Your router’s Wi-Fi is not good enough
The Wi-Fi that comes built into your router is designed for a small flat. If you’re trying to cover a house, an office, or anything bigger than a single room, you need access points. Here’s how to choose them.
Router Wi-Fi vs Access Points
Your router’s built-in Wi-Fi shares its processing power with routing, firewall, and NAT duties. When 10 devices connect, the router is juggling everything at once. Access points are dedicated Wi-Fi transmitters – they do one job and do it well.
If you’re experiencing dead zones, slow speeds in certain rooms, or devices randomly disconnecting, adding access points will fix it.
When do you need access points?
- Your house is bigger than 80 square metres and the router can’t reach the far rooms
- You have more than 15-20 devices on Wi-Fi simultaneously
- You need separate networks (guest WiFi, IoT, CCTV)
- Video calls drop or freeze in certain rooms
- You’re in a double-storey and the signal doesn’t reach upstairs
- Thick walls, steel framing, or reinforced concrete blocking signal
Access points vs mesh systems vs range extenders
| Solution | How it works | Best for | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range extender | Repeats existing Wi-Fi signal | Dead spot in one room | R200-R800 |
| Mesh system | Multiple units create one network | Home, non-technical users | R2,000-R6,000 |
| Access points | Wired backhaul, central management | Business, tech-savvy homes | R700-R3,500 each |
Range extenders are a band-aid. They cut your bandwidth in half because they receive and transmit on the same radio. Fine for checking email in one room, terrible for anything else.
Mesh systems are convenient but expensive per unit and harder to manage at scale. Good for homes where you can’t run cables.
Access points are the proper solution. Wired backhaul means no bandwidth loss. Central management means you see every device, every AP, from one dashboard. Scalable to hundreds of devices.
Access point comparison
TP-Link EAP series (Omada ecosystem)
| Model | Wi-Fi | Speed | PoE | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAP245 | Wi-Fi 5 | AC1750 | Yes | R700 | Budget installs, guest WiFi |
| EAP670 | Wi-Fi 6 | AX3000 | Yes | R1,200 | Most businesses |
| EAP770 | Wi-Fi 7 | BE530 | Yes | R2,500 | Future-proofing |
TP-Link EAPs are managed through the Omada app or controller. Easy to set up, affordable, and reliable. The EAP670 is the sweet spot for most businesses.
Ubiquiti UniFi series
| Model | Wi-Fi | Speed | PoE | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U6 Lite | Wi-Fi 6 | AX1800 | Yes | R1,800 | Home/small office |
| U6 Pro | Wi-Fi 6 | AX3000 | Yes | R2,500 | Medium business |
| U7 Pro | Wi-Fi 7 | BE530 | Yes | R3,500 | Large business |
UniFi access points integrate into the UniFi ecosystem – one app manages your gateway, switches, cameras, and access control. More expensive per unit but unmatched management.
How many access points do you need?
| Space | APs needed | Recommended setup |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom flat | 0 (router is enough) | Your router’s Wi-Fi |
| 3-bedroom house | 1-2 | 1x AP ceiling-mounted centrally |
| Double-storey house | 2-3 | 1x per floor, 1x for outdoor/patio |
| Small office (under 200m2) | 2-3 | 1x per 80m2, stagger channels |
| Medium office (200-500m2) | 4-6 | 1x per 100m2, central management |
| Warehouse | 3-8 | High-mount APs, directional antennas |
Wired backhaul: why it matters
Every access point should be connected back to your switch with a network cable. This is called wired backhaul and it’s the difference between professional Wi-Fi and a frustrating mess.
Wireless backhaul (mesh units talking to each other over Wi-Fi) loses about 50% of your bandwidth per hop. If your mesh unit is two hops from the router, you’re getting 25% of your potential speed.
Wired backhaul gives each access point the full speed of your network. No bandwidth loss. No random slowdowns. This is how professional installations work.
If you can’t run cables, mesh is your only option. But if you’re building or renovating, run Cat6 to every room where you might want an access point. You’ll thank yourself later.
Channel planning and placement
- Mount on the ceiling – Wi-Fi radiates downward in a dome shape. Ceiling mount gives the best coverage.
- Space APs 10-15 metres apart – Too close and they interfere. Too far and you get dead zones.
- Use non-overlapping channels – On 2.4GHz use channels 1, 6, and 11. On 5GHz there are more options – let your controller auto-assign.
- Turn down transmit power – Counter-intuitive, but lowering power reduces interference between your own APs and forces devices to roam properly.
- Enable band steering – Push 5GHz-capable devices to 5GHz. Leave 2.4GHz for IoT and older devices.
Load shedding setup
Each access point needs its own power. For PoE access points:
- Put your PoE switch on a UPS – this powers all connected APs through the ethernet cables
- A 4-AP setup with a PoE switch draws about 60-80W – a small 600VA UPS gives 30-45 minutes
- Your router and ONT also need UPS power
- Budget about R1,500-R2,500 for a UPS that covers your network gear
Shop access points at Remote Help – TP-Link and UniFi, nationwide delivery, VAT included.
Not sure how many APs you need? WhatsApp us on 081 358 4869 with your floor plan and we’ll design your Wi-Fi coverage.
