Buying guide for best mesh Wi-Fi systems
It can be frustrating dealing with weak Wi-Fi connections when you’re gaming, streaming your favorite movies or trying to get important online-based work done. If you’re struggling with weak Wi-Fi signals and connections, the problem may lie in your network setup, and a mesh Wi-Fi system can be a viable solution.
A mesh Wi-Fi system uses multiple nodes to provide extensive Wi-Fi coverage. They’re best for multistory homes, such as houses where you might get a weak signal in the bedrooms if your router is set up on the main floor. With a mesh Wi-Fi system, you can place several nodes throughout your home and get fast internet speeds and stable connections everywhere in your home.
We researched mesh Wi-Fi systems, and our favorite is the Asus ZenWi-Fi AX6600 XT8 2-Pack. It comes with two satellites and provides coverage of up to 5,500 square feet. It’s suitable for medium and large homes and supports Wi-Fi 6 technology for ultra-fast download speeds.
Expert Tip
Most mesh WiFi system nodes don’t broadcast the signal downwards, so it’s important not to place your nodes too high up in a given room.
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Best mesh Wi-Fi systems
Anyone looking for extensive Wi-Fi coverage will love this mesh tri-band Wi-Fi system. Our top choice, it covers an area of up to 5,500 square feet and can support internet speeds up to 6,600 megabits per second. It comes with two Asus AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 routers for broad coverage for approximately six rooms, and the system supports Wi-Fi 6 devices and older technologies, such as 802.11ac and 802.11n.
The setup is quick, effortless and can be completed in under three minutes, and you can establish an admin account and tweak preferences through the Asus smartphone app. You’ll get commercial-grade network security, infection detection and blocking and advanced parental controls.
Although this mesh Wi-Fi system is expensive, it comes with three routers, which practically guarantees the total elimination of dead spots throughout your home. You won’t have to purchase Wi-Fi extenders — this system offers coverage of up to 6,500 square feet and supports up to 150 connected routers.
Each router has three-gigabit ethernet ports for fast and reliable wired internet connections, and an AI-driven mesh technology learns the layout of your home and adjusts accordingly to provide the strongest Wi-Fi signals possible to devices on your network. Plus, a home network scanner automatically detects potential threats, and you can pair your routers with Alexa to control your network hands-free.
The Google Nest Wi-Fi is one of the more affordable mesh Wi-Fi systems but offers many of the same features as more expensive systems. It’s a fantastic router for small- to medium-sized homes as it provides coverage of up to 2,200 square feet, and it features dual gigabit ethernet ports for fast, wired connections to nearby devices.
It’s one of the easiest mesh Wi-Fi systems to set up thanks to the Google Home app, where you can customize settings based on your preferences, add devices to your network and sync additional Google Nest routers. The advanced security chip keeps your network and information safe, and you can set up parental controls and pause Wi-Fi at any time.
The Gryphon Tower Mesh Wi-Fi system is a solid choice for most households since you can get broad coverage of up to 6,000 square feet. Advanced Wi-Fi technology means you’ll get fast download speeds across all your connected devices without any noticeable buffering or lagging. This makes it a terrific Wi-Fi system for hardcore gamers and those who enjoy streaming 4K content.
You can set this system up within minutes using the Gryphon smartphone app and establish comprehensive parental controls to filter content and block access to adult websites. The advanced firewall provides excellent protection against modern malware and works actively to detect and prevent hackers from infiltrating your network.
Netgear is one of the most trusted router brands, so you won’t be disappointed if you decide to go with this quad-band mesh Wi-Fi router. It supports Wi-Fi 6E technology for fast and reliable internet speeds, and its tall shape and antenna design facilitates broader coverage throughout your home.
You can connect up to six Wi-Fi satellites for coverage of up to 21,000 square feet, and there are multiple ethernet ports, including a 10-gigabit WAN port for super-fast wired connections. This mesh Wi-Fi system has an advanced all-in-one security feature to protect against hackers and malware and smart parental controls that let you choose which sites can be accessed.
The Amazon Eero Pro 6E isn’t as reliable as other mesh Wi-Fi systems with regard to coverage, but there are a handful of reasons why we like it as a value pick. For starters, it supports the latest technology, Wi-Fi 6E, which is a huge plus since it provides the fastest download speeds for compatible devices. It’s also backward-compatible with older Eero devices if you want to expand your setup and coverage.
The other great thing about this mesh Wi-Fi system is that you can use it as a smart home hub and control compatible Thread and Zigbee devices with Alexa. TrueMesh technology effectively reduces dead spots, and routers automatically download and install firmware updates to keep your network secure.
