Hi Community Members,
I've recently started experimenting with personalized networking at home. My end goal is to set up a complete mesh network covering all floors: the ground floor, first floor, and terrace.
Would love any suggestions or advice on how to optimize this setup. Thank you!
I've recently started experimenting with personalized networking at home. My end goal is to set up a complete mesh network covering all floors: the ground floor, first floor, and terrace.
Current Setup:
- I'm using the stock Airtel ZTE router F670L V9.0 with a 200 Mbps plan.
- The main router is placed on the first floor, centrally located.
- I’ve connected an old router via LAN on the first floor and configured it with a separate IP address range.
- I’m also using a Netgear extender on the ground floor.
Issues Faced:
- Inconsistent range and connectivity.
- The old router and the extender take too long to connect and often show "No Internet Access".
Approach So Far:
- A friend suggested replacing the stock router with a better one (like TP-Link) as the primary router in bridge mode, and connecting other routers to it for better performance.
- I checked the Airtel router settings, but there is no option to configure a new WAN connection for bridge mode.
- I emailed [email protected] requesting bridge mode to be enabled.
- A local Airtel engineer called and said a static IP is required to enable bridge mode.
- I then called Airtel customer care and applied for a static IP (which I’ve now paid for and plan to use this month).
- However, after reading several posts, I’ve come to understand that bridge mode does not necessarily require a static IP.
Questions:
- I’m considering buying the TP-Link AX1500 WiFi 6 Archer and using it as the main router in bridge mode.
- Is this a good choice for a mesh setup, or is there a better alternative you’d recommend?
- To get the PPPoE credentials (username and password), should I:
- Call Airtel customer care again and what should I say to them?
- Or contact the local technician for help?
- Or is emailing [email protected] a better route?
- Since I already paid for a static IP, should I continue using it?
- Is it beneficial for a home mesh setup or bridge mode?
- Or was it unnecessary, and I should not renew it?
Would love any suggestions or advice on how to optimize this setup. Thank you!