@kpayton2022,

Mesh networks are meant to work with wireless backhauls. Even though there is a falloff of speeds and latency, the change is not usually seen unless you are using your devices to their maximum capacity or gaming; for normal network usage the wireless backhauls will work fine. However, mesh systems do allow you to expand your network much further by talking to each other rather than requiring a connection directly to the main router.

I would recommend looking at our OneMesh technology before looking at scrapping your current system, especially since the AX21 is OneMesh compatible. If you buy another OneMesh-compatible Range Extender or Powerline device, these devices can work together to create a mesh network using your existing router.

  @kpayton2022,

OneMesh currently doesn't support creating a mesh between routers, for that you would need to look towards EasyMesh, as our teams are beginning to test and roll out Router-Router Mesh Support; but has only been given to a few models so far. Right now, both Onemesh and EasyMesh is mainly supported with one router and a series of Range Extenders or Power line Devices.

With two routers you would need to configure the second router as an Acess Point, but this would require a wired connection to the AP.

The difference is how your devices transition between nodes and frequencies. Access Points are almost treated like a separate network by your phone, meaning when you are closer to the AP, your device will fully switch to using the AP for its connection. In a mesh network, it is more likely that your device would be moved between bands before moving nodes as the nodes are all talking together to optimize your connection, providing a more stable experience for devices on your network, especially devices that will need to move around.

You will be more than fine with those speeds going through a backhaul, I am talking more about users that are looking to push the gigabit connections as far as they can. Game Consoles and Streaming do not take up too much bandwidth, something like 8Mbps for HQ content, with your cameras most likely using even less as the video is compressed and usually lower quality. 

Technically your backhaul is only limited by the connection given, meaning the backhaul will use its full available bandwidth to communicate with the main node, minus environmental factors. If the wireless connection between the nodes is weak, the total backhaul bandwidth will decrease but should still be above what you are needed.

  @kpayton2022

Range Extenders in their default operation mode are like the "black sheep" of the networking world. The way they work is by receiving a signal and then creating and repeating the signal. Unfortunately, this results in speeds that are usually dramatically lower than what you would have initially expected, meaning users will see the total rated speed halved. Plus, as it is being repeated, there will be increased latency. For these reasons, it is far better to overbuy than underbuy.

Onemesh configurations suffer less than when used as a traditional RE, however the falloff is still there. If you are looking to funnel a lot of traffic through the device, I would recommend getting an RE that is more powerful than you think you need. This will give the RE a better connection and therefore a higher possible bandwidth. Also keep in mind that onemesh is proprietary and would require a compatible RE from TP-Link.

  @AStuff - The Overview is technically only a marketing page, both the specification page and user guide show support and instructions for the feature

The Powerline Kits are able to form a mesh by using the in wall cabline as a backhaul - technically eliminating the loss from Wireless Backahuls, but also while introducing other potential sources of loss.

The effectiveness of these kits is widely dependent on how your home's circuits are wired, whether your lines are degraded, and if the circuit is susceptible to interference from appliances. For many users, the powerline connection is more than enough and can help in situations where wireless signals cannot go through walls, such as concrete walls; but it is still limited in where it can be deployed