How Does Mesh WiFi Operate and What Is It?
Important lessons learned
Using several nodes instead of a single router, mesh Wi-Fi provides wall-to-wall coverage and is more effective than Wi-Fi extenders.
Mesh networks are easy to use and can be quickly scaled without sacrificing performance because of their modular design.
They might be more expensive than conventional routers, though, and users with light coverage needs may find them to be too powerful. You have heard great things about mesh Wi-Fi systems and it is time to replace your outdated Wi-Fi router.
Here's what they are, how they function, and why switching from a conventional Wi-Fi router to mesh has advantages and disadvantages.
Mesh WiFi: What Is It?
Unlike standard Wi-Fi routers, which employ a single access point, mesh Wi-Fi uses several nodes. Mesh Wi-Fi can provide you a stronger Wi-Fi signal across your house because it broadcasts your signal from several devices at various points in your house.
Let us first discuss typical Wi-Fi routers, which are Wi-Fi systems in which only one device manages the Wi-Fi.
Millions of households have the standard arrangement for Wi-Fi, router, and sometimes modem—a black box with a few small antennae poking out or a sleeker-looking white one with internal antennas.
The wireless experience is centered around a single point when using a typical Wi-Fi router. You get the best experience when you are close to the router and the worst experience when you are far from it. If you are outside the router's coverage area—that is, across the house or in the yard—you are out of luck. You are left with little choice but to use mobile data if you are on a smartphone or to go without a signal entirely if you are trying to set up a smart TV or similar device, other from moving the router or temporarily patching the issue with a Wi-Fi extender.
While this is by no means an exact comparison, it is useful to think of Wi-Fi as a stereo system. The sound is crystal clear if you are close to the stereo. It is still quite audible if you are a room or two away, but the sound becomes muffled and distorted the farther you go inside the house, such as into the attic or basement.
Mesh Wi-Fi is more like a network of smart speakers placed around the house if a standard Wi-Fi router is like a stereo system placed in one area and blasting music to the entire house. Although no single speaker is a potent Hi-Fi stereo system in and of itself, the system makes sure that the music is clear wherever you are in the house.
The individual devices—the smart speakers in our example—are referred to as mesh satellites or mesh nodes in mesh Wi-Fi jargon. So how does WiFi meshing operate? The base station is one node, which you connect to your internet modem in the same manner as you would a conventional Wi-Fi router. If you desire the mesh platform capabilities and easy future-proof scalability, you may actually use the mesh system base station unit as a standalone Wi-Fi router.
To properly cover your home with Wi-Fi, the additional mesh nodes connect to the base station wirelessly or by wired backhaul. Certain mesh systems go so far as to allocate an entire band, or wireless backhaul, specifically for inter-node communication.
Regardless of the configuration of the backhaul, every node communicates with every other node, ensuring a consistent and reliable Wi-Fi signal whether you are in your backyard, basement, or across the entire house from the point where the internet drop physically enters your house.
What Distinguishes Using Wi-Fi Extenders From Mesh Wi-Fi?
Given the popularity of the product category, we are sure that many of you are aware with Wi-Fi extenders.
However, you may be wondering, "What is the difference between using a mesh system and just slapping a Wi-Fi extender on my network?" After all, there are certain functional similarities between mesh networks and Wi-Fi extenders.
A Wi-Fi extender can be a suitable temporary solution to your Wi-Fi issues if it is chosen and set up correctly. Maybe all you need is a cheap extender if your Wi-Fi issue is very basic, such as having decent coverage throughout your house but the new smart sprinkler controller in your garage keeps going offline.
However, in general, Wi-Fi extenders are deserving of their poor image since, despite their ability to expand your Wi-Fi, they do so in an awkward and clumsy manner. For low-bandwidth applications (like that sprinkler controller or smart garage door opener), the drawbacks may not be significant; nevertheless, mesh systems are better for activities like gaming, streaming movies, and other activities.
A mesh network is one cohesive network as opposed to a Wi-Fi extender, which is essentially an additional Wi-Fi network stacked on top of your current Wi-Fi network. Each component is unified by the same firmware, interface, and settings, and they are all made by the same manufacturer. They are also all tailored to function together.
Mesh nodes are built to easily interact with the main router and each other, unlike Wi-Fi extenders, which are rarely able to do so (although there are a few unusual examples of router vendors releasing extender choices).
Instead of purchasing a Wi-Fi extender to address Wi-Fi coverage issues in your home, you ought to think about getting a mesh Wi-Fi system.
What Advantages Does Mesh WiFi Offer?
We have talked about the differences between a jumble of Wi-Fi extenders and a mesh system. Let us examine the advantages of mesh networking over conventional router configurations, which include enhanced Wi-Fi coverage, simplified maintenance, and effortless scalability for increased coverage.
All things considered, we are very sure we can suggest mesh Wi-Fi to almost anybody. Most people's Wi-Fi problems can be resolved by installing a multi-node mesh Wi-Fi system in their homes, but even people with small homes or apartments can benefit from using a single Google Nest Wi-Fi or Eero node as their router.
