Finally, I managed to set up the wired Mesh network for my router after encountering quite a few challenges along the way. Today, I’m excited to share my experience with you all. For this setup, I went with Xiaomi routers. Initially, I considered purchasing their model with an integrated Bluetooth gateway, but after reading others’ reviews, it seemed like the user experience wasn’t great—and it was pricier too.
So, I decided to buy two affordable AX3000Ts and pair them with a standalone Bluetooth gateway instead.
During the electrical and plumbing phase of my home renovation, I made sure to request two Ethernet ports in the living room. Additionally, I had fiber-optic cables installed throughout the house just in case I decide to upgrade my internet connection in the future—better safe than sorry! For the wiring, I chose Sazen’s Category 6 cables. The fiber-optic cables were surprisingly affordable, while the Ethernet cables turned out to be a bit more expensive.
One evening, as I prepared to install the routers, I realized—to my dismay—that there was only a single Ethernet port in the living room [facepalm]. Thankfully, I quickly ordered a dual-port adapter to fix the issue. Connecting the wires was straightforward: following the diagram labeled Block B, I simply matched the colors and inserted the wires accordingly.
For the RJ45 connectors, I used the T568B standard. To ensure everything was done correctly, I tested each connection with a cable tester. Out of the four or five connectors I crimped, two didn’t work properly [sigh]—so having a network tester really saved me time and frustration!
Once the physical connections were ready, I followed the diagram to connect the optical modem to the main router, then linked the output from the main router to a switch. From there, I connected the Ethernet cables running to each room into the switch. In the study, I plugged in the secondary router.
After that, I opened the Mi Home app, and it automatically detected and connected to the network, confirming the wired Mesh setup. Honestly, despite the initial hiccups, the entire process turned out to be pretty simple.
Sebastian Boyd 
Dorothy Fernandez 
Amy Miles
I had no idea setting up a wired mesh network could be so involved! It’s good to hear that the Xiaomi AX3000T is a solid choice despite some drawbacks with other models. I’ll definitely consider these routers if I ever need to expand my own setup. Figuring out the wiring part seems like it could get tricky though.