Best mesh system for Ignite?

[TA70]

We just had Ignite 1.5 gig installed and my old mesh network (TP Link AC1200) doesn't seem to play nicely with the new modem - it drops the speed down to under 10 mbps! Any suggestions on which mesh network to go with? (I'm not interested in renting the Rogers pods, would rather purchase & own a new system).

*Added Labels*

[-G-]

---

@TA70 wrote:

We just had Ignite 1.5 gig installed and my old mesh network (TP Link AC1200) doesn't seem to play nicely with the new modem - it drops the speed down to under 10 mbps! Any suggestions on which mesh network to go with? (I'm not interested in renting the Rogers pods, would rather purchase & own a new system).

---

There are a number of people in the Community using 3rd-party Wi-Fi mesh networks, from several of the major vendors.  Rogers used to resell the eero mesh before offering Ignite Wi-Fi Pods.  I had the original Linksys Velop mesh, years ago.  Many others here are also using various TP-Link Deco models, Google Nest WiFi, and ASUS Routers and ASUS ZenWiFi systems.  Nobody has reported any major issues with these.

Here are Wi-Fi mesh systems that The Wirecutter tested and rated: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/

For those with Ignite 1.5 Gigabit Internet, the major shortcoming of most Wi-Fi mesh solutions is that they only have a Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, meaning that if you run your Ignite Gateway in Bridge Mode, you will only have about half of the Internet bandwidth that you are paying for available to you.

A few high-end Wi-Fi 6E mesh systems have 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet WAN ports... but they are pricey, AND they will be obsoleted within the next year when Wi-Fi 7 systems become available.

Before you invest in any network upgrades, I would recommend that you first try using the Rogers-provided equipment for your network connectivity.  You may find that if placed in a good location, the Ignite Gateway can provide decent coverage, even in a fairly large home... and there are performance advantages to doing this over running in Bridge Mode with 3rd-party network gear.  It's also fully supported by Rogers.

(I'm not interested in renting the Rogers pods, would rather purchase & own a new system).

---

Okay, but consider this: Even with a fairly large home, you can probably get all the Wi-Fi coverage you need by adding a single Ignite Pod.  With a rental price of $5/month, that's $60/year.  Most consumer network gear will get two or so years of security updates from the vendor before they abandon it and stop supporting the product.  How many years of Pod rentals can you get for the price that you pay for a 3rd-party Wi-Fi mesh?

[New2Shaw]

Hi G. Just switche3d to Rogers and regretting it. All of my pre-existing smart home fixtures and range extender (tp-link RE550, one month old) do not seem to be compatible. The Rogers technicians partitioned my bands, however this has not helped. I'm regretting my switchover from Telus right now. Do you have any suggestions other than the Rogers cube extender?  I was told they are $10/mo. in my neck of the woods. That is steep - especially when I had pain-free connectivity throughout before.