Do you intend to improve your Wi-Fi? Undoubtedly, you’re weighing the advantages of a mesh network vs a standard Wi-Fi router. Although both solutions can deliver good Wi-Fi performance, they each have particular benefits and drawbacks.
What is Mesh Wi-Fi?
Mesh Wi-Fi (also known as Whole Home Wi-Fi) systems are home networking solutions that opt for a more decentralized approach to the problem of local connectivity.
Rather than force every device in your home to wirelessly connect to the internet through the same router, Mesh Wi-Fi systems rely on multiple Wi-Fi nodes. They start from a place of accepting that your regular router probably isn’t located in the perfect spot to serve every connected device in your house and work forward from there.
In a mesh Wi-Fi system, one node is designated the primary router and is directly wired into your gateway connection while the other nodes act as satellites. Collectively, these nodes behave like a single seamless network.
If you’re in the living room, you’ll connect to the closest Wi-Fi node. If you’re in the kitchen, you’ll connect to the closest Wi-Fi node. If you’re in the backyard, you’ll connect to the closest Wi-Fi node. It’s all the same network but your devices will connect in the way that makes the most sense. This allows for better performance and less network congestion.
In some situations, mesh Wi-Fi can allow for faster speeds, better reliability, and greater wireless coverage of your home than a conventional router would. As systems, they’re also very scalable and quick to customize. If you’re having trouble with one corner of your home, it’s easy to expand a Mesh Wi-Fi network and build the home networking solution that makes the most sense for your circumstances.
A Wi-Fi router is better than a mesh network for most people, but mesh networks take the edge in specific situations. Wi-Fi routers are less expensive, easier to set up, and deliver great performance in most homes. Mesh networks are an upgrade for large homes or homes with tricky Wi-Fi dead spots.
A Wi-Fi router directs internet and network traffic from devices in your home. The Wi-Fi router must be connected to a modem to access the internet, though some have a built-in modem. The same is true of mesh networks, but mesh networks have additional wireless nodes—devices on a mesh network switch between nodes depending on the best signal strength.
A Wi-Fi router is easier to set up than a mesh network. Modern routers and mesh networks have an app-based setup process used via your smartphone, but mesh networks have additional nodes which must be positioned, connected to power, and set up.
Read Also: What Are The Components of Mesh Router?
A mesh network is better for large homes and homes lacking a central location to place a Wi-Fi router. Wi-Fi routers emit a signal in a roughly spherical pattern around the router, so they work best when set up in the middle of your home. That’s not always possible, which is where a mesh network becomes useful.
Wi-Fi routers are better if you need wired ethernet connections in addition to Wi-Fi. A typical mesh network router or node will have one or two ethernet ports, while Wi-Fi routers have between four and eight ethernet ports.
Mesh networks are more expensive than Wi-Fi routers. Pricing for Wi-Fi routers starts at around $50; mesh networks at about $100.
What are the differences between Mesh and Traditional Wi-Fi Routers?
The key difference between mesh systems and traditional routers is that the former is centralized while the latter is not. With an old-school router, all wireless traffic is going to rely on that single point of access. Your router is connected to your NBN or ADSL connection and then passes that connectivity on to however many devices you connect to it. Devices that are further away will often experience worse quality of service than those closer to your router.
Recent advances like MU-MIMO and Wi-Fi 6 have addressed these shortcomings to a limited degree but have done little to tinker with the inherently centralized structure that comes as part of this style of home network. If you’re not fussed about getting Wi-Fi in the most remote parts of your home but still want a fast, and reliable connection, an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router like the ASUS RT-AX55 will do the trick.
Meanwhile: a mesh Wi-Fi system gives you multiple points of access. This fundamental difference can allow mesh-based networks to offer better real-world coverage and speeds in some – but not all – situations. If you live in a large home or one with multiple floors, you’re going to notice more of a difference than you would in a small, single-storied locale.
It should be said that, compared to many modern routers, Mesh Wi-Fi systems tend to have slower processors and less antennas. Even if they’re sometimes more efficient or effective at handling connections from multiple devices, that can mean that you’ll get worse performance from them compared to a top-line traditional router like the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 or TP-Link’s Archer AX90.
What should you look for in a Mesh Wi-Fi router?
Design – Since you’re going to be throwing several of these Mesh Wi-Fi nodes around your house, it doesn’t hurt for them to look visually appealing or, at the very least, innocuous. While in 2022 there was a trend toward minimalism, in 2023 the incorporation of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E means some unit sizes have slightly increased. As a consequence, rather than finding the smallest possible design, aim to find a product that integrates seamlessly into your home environment.
Speed – When it comes to any sort of wireless connectivity, it’s always better to have more speed than the opposite. Mesh Wi-Fi systems are no different in this regard. Having greater speed allows for more bandwidth-intensive things like 4K media streaming. It also allows more devices to do those things on the same network without infringing on one another. Selecting the fastest possible Wi-Fi system will also help future-proof your purchase.
