MESH ROUTER UPGRADE
One of the best moves most households can make is to upgrade from a traditional router to a mesh system. Now, over two years later, it doesn't look like these new habits will be going away anytime soon - and that means it's more important than ever to have a strong internet connection at home. If you want the best wireless signal everywhere, then a mesh system is the most elegant solution.The start of the pandemic saw a huge surge in home internet usage, with millions of Americans transitioning to remote working and learning, not to mention the uptick in traffic used for streaming shows and movies, gaming online with friends and video chatting with loved ones. Likewise, if you’ve got a specialist gaming router, then you may want to stick with what you’ve got and use extenders in some cases. If you’ve got a smaller home and a router will do the job, then it’s cheaper to stick with that. When a device connects, the mesh system directs it to the best band (2.4GHz or 5GHz, although Wi-Fi 6E, available on the Orbi RBKE963, also introduces a new 6GHz band). With this, all available network bands are available under one network name. Most mesh systems also have band steering. It’s particularly important for mobile devices, such as phones: as you move around your home, you’ll see that you still get a strong signal. This forces connected devices to switch connections to the best satellite for them at any one time. That’s a design built for tolerance, but it adds a problem: when you have multiple satellites around your home, as you move around, you want your devices to connect to the satellite with the strongest signal. When a Wi-Fi device connects to an access point or satellite, it will maintain that connection until it’s physically dropped. One of the most important technologies in a mesh system is seamless roaming. Plus, mesh systems add some additional features. Buy an extender to boost Wi-Fi to one area of your home only, but go with a mesh system if you want to improve Wi-Fi everywhere. Typically, extenders don’t offer the same level of performance, and they create another network name that you have to connect to manually. Wi-Fi extenders are similar to mesh systems, only these work with any existing router without needing a hardware update.
Doesn’t a Wi-Fi extender do the same thing? In particular, range isn’t as good in our tests. Dual-band mesh systems have to share some of the Wi-Fi bandwidth that connecting devices use for the backhaul, so performance can degrade, particularly if the network is busy.ĭual-band mesh systems, such as the Eero 6, are generally cheaper, but they don’t always have the same performance levels. By dedicating this bandwidth, you get better performance overall. Tri-band mesh systems, such as the Netgear Orbi RBK852, add an extra 5GHz wireless channel for the backhaul only. You can mix and match backhaul types in a network, and the system will handle it automatically. For example, if you want to extend Wi-Fi to an office room, then Ethernet is a good choice. Using Ethernet is a good option where Wi-Fi won’t reach. Using Ethernet is slightly more convoluted, but you get a dedicated connection and you can place satellites further from other devices. However, positioning is important, and you need to place your satellite within Wi-Fi range of another mesh device.
Using Wi-FI makes mesh systems easier to install, as you can just turn a satellite on and let it connect. This can use Wi-Fi, making satellites wireless (well, bar the power cable), or you can use Ethernet for a wired connection on most systems. They do this through what’s known as the backhaul. To work, mesh systems have to connect the satellites together and to the router. By spreading satellites throughout your home, you spread the signal and ensure that you’ve got a strong connection everywhere. Rather than having a single router, these come with additional wireless access points, known as satellites, that you place through your home.Įach satellite acts as a connection point for your devices. The problem with Wi-Fi is that it’s prone to interference and can’t always penetrate through thick walls. How do they work, and what is a mesh system? Find out in our complete guide. These cleverly rebroadcast your wireless signal via additional satellite boxes, giving you perfect Wi-Fi everywhere. Strong Wi-Fi all over your home is essential nowadays, and the best way to do that is with a wireless mesh system.
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