Linksys - Velop MX4200 WiFi 6 Whole Home Mesh System

Netgear Orbi 772 setup in a two storey 3 bedroom U.K. house of approx 92 square metres. Approx 60 WiFi devices including 6 HomePod minis, 1 Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen with Thread. Mixture of Thread and WiFi Matter devices. Set up all IoT devices in the IoT network (before anyone jumps yes I know it’s not a true VLAN but it does at least keep broadcasty items such as cameras on their own radio). All HomePods and Apple TV set up on main LAN using only WPA3 encryption. A few Orbi app niggles which are under investigation with support but other than that it’s been solid as a rock. Moved from 2x node Linksys Mx4200 setup and glad I did.

I’ve got Linksys AX4200 set up in two homes. Three nodes in each. Default setup except for changing the SSID and password. Absolutely rock solid. I reboot them quarterly as a preventative measure for good overall network health, but they’re otherwise maintenance free. I never have the issues people come here complaining about with automations not running, HomePods not working, audio lag, devices going no response, etc. Literally plugged them in, changed the SSID and password, turned on HomeKit Secure Router, and that’s been it. Would recommend them a thousand times over others. A lot of people on this sub will recommend Ubiquiti because it’s “enterprise grade”. A lot of people on this sub with “enterprise grade” networking gear also come to complain that none of their shit works properly. That all said, no network is going to support 100+ wifi devices very nicely. Hubbed devices with the hubs hardwired into your mesh nodes are going to give you the best, most reliable results for smart home devices. EDIT: Ubiquiti fanboys and armchair network admins are big mad about my recommendation.

Tough call, mostly because you need fast ports, namely the wan, so you aren't limited to 960Mbps as you would be using a gigabit wan port. Gl.inet flint2 or the openwrt one has 2.5 wan, and is fully supported. And not that it really matters, but dd-wrt does support some WiFi 6 models. Linksys mx4200 v1 and 2, mx4300, mr7350, mr7500, mx8500, Asus rt-ax89x I'm not sure how well all those models perform with dd-wrt, as I don't have those units. dd-wrt mainly won't be supporting broadcom WiFi 6 based units. Probably because the drivers. I use an mx4200 with openwrt (AgustinLorenzo nss enabled build) and it suits my needs just fine, but I only have a 300Mbps connection.

Ugh. Okay, thanks! My current unit (linksys velops triband) is that way, and it drives me crazy... an app that doesn't have advanced features, and a web interface that doesn't either. I can't specify devices to block WAN access, with this.

I’ve been eyeing up the Deco WiFi 7 kit with 3 nodes to replace my WiFi 6 Linksys velops which require a reboot now almost daily… not even just HomeKit related… It’s on a prime day deal, and it’s so tempting… just whether I have the energy to try something new…

Now we’re getting some where! The numbers look good according to: https://devicetests.com/what-is-a-good-ping-speed That’s really good ping time. You will need a mesh wireless system if you are not comfortable with wiring APs, or access points. The APs act as transceivers for a better signal/connection to the WiFi. The mesh system will try its best but, it’s a second best when it comes to wired Ethernet. When choosing a brand, do your research. They all have pros and cons. I have a Linksys Velop mesh system. It’s the ease of the setup that made me it a good choice for me. I got it at a steal, which is a plus!

I get by right now with some Linksys Velop. You can find some used for $20-$40 a node. They are easy to set up and very stable if done right.

Mesh systems were built for this application. I'm a longterm satisfied Linksys Velop user.

I have just moved to Unifi from Linksys due to the constant issues with the Velop mesh. All wired and seems to be working very well. Even the Mrs is happy

Well, the good part is that any Wi-Fi router should be able to transmit at about 600 megabytes per second minimum. However, you're only paying for 100 megabytes per second into the house. That means anything you're accessing over the internet is not going to be a problem with the cheapest router you can purchase. As has been stated already in other comments, your biggest decision-making should be based on coverage. If you have a large home, it might be best to go with a router that can have mesh devices added to it later if you find that you'll need them. For instance, a linksys, velop line of routers work pretty well.

Linksys Velop was a game changer for my Google Home experience. 4 Refurb nodes. Were inexpensive too. https://www.reddit.com/r/googlehome/s/f0uwyP1uNK