Struggling with wifi dead spots in your home or office? Did you know that architectural features within your property can interfere with the signal that comes from your wireless router? Even a filing cabinet could be the culprit! You could move your router or use a network extender—or you might need to rethink your network entirely.
The Wi-Fi service you get in your home or office is dependent on a few things. First up, the level of service that your home can access. If fiber optic internet isn’t available in your property, you’re never going to be able to get the fastest speeds possible. It’s also worth bearing in mind that bandwidth will be shared amongst the devices using the network. If you’ve got two avid gamers and a YouTuber all trying to use your internet at the same time, that’s going to slow things down. Then there’s the distribution. If your Wi-Fi signal is interrupted, you can move a router, or add in an extender. Extenders work by creating a separate network, so you can sometimes end up getting a drop in signal as you move from one part of the property—and one network—to another. Mesh systems are different in that they form a seamless network so you get no drop out at all.
Mesh networks use multiple satellites or nodes to broadcast the Wi-Fi network. Only one of the nodes needs to be attached to a wired internet connection—it broadcasts this connection to other nodes that broadcast it to other nodes, and so on. In theory, there is no limit to the extent of the wireless network you can build. And, if you want to extend it, you simply buy more nodes.
Each node, which has its own ethernet port, gives 2,200 square feet of reach. Scale up according to your needs and ensure fast stable internet access throughout your home for up to 200 devices.
When you’re looking for a mesh network, it’s worth checking a few things. In some packages, there is only one access point that can be the main one and plugged in, while for others, you can pick any of your devices to be the wired one. It’s also worth checking whether all devices come with an ethernet port giving you the option to have a wired connection anywhere in your home. Finally, many can be set up to work with your voice assistant, so if that’s important to you, check that before you buy—and check that all access points have a microphone and speaker, not just the one that can be wired in.
Can support more than one hundred connections and provide service to almost 6,000 square feet. Easily integrates with Alexa, allowing you to place restrictions on children’s access and more.
