expert Router EBG19P seems to have some benefits over Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway, such as more ports. But it's hard to argue the awesomeness of Ubiquiti UI - I love my UDM Pro. Props to ASUS WRT (Merlin) too.
Like others said, just turn off DHCP and WiFi on the ATT Gateway and let your router do the lifting.
Couple with Asus Zen Wifi or TP-Link Deco mesh system in access point model for expandable, upgradeable wireless. Eero won't support this setup (no AP mode).
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