Mesh WiFi solutions have developed as a revolutionary way to enhance your home network experience. You can no longer rely on a single router to cover your entire house. Mesh WiFi, also known as whole-home WiFi, provides a superior solution by combining many access points to give consistent internet coverage.
In this lesson, we’ll look at the basics of mesh WiFi and how it can improve the performance of your home network.
A mesh WiFi system is designed to connect multiple WiFi access points within your home or workplace. By doing so, it significantly expands the network coverage, effectively eliminating any blind spots in your wireless connectivity.
A mesh router belongs to a category of Internet routers that extend major Internet networks by rebroadcasting their signals. Utilizing a mesh WiFi router allows you to expand your Internet coverage, ensuring a consistent connection even in challenging areas like the basement, garage, attic, backyard, or driveway.
A mesh network links multiple access points or “nodes” together to strengthen your Internet signal. One node is the primary Internet router (base station), directly connected to your modem. The other nodes work as satellites, receiving and rebroadcasting the signal, extending your wireless Internet network’s range.
What to Consider Before Setting Up Mesh WiFi?
Before diving into setting up a Mesh WiFi network, there are several crucial factors to consider:
Coverage area
When establishing the network, the signal coverage can be influenced by the number, signal strength, and location of the devices. To optimize the setup, it’s essential to carefully select the ideal placement for each router, considering factors such as floors, walls, and doors that can affect signal transmission.
Ensure you purchase an adequate number of mesh nodes to cover your network’s intended square footage, considering any architectural barriers that may affect signal propagation.
Node positioning
Determine the optimal placement for each satellite node in your rooms. Ensure the nodes connect to electrical outlets, limiting the distance to a maximum of two rooms or approximately 30 feet. Additionally, keep the nodes away from potential sources of interference, such as microwave ovens.
Security
Increasing the number of nodes in your network can make it more vulnerable to being attacked. While some systems offer automatic security updates, it is advisable to take responsibility for maintaining the network’s safety. However, certain wireless networks with app-assisted installation may limit access to advanced security settings, such as whitelisting MAC addresses.
Mesh WiFi 6
WiFi 6 is the latest standard of WiFi. It offers higher speeds and greater range than WiFi 5. However, only part of new devices support it, limiting its full potential for older devices. Consider device compatibility before setting up.
Upgrade router
When deciding whether to use the latest router, remember that it supports WiFi 6 with a tri-band design, including the commonly used 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Besides, a second 5GHz band is required, which the system can utilize as a dedicated backhaul connection for wireless transmissions between the main router and the satellites.
How to Set up a Mesh WiFi?
Although there are different mesh WiFi systems on the market, their setup procedures are common.
- Choose a system and download its app to your phone.
- Connect the main node to the router using an Ethernet cable and power up both devices.
- Log in to your mesh network account or create one if needed. Scan the QR code or input the serial number to link your account and the main node.
- Name the main node and indicate the number of satellite nodes.
- Plug in each node one by one, assign them to their respective rooms, and check network speed in each area.
If you already have a router, you can incorporate a mesh network by configuring it into bridge mode.
- Verify that your mesh system supports multiple nodes when connected to a router.
- Connect your “gateway” or “network” node to your router and follow the provided configuration instructions. You will be asked to enable “bridge mode” on the gateway, which disables any router functions in it. If you cannot find the configuration screen, look for bridge mode in your device’s app’s “advanced networking” section.
- Position your additional nodes as directed and follow the configuration instructions in the app.
In addition to providing seamless coverage and eliminating dead zones, mesh WiFi systems offer a range of other features.
- Scheduled Internet access: Users can set specific time intervals during which the Internet is accessible, allowing for better control over Internet usage, particularly for parental controls and increased productivity.
- Pause Internet: This feature enables users to temporarily halt internet access on specific devices, a useful tool for managing screen time or creating internet-free periods.
- Secure guest networks: Mesh WiFi systems allow the creation of separate guest networks with individual login credentials, ensuring visitors can access the Internet without compromising the security of the main network.
- Compatible with voice assistant: Some advanced mesh WiFi systems are compatible with voice assistants like Alexa, enabling users to manage network settings, prioritize devices, and more, using simple voice commands.
How to Extend Your Wi-Fi Signal
When your connection fails to perform as expected, it can be extremely aggravating. In an ideal world, Wi-Fi would be simply plug-and-play. People are often left grappling with dead zones and sluggish connection speeds. There are numerous reasons why you may be experiencing subpar wireless performance at home. Before you rush to the store to purchase a gadget that promises enhanced Wi-Fi coverage, consider these Wi-Fi signal extension methods.
Read Also: How to Optimize Your Mesh Wi-fi Network for Streaming
Signal difficulties can develop when attempting to extend wireless coverage across your home. Some solutions are as simple as modifying your present Wi-Fi network, while others may require investing in equipment that increases your Wi-Fi signal for a more powerful home network. Here are the eight strategies we propose for extending your Wi-Fi signal.
1. Move Your Router’s Location
Your router is responsible for providing Wi-Fi throughout your home. If something interferes with the signal, you may experience slow, irritating speeds. The ideal router placement is in a central, open position off the floor. Storing a router in a cabinet, next to a wall or window, or near other equipment can prevent the Wi-Fi signal from traveling freely throughout your home.
Moving your router is an excellent Wi-Fi troubleshooting technique because it can make a significant difference. Consider shifting your router to a different position and seeing how it functions. You can even try other places to find what works best for your home.
