Hello, first time posting to this community either here or back there if you know what I mean. I have just purchased a Dream Router to replace a TP Link Deco mesh system and would like to ask a couple of questions before I start tearing the old system down. One reason I got a mesh in the first place is because I have a building about 20m away from my house that I use as an office, I didn’t really want to run a wire from the house. The mesh just about gave me a connection and I could use the 2nd RJ45 port on the puck to get my ethernet only home automation system on the network down there. Speed is poor though and time moves on, my kids also use that space for gaming so a cable is now going to be run. My questions are these; can I use the old Deco pucks as access points to get me up and running quickly? They can be put into AP mode via their app. I also have two old DrayTek Vigor 2860n’s which can be put into AP mode, can I use them with UniFi without any problems? I was planning to run the cable directly from the DR to the office and then either connect it to an existing 8 port switch I have down there and plug a Deco puck into the same switch or just connect it to the DrayTek which would then act as an AP and provide 4 wired ports for use with various devices. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Short answer is yes. You can mimic, having only one SSID for your wireless network by setting your older access points to the same details as the dream router. But I would recommend having a different SSID for your older Access Points, and replace them with Ubiquiti APs eventually (U6-lite etc) which then will be adopted in to UniFi, and you can run Multiple SSID (and maybe even VLANs if you add managed switches)
Mr Grover, thanks for your reply! I would like to make this as trouble free a switch as I can so I am going to try to put one Deco puck into AP mode (and hope I can manually change the SSID, Deco app/firmware isn’t great), connect it to the switch in the office then run a cable directly from the DR to the switch and see what happens. I’ll also factory reset one of the Drayteks and put it into AP mode as a back up. Looks like I can get 2nd hand UniFi AP’s for around £60 so I’ll look at shipping some of them in if all goes well.