NR5103E WiFi and Mesh advice (openmesh?)

[mfarmilo]

Hi, could anyone advise if it's possible to link an openmesh access point to the NR5103E? I notice on the Zyxel page that the NR5103 has openmesh built in, which is supposed to make it easy to add further access points as a mesh, but wasn't sure if this applies to the E version? I have ethernet cabling around the house for cabled devices, but am looking for the best way to get a decent WiFi coverage for the home (3 floors)?

[crypt0ninja]

Hi @mfarmilo,

I'm not 100% sure tbh I think it does but I’ve not tried OpenMesh…

My house is not very good at allowing wireless signal to pass through rooms so I’m using the TP-Link Deco PX50 G.hn Powerline WiFi AX mesh kit. They use a powerline backhaul between units in order to share mesh wifi throughout the house and works great, I get much faster speeds and lower latency this way than with a common wireless mesh kit that use wireless as the backhaul between units.

Hopefully someone here has used OpenMesh with the NR5103E and can chip in 🙂

[JonathanB]

Hey @mfarmilo,

We haven't access to Openmesh devices, but we have carried out some successful tests with Eero mesh devices, and we're not aware of any reason Openmesh wouldn't work. If you do decide to test this please let the community know how it goes. 🙂

Thanks,
JonathanB

[mfarmilo]

I currently have a fairly cheap mesh system, with the built-in wifi of the NR5103E turned off of course, which I think I'll probably stick with for now. I hang that off one of the ethernet ports of the router and a switch feeding the cabling round the house off the other. I was playing with the idea of looking at openmesh systems because (as I understand them) I could turn the router's wifi back on and it acts as the master controller for the mesh system. But not many systems seem to advertise themselves as openmesh and my budget is limited.

[tiredrich]

Hi, did you do these tests with an EERO Wifi 5 device/mesh? If so, could you share your process please?

[JonathanB]

Hey @tiredrich,

Sorry I didn't test this personally, so I don't know specifically what EERO hardware was used. I've messaged that team to check if they have any guidance we can share. It looks like @crypt0ninja may have spotted the issue on the new thread you opened. Let us know if the reply there solves it, or if you need any more detailed instructions.

Thanks,
JonathanB