Was on the look out for a mesh system and found this.
Tenda Nova MW6 Mesh Wi-Fi System 3 Pack + A Bonus Tenda Nova MW6 $159 Delivered @ PCByte
Last edited 25/10/2021 - 19:36 by 1 other user
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Are you using wifi or Ethernet to connect the nodes?
Wifi
Noob here. If I get these, can i ditch my existing Netcomm router? Can I still hardwire a couple of devices (pc and htpc) to the primary mesh unit? Or does that involve buying a switch?
You should be able to replace it on anything but FttN/FttB.
As for hardwiring, yes, each node should have 2 network ports that you can wire into, anything more needs a switch.
Thanks!
@toecutter69: How to check if I have FTTN/FTTB or not?
@pc007: Generally, if you have your modem connected to a phone socket, most likely FTTN/FTTB.
If you have a box in the garage with fibre running into it, its FTTP.
If you are in metro and have a cable box from paytv, then its HFC.@legendarypoo: Generally, this has a WAN port, which is RJ45 socket (for an ethernet cable, looks like a bigger phone plug), so won't be able to replace eg. your DSL modem.
Also, check the comments on the other deals on Tenda, as it doesn't seem to connect to HFC NBN (the device that takes the TV-like cable to connect to NBN and gives you an ethernet cable) out of the box or at all, which is strange. Look for Tenda on OzB
Apart from that those sets are a good bang for the buck.
I have a couple of unifi access points, however still have some black spots. Could anyone please tell me if they would be compatible with unifi?
Not sure but doubt it i.e. being able to use as additional access point to existing Unify. Why not just grab an extra Unify to extend the family and can be controlled within same controller?.
Do the settings allow these to reserve an IP address for devices using mac address? Seeing conflicting answers on other forums
https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/43060157
Cannot allocate fixed IPs for devices with just this mesh network. Shame, ticks all my other boxes.
This is important to me, as I have a Kodi box that refers to other machines in the house via IP, and a rasberryPi that also needs to refer to a another machine on the network.
Just set those devices with static IP addresses outside of the DHCP scope.
Alternatively, don't use the Tenda mesh for DHCP, use another router and run the Tenda in bridged mode (AP mode). That's how I run my setup and it works flawlessly.I've seen this solution online - seems like a minor price to pay for such a cheap mesh. Does the bridged mode undermine the mesh capability or result in any noticeable performance decrease?
@bumf: No, quite the opposite. Because the master node no longer needs to perform NAT, or DHCP, or any of the advanced features it frees up CPU availability and results in a performance improvement.
Thanks @aldroid. So your setup, you retained your original router? And then by using bridged mode, the majority of the settings for things like DHCP fall back to the router and not the Tenda App?
If you have spotted any good links for me to research more here, please let me know. Very tempted now!
@toecutter69: Yes, that's exactly right. You will lose advanced features such as parental controls and remote admin when running in bridged mode but it has no impact in performance whatsoever and fast handover works flawlessly. In fact, this is my preferred method of installation. I'm an IT network specialist and where I live most people are on FTTN so they need to retain their existing router regardless.
@aldroid: Would this work with the following setup? I have FTTP but with TPG, seems like vlan tagging is still required:
Box -lan-> netgear router -lan-> Tenda -wifi-> other tenda throughout the house?
@EWing1389: Yes that would work. Just make sure to switch the Tenda to bridged mode or your will end up in a double-NAT situation which is not good. Alternatively look at another brand like the TP-Link deco range which supports VLAN tagging on the WAN interface. Then you can use it to replace your Netgear router.
Better to buy 3 Xiaomi 4A Gigabit and put Openwrt on it.
Why? More expensive and more work to configure.
Cheers OP. Been looking at WiFi options to extend signal strength. This seems like a system that may help at a reasonable price. Took the plunge so I guess I will soon see if it's a winner.
$159 at Catch with 3% cashback, can save even more with discounted giftcards.
It only has 3. This deal has 4 for the same price.
how does this compare with the other current mesh deal? TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi Mesh
I use both (but at different sites)
More features on the tplink but for the price the mw6 is great.
I got a fttp connection at my place, will i need anything else or i can directly connect it to nbn box in my garage. My isp requires username and password to connect?
connect it directly to your nbn box
configure your username / password in the tenda app
I have this and highly recommend. You won't need the bonus one. I have 3 in a large highset house with a couple of cavity brick walls and have full coverage