Suggestion for a Video: Consumer mesh vs. enterprise access points

Tom, thanks for the brilliant videos.

One thing I’m seeing and hearing a lot of from both manufacturers and users throwing around the word “mesh” like it’s some magic bullet to Wi-Fi issues within a home or office.

I understand that roaming between access points (meshed or not) isn’t perfect and 802.11r helps to improve that significantly but consumers still seem to think “meshed” products are better, even if the backhaul used to connect them is via wired Ethernet. To me, “mesh” seems to be used as both a legitimate technology but thrown around a lot in marketing.

Why would someone choose Ubiquiti access points (for example) over consumer-grade mesh products like the Netgear Orbi or TP-Link Deco products (apart from the obvious reliability/security/customisation advantages)?

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Not sure if I want to spend the money on one of cheaper consumer mesh products as they are generally not that great, but work good enough for average consumers. I have considered it, but my reviews are based on my usage of things and the thought of using one of those makes me cringe a bit. :slight_smile:

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I suppose a video dispelling some myths about consumer “mesh” products and how they work, rather than purchasing the hardware and doing a performance test.

For some reason, I keep hearing that consumer “mesh” products are better than regular access points (even though both use the same ISM bands, same power levels and same 802.11 technology). Some are even under the impression that mesh products allow devices to “roam” completely seamlessly (which we know, even with Fast Roaming enabled, isn’t totally 100% seamless).

Comparing the prices of a few UBNT units against the popular consumer products also seems to be a no-brainer. The commercial/enterprise gear actually works out cheaper.

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