Question Replacing Fios Router with Nest Mesh & best setup for wired backhaul

[Guinness74]

I recently expanded my house so am looking to improve my WiFi coverage by upgrading to a Nest Mesh WiFi network. I am looking to both improve my WiFi coverage while creating/maintaining a wired backhaul through my house via coax to keep my PCs directly connected via ethernet (used for gaming & they don't have WiFi cards). I currently have Fios Gigabit connection through a G1100 router and a Actiontec range extender connected via my home's coax. I have the router in the basement and the extender in the home office that I connect to my PCs using the extender's LAN ethernet ports.

I only use Verizon for internet service and stream any TV services through WiFi.

My first question is, can I replace my G1100 & extender entirely and just use the Google Nest WiFi router to connect directly to the ONT via ethernet?

My second question, and the trickier one, is how I can best do that while keeping a wired backhaul?

For added context, I looked at my current Verizon setup, and to be honest, on the surface it seemed nonsensical (see below). It seems that my ONT directly connects to my MoCA splitter, while my G1100 ALSO connects to the splitter via the LAN connection. I would think it should be one or the other, not both. Secondly, if my ONT is going to my coax splitter directly, doesn't that mean I am not benefiting from the Gigabit internet for wired backhaul (or WiFi extender for that matter, since it is connected via coax wall jack in my home office)?



I thought a better solution could be to use the Nest Router as the ONLY router (NOT connected to the G1100 in bridge mode), and then use the single LAN connection from the Nest router to connect to a MoCA adapter and THEN to the coax splitter to tie the wired coax backhaul to the Gigabit connection. On the other side in my office, I would just connect the coax from the wall to another MoCA adapter, and then the single ethernet line from the MoCA adapter to a switch to create enough ethernet ports for the devices I need (see below).




I would greatly appreciate any thoughts and guidance that this group could provide. Before I invest in such a change, I want to make sure I'm not throwing money down the toilet, as this is a somewhat pricey change. Will it improve my coverage? Will it increase my backhaul speed?

Thanks in advance!

 

[razel]

I do not recommend the NWiFi Points. They do not have Ethernet and are (2 stream) 866mb/s vs. the Nest Routers which are 1733mb/s (4 stream) and actually are capable of gigabit over wireless in my last benchmark. You can buy Nest Routers and use them as points.

If you are able to get the points wired, do so.

 

[mnewsham]

Replacing the Actiontec (part 3): WAN-to-LAN keeps Guide and VOD (easier) Verizon FiOS FAQ | DSLReports, ISP Information

FAQ: Replacing the Actiontec (part 3): WAN-to-LAN keeps Guide and VOD (easier) Verizon FiOS

www.dslreports.com

This is the guide that covers roughly what you're doing, except instead of using MoCA 2.5 adapters, it has you using the verizon router as a MoCA bridge instead, but besides that, the guide should be exactly what you need.


If you have any specific questions, i'd suggest posting on the DSLreports.com fios subforum as the regular posters over there have probably seen every possible setup imaginable.

 

[Fallen Kell]

If you already have wired backhauls through the house/extension I would HIGHLY recommend simply adding an additional wireless access point, and forgo the entire mesh idea. As I have stated many times, mesh networking competes for the same wifi bandwidth that your devices use to create the mesh itself. Combined with neighbors, this leaves even less available channels for your wifi devices to possibly have a clean channel. As such, since you already have a wired backhaul network, set up a second wireless access point in the house. This will actually increase your coverage, and at the same time, give you better performance on the devices that connect to that additional access point since it has a wired connection to the rest of your network.

 

[SamirD]

Why mesh? Is it only so you have seamless roaming? Then a ubiquiti setup is your answer. Maybe costs a little more, but is enterprise level reliable and I've never heard anyone complain about having set on up in their home once it's done--it just works.

 

[Fallen Kell]

You don't even need enterprise grade wifi routers. Almost all top tier routers provide a method to run as an access point (and any router that can run DD-WRT, OpenWRT, etc) and disable the internal DHCP on the second router. Connect the "WAN" port to your internal network (via an ethernet drop, MoCA, powerline, etc.), then simply give it a static IP on your network (that does not conflict with your DHCP range), and set the same SSID's and passwords for the wireless network. Your devices will switch between the different wifi access points depending on signal strength.

 

[SamirD]

Your devices will switch between the different wifi access points depending on signal strength.

The problem with this setup is when the devices switch--usually after the performance has dropped off too much--like how cell towers almost had to drop a call before switching towers.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Honestly, I think that the "New Configuration" diagram WOULD work.

Also, the reason that your wiring is such in the first diagram, is probably because whomever tech installed your FIOS, prepared you for TV service (over COAX, to the splitter), as well as Gigabit (ethernet) to the WAN port on the G1100. At least, to me, it makes some sense.

I think that what you plan to do is fine, assuming as mentioned by some other posts, that the mesh wifi nodes have ethernet backhaul.

Also, consider MOCA 2.5 converters, if you want actual close-to-gigabit speeds over Coax.

 

[Fallen Kell]

The problem with this setup is when the devices switch--usually after the performance has dropped off too much--like how cell towers almost had to drop a call before switching towers.

And I can tell you that this is the approach taken by businesses across the world, in many places supporting hundreds of wifi devices in a building the size of your home, with workers taking laptops, tablets/pads, and phones from hot seats, to conference rooms, to team rooms, to labs.

 

[SamirD]

And I can tell you that this is the approach taken by businesses across the world, in many places supporting hundreds of wifi devices in a building the size of your home, with workers taking laptops, tablets/pads, and phones from hot seats, to conference rooms, to team rooms, to labs.

Yes, but they do it right with proper overlap and enterprise quality APs--not the consumer crap that's found in most homes. A ubiquiti setup does this same thing quite well as does the old school Meraki Indoor and Outdoor APs before they were discontinued. But we always had roaming issues when we had just a bunch of APs with the same ssid.