Better Coverage: Everyone Can Use Wall-to-Wall Wi-Fi
Making the transition to a mesh network is the easiest method to achieve wall-to-wall Wi-Fi coverage if you live in a larger home, especially one with a vast design or many Wi-Fi obstructing features.
Although it is still important to arrange your mesh nodes optimally and steer clear of frequent pitfalls, setting up a mesh network is incredibly easy in general.
In addition, mesh network programs typically offer setup advice, alerts in case you position the nodes too far apart, and other help with mesh network configuration. With Wi-Fi extenders, you do not receive that kind of support and assistance, and first-party automagic integration is definitely not what you get.
Dead Simple Management: User-Friendly Mesh Platforms
When it comes to mesh network applications, mesh platforms are incredibly intuitive. Is it simple to halt Wi-Fi during meals with the family?
Are parental controls limited to the gadgets your children use?
Simple integration with smart homes, remote management, and network-wide ad blocking? The consumer mesh platforms are far more user-friendly than the majority of conventional Wi-Fi routers.
Mesh platforms are designed, promoted, and kept up to date with non-techies in mind. Most users will think that interacting with a mesh network's interface is significantly more enjoyable than that of a typical router because the menus are well labeled, the options and toggles are provided in simple English, and you can easily manage your network with them.
$358 $550 $192 Save
The Nighthawk tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 6E system is designed to give better Wi-Fi performance. It can cover your entire home with an amazing Wi-Fi range of up to 7,500 square feet and maintain high rates of up to 5.7 Gbps for up to 100 devices at once.
Easy-to-Achieve Scalability: Require More Information? Not a problem
If you need additional coverage and are using a traditional router, you may either purchase a new, more powerful router or use a Wi-Fi extender to temporarily patch the problem. Mesh networks are cool because they are essentially just one giant network of highly advanced Wi-Fi extenders that are specifically engineered to communicate with one another as efficiently as possible.
It is not an issue if you purchase a three-pack, place them around your house, and then find you need a little extra covering to get to your detached garage or workshop.
Rather than purchasing a Wi-Fi extender, get an additional mesh node for your current platform. If purchasing an additional 3-pack reduces your cost per node, consider splitting it up and giving some of it to friends or family.
After obtaining the additional node, simply connect it, incorporate it into your mesh network, and voila! You are done.
There are no awkward Wi-Fi extender setups or network switching depending on where you are in the house. With wider, seamless coverage, you have the exact same configuration.
What Drawbacks Does Mesh WiFi Offer?
Mesh networks are fantastic, but they do have certain drawbacks. They could be overkill for some smaller places, they might not have as many power-user options, and they are frequently more expensive than conventional WI-Fi routers. However, as the industry develops and mesh systems reach new generations, the drawbacks become less noticeable.
Cost: Mesh networks are relatively expensive.
Mesh Wi-Fi platforms used to be far more expensive than their conventional Wi-Fi router equivalents. In the mid-2010s, when consumer mesh Wi-Fi first became popular, a 3-pack was typically priced at about $500. Premium mesh Wi-Fi routers are still available for that much money, but there are many more affordable options available. For less than $200, for instance, you can purchase a 3-pack of Wi-Fi 6-TP-Link mesh nodes.
Mesh WiFi appears pricey when compared to low-end, low-budget Wi-Fi routers. However, you will quickly discover that mesh networks are less expensive than they first appear if you compare the price of buying a mesh network to what you would spend on a more capable and contemporary traditional router (plus, maybe, the costs of adding a beautiful Wi-Fi extender or two into the mix).
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The Deco X20 from TP-Link will not break the bank. This reasonably priced mesh router is very simple to set up and supports Wi-Fi 6.
They May Become Overpowered: Not All Spaces Require Several Nodes
Not everyone need a multi-node mesh system, even if we have emphasized that using a single mesh node as a Wi-Fi router is an excellent method to access the functionality of the mesh platform.
Mesh systems are not always the best option for little spaces, even though they work well in many scenarios.
You do not require a 3-node system if your apartment is one bedroom. The nodes would be too close to one another even if you arranged them as far away as you could (blasting half their signal power into the next flats).
Choose a single mesh platform node for your tiny area if you appreciate the parental control or smart home integration features it offers rather than jamming in two or three that nearly completely overlap.
Not Power-User Friendly: Tradeoffs Arise from Usability
We have covered a lot of ground when it comes to mesh network usability and functionalities.
And for the majority of people, usability is the most important factor. It is useful to have straightforward menus for typical network activities if you do not wish to become an amateur network engineer.
However, if you are an avid user of your home network, you will probably soon run into issues with the firmware and user interface of the mesh system.
The majority of mesh platforms include an easy-to-use app-based interface that even non-network experts can use. Certain mesh technologies, such as ASUS's ZenWiFi system, maintain the conventional router interface.
$301, $330, and Save $29 The ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a reliable mesh router that can provide lightning-fast internet coverage across your house. It is difficult to go wrong with it.
If you enjoy utilizing more sophisticated capabilities, such as virtual LANs, manually modifying transmit power and band allocation, or any other function that mesh Wi-Fi platforms do not offer (mostly because the platform automatically makes those adjustments for you), then