Most people have heard of mesh networks at this point. They're a great way to extend your network to even the furthest reaches of your home, and they can give you a fast, consistent connection in ways that something like a powerline adapter may not. However, there are a few things you should know about mesh networks when you use one, specifically around subnetting.

As for what a subnet is, it's the process of dividing your larger network into smaller networks. It's essentially a network that's on the same physical internet connection as the rest of your devices, but it's separated from the other devices on your network by existing in a separate networking space. Most people don't need to know the specific details of how a subnet works, but you may need to be aware of how a subnet can interact with the rest of your network and the problems it may cause you.

3 Why do subnets matter for mesh networks?

Understanding organization

Going back to how subnets divide your network, think of subnets like organizing a filing cabinet. Everything belongs in the same cabinet, but each drawer is in its own separate space. Subnets are common in larger networks, such as office buildings, but they can also appear in home setups, especially with devices like mesh systems.

Mesh networks sometimes create their own subnet as part of their design. This means that the devices connected to the mesh system might operate in a different "space" from devices connected to your main router. While this setup can work very well in many cases, it might cause problems for certain tasks, like file sharing or streaming between devices on different subnets.

The key reason subnets matter is communication between devices. Devices on different subnets may struggle to communicate directly without extra configuration. For example, if your smart TV is on the mesh network and your media server is on the main router, they might not "see" each other easily, which means you can run into problems trying to stream content from one to the other.

2 Mesh network subnets can give you more control

On some mesh networks, only some settings can be changed with a subnet enabled

In the case of some mesh networks, like TP-Link's Deco series, those access points will be set up as a Wi-Fi Router by default. When put in Wi-Fi Router mode, TP-Link's Deco nodes can do things like enable NAT, parental controls, device isolation, and more, as it runs more like a separate Wi-Fi Router that operates independently of the rest of the network. Putting it in Access Point (AP) mode will run it as an extension of your router instead, but means that it can't control what happens in the network and merely acts as a bridge to connect devices to the wider network.

Both ways of connecting devices have their advantages, but AP mode will avoid needing to deal with any confusion around subnets and will extend your wider home network with a mesh rather than building a whole separate network inside of your existing one. This includes devices that may be wired directly to the router now being able to connect directly to devices that are connecting to the mesh network.

1 Subnets can impact device discovery

Devices on other subnets won't find each other, usually

Subnets can introduce challenges with device discovery. For example, if your smart home hub is on your main router’s subnet but your smart bulbs or cameras are on the mesh network's subnet, they might not automatically detect each other. This is because most devices rely on protocols like UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) or Bonjour, which only function within the same subnet.

This problem can become particularly frustrating when using smart assistants. A device on one subnet might not appear as available to the assistant on another subnet. The same goes for devices like networked printers, which might fail to show up unless they’re manually configured. To avoid these issues, you'll need to ensure that your mesh network is set to bridge mode if your smart home devices need to communicate across the network. Alternatively, place all your important devices on the same subnet by connecting them to the same router or mesh access point.