Mesh or not

[Richard_NZ]

I'm seeking help on whether to tick the mesh box or not. A newbie, I have moved into a house that needs the wireless extending across the house. I have a r710 and a r650. I have them up and working. The router wireless is turned off and the two Ruckus devices are attached to the router via ethernet and a PoE switch. One ethernet cable is short (I'm happy with this), the other is 30m long and trails through the house. So, I have two options: [1] hide the wire in the ceiling and connect to the AP far away, or [2] omit the long cable and mesh the two AP's. Again, a newbie, I think I have that correct?

Why mesh? Essentially what I want to be able to do is walk from one end of the house to the other and have the connection solid. Currently, with the AP's on ethernet wires I manually switch from one AP to the other. It's no problem, just cumbersome. This is why I'm thinking mesh may be the solution - BUT - I don't know what effect this has on throughput. I'm thinking wired is better, but how much better; am I going to even notice?

I'd appreciate some advice please. Thank you.

[Vásquez_Fer]

Hello richard_swallow

Hope you are doing well , 

We always recommend using wired connections because they provide a solid, direct link with minimal interference from the environment.

Stable Connection: Consistently Reliable Performance

Less Interference: Minimized Signal Interference

Reduced Wireless Congestion: Decreased Wireless Traffic Overload

Mesh should only be used when necessary and when it’s not possible to wire the access point.

Here is a comprehensive guide on how the mesh network operates and factors to consider to determine its impact on your network .

https://webresources.ruckuswireless.com/pdf/appnotes/bpg-wireless-mesh.pdf

This applies to both SmartZone and ZoneDirector, but the same concepts also apply to Unleashed and its behavior.

You can five a try to Mesh but take the following points as recommendations 

First, create a backup of your current network configuration before enabling the mesh network. After enabling it, perform your performance tests and evaluate the Network if it meets your network needs. If it doesn’t, you can easily revert to the previous configuration using the backup.

https://docs.commscope.com/bundle/unleashed-200.15-onlinehelp/page/GUID-46BB69E3-52A1-47F2-B6C5-3E4D...

Best Regards 

Fernando Vasquez 

[Richard_NZ]

Thanks for the reply. I now have short ethernet cables connected to each AP via a PoE switch. So, I'm wired.

question - is it possible to configure the AP's so that a wireless device switches between one or the other according the the strongest connection. Meaning, if I walk from one side of the building to another (20m away), and each end has an AP located there, how can I make it so the device automatically connects to the AP with the strongest signal?

[Vásquez_Fer]

This process should happen automatically, as both APs are part of the same network. For instance, if you're connected to AP1 and then move closer to AP2, you will likely roam to AP2 seamlessly, provided both APs are online and visible on the dashboard.

However, there are settings available to improve roaming-Client between APs, as sometimes a client may remain connected to one AP even when the signal is weak.

https://support.ruckuswireless.com/articles/000014303