I have a Flint 2 as my main router in the center of my house. But we struggle to get a good signal in my garage and in my backyard opposite my garage. I have a Flint 1 that I hope I can use to extend my Wi-Fi. Will it work if I put it in repeater mode? Or would I be better to run a Cat6 cable and set it up as a new access point? Can I have it with the same ssid and password and will our mobile devices switch seamlessly between the 2 if we go from the backyard to inside the house?
Hi,
If you want to extend the current Wi-Fi coverage wirelessly, we recommend using Extender mode.
Please refer to the following documentation for more details:
Of course, if you’re able to run an Ethernet cable to the desired location, using AP mode will be more stable and reliable than wireless extension.
Yes, you can use the same SSID and password.
802.11k/v is enabled by default, so you should get a good roaming experience.
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Ok so I'll set it up in ap mode. Would it have the same ip address my default to start? When connecting to it do I still connect with 192.168.8.1? How would I make sure to connect to the Flint 1 and not the Flint 2 so I can configure it?
No, in AP mode your Flint 1 (AP) will be allocated an IP address from you Flint 2 DHCP server (in the same subnet range as your Flint 2) You’ll need to look that up on your Flint 2 client list and from there you could give it a static IP if you wanted.
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Would I have to give the Flint 1 a static ip in order to use it as another access point to extend my Wi-Fi and have it as the same ssid and have my devices be able to switch between the 2 seamlessly similar to a mesh setup?
No, a static IP isn't needed.
"similar to a mesh setup" isn't possible because there is no real mesh inside the firmware. So no, the devices won't switch seamlessly - it's more up to the device to reconnect to the stronger signal instead of staying with the current AP.
So seamlessly as "it will work" - yep. But not seamlessly as in "there will be no ping loss and the current video call will have no issues at all."
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As @admon says no doesn't need a static address just potentially easier later down the track.
Yes you can give it the same SSID and password as your main router if you want.
Not mesh and handoff will depend on where your APs are placed. I have two very discrete areas and hand off works fine while if I have place and AP inbetween it's a bit less effective.
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I've been playing around with it set in repeater mode, I gave it the same ssid and password and it seems to be working as intended. I got a prompt that I had to give my Flint 1 a new ip address so I did 192.168.9.1 which seems to be working. Does “handoff" refer to my devices picking which router to connect to? I will be running the Cat6 cable and putting the Flint 1 at the far end of the garage so I think that'll help. But so far it's working.
The advice I’ve given is based on using a cable to connect the unit hence putting the Flint 1 into Access Point (AP) mode.
If you’re connecting via WiFi then if you urse repeater mode, your Flint 1 will have to be on a different IP address (192.168.10.1) to your Flint 2 (192.168.8.1) but any devices attached to the Flint 1 either via Ethernet or Wifi will be on the 192.168.10.1 subnet and be given an address from the DHCP server on the 192.168.10.x subnet which might cause you issues.
If you use WiFi extender mode, then your Flint 2 will operate like an AP but via WiFi rather than Ethernet cable and devices attached to the Flint 1 will take an IP address from the DHCP server on the Flint 2 and be on the same subnet:
Summary:
Wired:
Repeater : items attached to the Flint 1 will be on a different subnet because they are recieving an IP address from the Flint 1 NOT the Flint 2 NOT the Flint 2
Access Point (AP) : items attached to the Flint 1 will be on the same subnet (192.168.8.x) because they are recieving an IP address from the Flint 2
WiFi:
Repeater : items attached to the Flint 1 will be on a different subnet because they are recieving an IP address from the Flint 1 NOT the Flint 2 NOT the Flint 2
Extender : items attached to the Flint 1 will be on the same subnet (192.168.8.x) because they are recieving an IP address from the Flint 2
Hope this helps.
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You might need additional information about how a 'real mesh' would work. 
When there is a real mesh of Wi-Fi APs, there is a base controller that will take care of handovers and connections in general. That's because the mesh network itself needs to be orchestrated. For example, the network will try to balance the clients between the APs so the overall performance will be OK. A real Wi-Fi mesh is pretty intelligent and tries to balance the load.
In your case there is no intelligence at all, so each end device will decide (or not) to move to another AP within the reachable area and the same SSID. Some devices might be more sensitive and will handover faster - some will not even care about it until the signal drops.
Wired is always better because while using Wi-Fi for extending the range, it will cut the possible bandwidth in half (because each package needs to be forwarded via Wi-Fi as well)
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Ahhh yes, I didn't know there was that much more to it lol. Hopefully GL-INET will give us that option in the future. It seems like there are a lot of other brands that offer that. I went with GL-INET based on several recommendations and at the time I was only concerned about Wi-Fi in my house. I appreciate your help and your knowledge.
Yes ultimately I'll be doing it this way but I don't have my Cat6 cable yet. I'm just tinkering with it now. I'm hoping I can get one made by the IT guy at my work. If not then I'll buy one. I'll need 75 feet so I can put the Flint 1 on the opposite wall of my garage. In repeater mode it doesn't quite get a good enough signal from the Flint 2 inside my house. I appreciate your help and I'm open for any suggestions or any other knowledge you have for me.