Cutting-edge routers are known for their ultra-fast speeds, multiple antennas, and support for the latest Wi-Fi standards. However, these features are meaningless if your devices are afflicted with the curse of low Wi-Fi signals or, God forbid, dead zones. While Wi-Fi extenders serve as cheap alternatives to increase your network’s range, they are quite inefficient and prone to lower bandwidths.

Meanwhile, mesh networks, which consist of multiple nodes, are amazing for expanding your Wi-Fi coverage and providing Internet access to every device in your home. In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about mesh routers.

What are mesh networks?

In layman's terms, mesh systems are a collection of routers that share the same SSID and increase the effective signal range of your modem or another router to cover a larger area. Mesh routers consist of two components: a primary or central router and secondary or satellite nodes.

The main router is often any arbitrary node (though certain mesh systems have a pre-specified primary router) that connects directly with your modem and broadcasts this signal, much like your traditional router. On its own, the primary mesh router can’t cover your entire home, but the real magic happens once you pair additional nodes with it.

All the secondary nodes communicate with the primary mesh router (and even with each other) to rebroadcast the signal as a single, unified, and seamless network. Essentially, you get multiple access points, with each node mimicking the initial access point instead of creating its own separate network.

How does a mesh system differ from a traditional router?

A router typically connects with your modem (or in the case of modern modems, it’s often built into it) to provide Ethernet and Wi-Fi to several devices simultaneously. Unfortunately, even the best routers on the market can’t reach all the areas of your house because their coverage gets reduced with distance and obstacles (like a wall).

In a similar vein, the primary mesh router can also broadcast the signal from your modem. However, you also get satellite nodes, which you can place near the main router to eliminate low-coverage areas and dead zones and provide solid connectivity throughout your living space.

Why should you use a mesh router?

One of the biggest advantages of using a mesh router is that all mesh nodes utilize the same SSID as the primary router. Typically, your average computing device, be it a smartphone, laptop, desktop, or a small SBC, is configured to prioritize its connection with a single Wi-Fi network – and the only way for it to switch to another network on its own would be when it literally can’t access the original network.

So, let’s say you decided to use a range extender to improve your network coverage. However, your devices will aggressively try to connect to the initial Wi-Fi signal and won’t switch over to the range extender’s network even if the latter’s signal is stronger than your router’s. On the other hand, since all nodes on the mesh network share the same SSID, your devices will switch to the nearest node anytime you move around the house.

Another useful feature of a mesh system is backhauling. Most premium mesh routers (and nodes) come with additional LAN ports, allowing you to augment your secondary nodes with the fast speeds of Ethernet connection.

Mesh systems: A simple yet cost-effective solution to extend your network coverage

While they may sound rather complex to set up, it's quite easy to get a mesh system up and running. Once you’ve connected your primary mesh router to the modem (preferably via Ethernet), you can install the app created by the manufacturer for your specific mesh system and follow the instructions to pair the secondary nodes.

Luckily, you don’t need to drop a fortune on mesh setups either, as there are plenty of budget offerings that can serve your basic networking needs. Sure, it’s a good idea to pick up something like the TP-Link Deco BE85 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh if you need superior backhaul capabilities and blazing-fast speed. But a budget-friendly TP-Link Deco X68 or D-Link M15/2 Eagle Pro is good enough if all you’re planning to do is get rid of dead zones from your living space.