I was pretty excited about the switch to Orbi: performance doubled and coverage was great. While it had an app, it also had a full web-based GUI for management and included a depth of configuration options. The fact that the web console was a bit clunky and hard to work with was fine because I could once again control my network from a laptop.
Then the updates started.
I have been working with mesh systems for quite a while now and have some new observations. I had begun the journey with Google WiFi, a product that checked all of my boxes and had incredible performance, right out of the box. However, what I quickly realized with Google was that their business model and lack of flexibility really became the real issue and that led me down the path of unplugging it and replacing it with Amplifi.
I have been working with Amplifi tech support to diagnose some dropout issues for some time now. One of the things I was concerned about was a wireless HDMI repeater a few feet away. (Spoiler alert: the repeater had no impact, powering it completely off had no change on the issue.)
First, let me say that I have been using Google Wi-Fi for over two months now and it has virtually eliminated all of the Wi-Fi handoff problems and all of the dead zones in the house. Let’s get this out of the way early: it’s powerful, it is designed for easy setup and management. Compared to the other folks in the market, it is the price:performance leader by far. But it has some warts too. Big warts. I will continue to use it (for now), but I am not 100% bought in on the long-term strategy. Continue reading
Mesh networking, a staple in enterprise environments, is finally coming to the home in order to solve some of the nagging issues of coverage and performance. Google is leading the pack but there are plenty of other competitors lining up to try their hand in this space.
Home networking has been a morass of spotty products and difficult interfaces, whereas enterprise networking has been far more seamless for the end user. Now mesh capabilities are coming to consumer WiFi in order to address the current products’ limitations.
Click here to read the paper
Everyone has to start their year with predictions of what will happen. Generally we’ll all be simultaneously right and wrong because nobody can predict the future. But the trend lines are there and I believe that we are heading towards some major changes in 2017.
Home WiFi is irreparably broken through a combination of poor products and inhospitable environments. Mesh networks may be the answer, but in dumbing down smart technology can we really end up with something that is both powerful and user-friendly?
Security is a mess. Half of the problems can be traced to vendors and the other half can be traced to customers. Part of the challenge on the vendor side is that they have the ability to claim capabilities without really spelling out what “secure” means. This needs to change.