Pods Ethernet and AP behavior

[Eskimo007]

   I have 2 buildings bridged together such that devices in building 1 can communicate with devices on the network in building 2.  

   I have internet fiber into a Giga modem providing connectivity and wifi to building 1.  Can I connect a pod in building 2, wire one of its ethernet ports to my router/switch in building 2, and ope to connect via wifi to it? Presumably, it would become part of a mesh such that when I move between buildings, my phone connects to the Goga router itself when I'm in building 1 and to the pod seamlessly when I move to building 2. 

[Vanadiel]

In theory yes, but it would need to hand over from one to another.

[dks]

Yes you could, but the bigger issue is the distance between the pod in building 2 and  the pod in building 1 and the Giga Hub. It should be no more than 10 metres with little in between. The pods will chain and feed a switch. The best speed you can expect will be 200 Mbps. Don’t expect gigabit speeds. 

[Eskimo007]

I am just wondering if the pod can act as an access point instead of as a repeater, IOW broadcast the SSID and allow devices to connect to it, but be getting its data from the ethernet port connected to my router in Building 2

[Eskimo007]

i didnt make myself clear... I would like the pod to feed FROM the switch via its ethernet connection, and broadcast the SSID and be part of the mesh

[dks]

Thank you for the clarification. Yes, that should work. Remember that pods do not work instantly. It can take up to 24 hours for the pods to optimize themselves. This is one of those situations where you really have to experiment, keeping in mind that pods are based on radio signal transmission and reception and distance matters. 

[Eskimo007]

I think I will be better served if I buy pods directly from Plume, get their 6E stuff, and have more configuration options like the ability to configure a pod as an access point connected to my remote router and set up a mesh in the remote house via that one.

[Vanadiel]

That is what I usually recommend for those who are a bit more tech savvy, as it provides much better controls and often features than the Bell pods.

[Eskimo007]

Only fly in the ointment is they cost $249 USD (!) each and I figure you need 2, plus tax, shipping, and I have no experience with them or read any reviews, so I'm not even sure this is the best 6e mesh product out there.  Spoke with the guy who asked me to suggest a solution, and he will run it by the (rich) big boss building his castle.  Who knows?!

[dks · Accepted solution]

There are other mesh solutions out there. A wired solution would probably be best. It would also help for the "big boss" to hire an expert in the field. There is an old expression in the computer industry I heard many years go. "Good. Fast. Cheap. Choose any two." Sounds like it might apply here.  

[Eskimo007]

I think I'm gonna steal that quote!  Tried running a wire between the 2 buildings but was unable to.  So I'm told. Not sure how to search for an "expert" near me.  Felt I was a bit of one, but keeping up with the latest wifi standards, and understanding the fine points of mesh, and acquiring a device to measure wifi signal quality everywhere is my challenge right now,

[Vanadiel]

There are many phone apps that turn your phone into a signal measuring device.

WiFiAnalyzer open source version is one of the many.

[Eskimo007]

I think Android has some but not so much if any Apple.  I'll ceck out WifiAnalyzer if I can get my hands on a droid phone.