Coverage – While it’s good to know that you can always get more mesh nodes to deal with any blind spots, it’s equally good to get away with using fewer mesh nodes where you can. The better the coverage offered by each mesh node in your mesh Wi-Fi system, the fewer mesh nodes you’ll need to cover your house overall.
Software – A big part of the appeal of mesh Wi-Fi systems is their ease of use and many come with software apps that help this to be the case. Once you purchase your mesh system, you’ll be locked into using that particular system’s official app, so it’s best to make sure it includes the features you care about. For example, parental controls, high-traffic priority markers, and built-in cybersecurity scanning.
Ease of setup – If you’re none too technically minded, having an app-assisted installation and setup instead of a browser-based one can greatly simplify the process. Preferably, installation should be as simple as navigating to your Apple Store or Google Play Store, downloading the supplier’s app, and then following a step-by-step process. Ideally, your Wi-Fi should be up and running within 15 minutes after unboxing.
Why You Should Buy a Mesh Network
A mesh network is best for large homes and homes with difficult Wi-Fi dead spots or an unusual layout. Older homes might also have lath and plaster walls of which is more challenging for Wi-Fi to pass through.
Wi-Fi routers emit a signal in a roughly spherical pattern. This signal can be blocked or redirected by objects, including walls, furniture, and appliances. Most obstacles won’t wholly block a Wi-Fi signal, but some can. A bathroom or kitchen wall with several pipes, for example, can become a barrier.
These scenarios are where a mesh network shines. A mesh network has additional nodes which communicate wirelessly with the primary router. Each node will emit a signal in a roughly spherical pattern, just like a router. This pattern creates a broader, more reliable Wi-Fi network that can get around obstacles between the primary router and Wi-Fi devices in your home.
Most mesh networks have a router you connect to the modem usually supplied by your Internet Service Provider. This router connects wirelessly to the mesh network’s nodes. It may also offer wired Ethernet ports for connecting nearby wired devices.
Some high-end mesh networks are designed to let every node function as a router. You will still set up one node as a router, but the node you choose doesn’t matter. Mesh networks with this feature will have wired Ethernet ports on every node.
A mesh network’s Wi-Fi performance is typically slower but more reliable than a price-competitive Wi-Fi router. The maximum Wi-Fi speed of the router will be higher, but the mesh network will provide a more robust signal across your entire home.
High-end mesh networks win on both performance and reliability. The best mesh networks can blanket a 5,000-square-foot home in high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi. Pricing for a high-end mesh network can exceed $1,000, however, putting them out of reach for many people.
Mesh vs. Single-Point Routers: Which One is Faster?
The biggest advantage of using a single-point router is its speed. Many have started to adopt WiFi 6, a new, faster wireless standard capable of a speed of up to 4,804Mbps (Megabits Per Second). Mesh routers, which generally use WiFi 5, tap out at 1,300Mbps.
Most internet plans offer speeds of roughly 200Mbps, so both single-point and mesh WiFi routers allow you to get the most out of your network. But, as you connect more devices, the extra bandwidth comes in handy. Keep in mind the numbers I mentioned are the maximum potential speeds you can get out of these routers. Your actual internet speed will depend on router placement and the location of your other tech.
While single-point routers do well in the speed category, mesh routers perform better when it comes to range. Because there are multiple routers, you’re going to get a more consistent signal spread across a larger area. For example, the mesh WiFi system we’re recommending is rated to cover an area up to 5,500 square feet. The company that makes our single-point router pick doesn’t list its range anywhere.
If you live in a smaller place and care more about speed than range, your best bet is a single-point router. If you live in a larger area, and like the idea of having a network with no “dead zones,” you should invest in a mesh WiFi router system.
The number of WiFi-connected devices, their distance from your router(s), and materials in your home will have a big impact on your experience using the internet, but getting good hardware can help neutralize those issues.
Eero Mesh WiFi Routers
Eero, a startup acquired by Amazon in 2019, is responsible for popularizing mesh WiFi router systems, and its Pro system is still the one we recommend.
It comes with three routers: An Eero Pro, which needs to be connected to your cable modem with an Ethernet cable, and two eero Beacons. The Beacons can be plugged in anywhere, and have a discrete look that helps them blend in with lighter colored walls.
Eero says this system has a maximum range of 5,500 sq. ft., and can achieve speeds of up to 1,300Mbps. This mesh WiFi system has been tested for several years in a two-floor condo with notoriously harsh conditions. The system worked very well, with consistent speeds and no dropouts, even when more than a dozen devices were connected to the same network on different floors.
You can set up and troubleshoot Eero’s routers by downloading its app (iOS and Android). It has a very easy to understand interface, which makes testing your internet speed, seeing if a router isn’t working properly, or changing your password very simple. These settings used to be hidden behind hard-to-understand web interfaces, so this is a big upgrade. Another nice feature is that these routers automatically update themselves overnight (you can specify the time), to add new features and patch security holes.