Hardcore gamers may not be satisfied with some of our picks, but rest assured that if you’re heavily involved in gaming and need fast internet and broad Wi-Fi coverage, this mesh router will get the job done. It can provide ultra-fast download speeds of up to 1.25 gigabits per second, and the Wi-Fi signal can cover up to 5,800 square feet.
It has nine antennas for multidirectional coverage, and wired connections can provide up to 2.5 times faster internet speeds than wireless connections. One neat bonus with this system is a free lifetime subscription to AiProtection by Trend Micro and Asus Instant Guard, which keeps your network secure.
What to know before buying a mesh Wi-Fi system
Size of your home
If your house is 3,000 square feet or less, you’ll only need a mesh Wi-Fi system with two nodes. Get one with three nodes if it’s between 3,000 and 4,500 square feet. If you need to cover more space than that, you can use a mesh Wi-Fi system with up to six nodes.
Location of each node
You’ll need to connect one node to your modem, but after that, you can decide where the other nodes go. It’s best if each node is in a place where you know you need fast internet access or close to where you might have previously had a dead spot.
Expert Tip
If you’re hard-wiring any devices to a mesh WiFi system node, make sure you’re using an Ethernet cable that’s rated at least Cat5e or higher. Older Cat5 cables will be much slower.
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Mesh Wi-Fi system features
LAN ports
If you have multiple devices that use a ton of data, get a mesh Wi-Fi system where each node has at least two ethernet ports. With multiple ethernet ports, you can even connect a network switch, so you can create and manage your entire wired network alongside your Wi-Fi network.
Security updates
Mesh Wi-Fi systems are perfect for people who like to “set it and forget it,” but it’s still essential to maintain ongoing security. The best mesh Wi-Fi systems are frequently updated in the background. Dig through user reviews once your search is narrowed down, and if a model has a bad track record with security updates, choose a different product.
Parental controls
If you have kids at home, keeping them safe when they go online is paramount. Look for a mesh Wi-Fi system with built-in parental controls to help you manage your kids’ screen time and ensure they don’t end up viewing content that’s not child-friendly.
expert Tip
To help keep your mesh WiFi system nodes easy to access and out of the way, look for a small custom shelf that attaches to a standard AC wall plug. There are dozens of creative solutions for storing and managing mesh WiFi nodes from all different brands.
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Tips
- Set up parental controls. If you have kids, set up your mesh Wi-Fi system’s parental controls before you do anything else. Parental controls can be easy to forget, but they’re necessary if you have minors in your home. Most mesh Wi-Fi systems come with basic parental controls, although some offer them as a paid service alongside additional features like virus protection.
- Check out the app. Once you’ve narrowed your search to a few specific mesh Wi-Fi systems, go to your smartphone’s app store and read user reviews of the associated apps for each system you’re considering. User reviews will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly of each system’s app, so read them closely and consider the app experience before you make your final decision.
- Maintain your privacy. If you have concerns about internet data privacy, sign up for a VPN service. Many mesh Wi-Fi systems are made by manufacturers specializing in collecting and tracking user data. While that’s nothing new, it can be a tough pill to swallow for privacy advocates. A third-party VPN service will route your traffic through their servers and prevent other parties from seeing and collecting your traffic data.
FAQ
Q. How much does a mesh Wi-Fi system cost?
A. It depends on several factors, including area coverage, internet speeds and the number of satellites it comes with. The best mesh Wi-Fi systems have two nodes and offer at least 5,000 square feet of coverage. They cost anywhere from $300 to $600, but if you’re working with a budget, you can find single-satellite systems for $50 to $300, typically offering coverage of 4,000 square feet.
Q. How are mesh Wi-Fi systems different from traditional Wi-Fi routers and extenders?
A. Mesh Wi-Fi system nodes work together to get data from the modem to your devices in the fewest steps, and they collectively work together as one Wi-Fi network. In contrast, with a wireless router, you typically have to set up a second network when you add extenders or manage your Wi-Fi networks on each device manually.
Q. Is having too many nodes in a mesh Wi-Fi system possible?
A. Yes. Most mesh Wi-Fi systems don’t recommend using more than six nodes. In most cases, three is more than enough.
Q. Does every node in a mesh Wi-Fi system need to be hardwired to my network?
A. No. Mesh Wi-Fi nodes can also wirelessly connect to one another. In most cases, using a hardwired connection will result in faster Wi-Fi speeds overall, but they’re still plenty fast when wireless.