2. Switch Wi-Fi Frequencies
Most modern routers operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. The 2.4 GHz band offers wider coverage, but it’s prone to interference from other devices, such as microwaves and cordless phones, as well as neighboring Wi-Fi networks. The 5 GHz band provides faster speeds and is less congested, making it ideal for high-bandwidth activities such as streaming and online gaming. Switch between the frequencies to optimize your Wi-Fi connection for better performance and reliability.
3. Update Your Router’s Firmware
Updating your router’s firmware is crucial because it enhances performance, security, and compatibility with the latest networking standards. The updates typically include bug fixes and optimizations that improve signal strength and connectivity, fine-tuning the router’s data traffic management for better distribution and reduced interference.
Firmware updates introduce new features and protocols to optimize signal transmission and address security vulnerabilities, ensuring network protection against potential threats that could compromise performance or signal integrity. Regularly update your router’s firmware to maximize Wi-Fi signal strength and maintain a stable and secure network environment.
4. Replace Your Hardware
Older Wi-Fi routers and modems have lower speed capacities than newer equipment. Newer Wi-Fi routers operate on the Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, or Wi-Fi 7 standard that deliver faster speeds and better connectivity, but older Wi-Fi 5 routers may bottleneck your internet speeds. Having older hardware in your Wi-Fi network can lead to you not getting the full speeds you pay for from your ISP. Consider upgrading your router and modem for the best Wi-Fi performance. Sometimes your ISP will even send you a new modem if you’ve been a customer for an extended period.
5. Install a Wi-Fi Extender
Installing a Wi-Fi extender can be a practical solution to enhance your Wi-Fi signal and expand coverage to areas of your home where the signal may be weak or nonexistent. Wi-Fi extenders, also known as repeaters, work by receiving the existing wireless signal from your router and retransmitting it outward, effectively amplifying the signal’s reach. That functionality is particularly useful in homes with multiple floors or rooms where the Wi-Fi signal struggles to reach due to architectural barriers or long distances from the router.
It’s important to note, however, that although Wi-Fi extenders can improve coverage, they come with some limitations. The effectiveness of an extender depends upon the strength of the original signal it receives. Extenders can only amplify the signal they receive, which means a weak input results in a weak output, leading to potential performance issues. Despite those considerations, a Wi-Fi extender remains a viable option for boosting Wi-Fi signal strength and extending coverage in homes with connectivity challenges.
6. Configure a Wi-Fi Access Point
A Wi-Fi access point functions similarly to an extender or repeater, providing a wireless connection outward to a new area of your home. The main difference is that an access point relies on a hardwired connection to your network rather than repeating an existing wireless signal. In almost any circumstance, it will result in dramatically improved performance over a more conventional wireless extender.
If you’re facing issues with your Wi-Fi reaching areas through drywall or outside your home, a Wi-Fi access point could be the right choice. There are, however, some requirements for using it. A wireless access point requires that you have an Ethernet port wired into the wall to plug into to feed back into your main home network.
You can get around it by using a powerline adapter (more on that next), but that will only make things more expensive by adding in more hardware. They can often be more expensive than their wireless counterparts, making them less ideal for a quick fix. Even still, if you’re looking to deliver the best speeds consistently throughout your home, a dedicated access point is an excellent idea.
7. Install Powerline Adapters
Powerline adapters are a convenient solution for transmitting a wired Ethernet connection through standard power outlets in your home. This type of access point offers high-speed internet access in areas where traditional wired connections are impractical or costly to install, particularly in homes with multiple floors.
Power adapters provide an effective means of establishing a hardwired connection, but they don’t inherently extend existing wireless networks. Instead, they enable Ethernet connectivity in rooms lacking Ethernet wiring, necessitating the use of additional devices such as repeaters or access points to enhance wireless coverage throughout your home.
Some newer powerline adapter models integrate built-in access points, offering extended functionality for an extra cost. It’s essential to note, however, that compatibility may vary depending on your home’s electrical wiring, since most powerline adapters require outlets to be on the same circuit for optimal performance. Powerline adapters efficiently bring wired internet access to various rooms, but their stand-alone usage typically won’t expand Wi-Fi coverage, and performance may be impacted in homes with older electrical systems.
8. Invest in a Mesh Network System
Mesh Wi-Fi systems operate as a series of interconnected access points strategically placed throughout a home to provide seamless internet coverage. This type of Wi-Fi home network is a great solution for homes with an irregular floor plan, multiple floors, or many dead zones. The networks function by distributing internet access across various nodes, similar to setups used in larger-scale deployments covering entire cities or even countries. They previously required considerable networking expertise to set up, but recent consumer-oriented products like Eero mesh networks have simplified the process, enabling effortless setup within minutes.
Their user-friendly setup is certainly a bonus, but mesh Wi-Fi network solutions tend to be the priciest option, often costing a few hundred dollars for a single system. They also may be excessive for users seeking to address minor connectivity issues, making them potentially unnecessary for people looking to patch up isolated network gaps. Mesh networks, however, offer unparalleled Wi-Fi extension capabilities and could be just the solution you’re looking for to extend your Wi-Fi network.
Bottom Line
Mesh WiFi setup can significantly improve network performance and coverage. Its simple setup and seamless interaction with current routers make it an ideal solution for anyone looking to improve their internet experience. Say goodbye to dead zones and unstable connections by embracing the power of mesh WiFi, which provides a robust and reliable wireless network in every area of your house or office.