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The Best Wireless Mesh Routers for Large Homes Internet Connection
Wireless routers are extraordinarily convenient and liberating as you won't be tethered to a single area to access the internet.
15:43 16 October 2019
However, depending on your residence or establishment, the Wi-Fi signal may not be able to reach certain areas of your home.
This is due to the signal being dampened by substantial obstacles like walls. Materials such as metal, glass, and cement will also decrease the overall range of your wireless router.
If you live in a large home, standard wireless routers may not be able to support every room in your residence. This is where mesh routers come into play.
A mesh router is the best solution to solving Wi-Fi dead zones. The mesh router is also a more recommended solution to a limited Wi-Fi range than a traditional Wi-Fi extender. Mesh Wi-Fi system incorporates several modules or nodes that you place on various parts of your home.
These nodes act as satellites the bounce the signal from your primary router to areas that are typically considered Wi-Fi dead zones.
Difference Between a Mesh Router and an Extender
The goal of a signal extender and mesh router is similar. That is, to expand the range of Wi-Fi. But both accomplish this task in a widely different manner from one another. The main difference comes in the method employed but each device.
A wireless extender repeats the signal from an existing network. It receives and bounces the signal. While this can effectively increase the Wi-Fi range, it is merely stretching it. Hence, the speed and stability will have a considerable drop with an extender.
On the other hand, a Wi-Fi mesh system replaces your original network and operates as a brand-new system. It uses satellites or nodes installed in strategic areas of the house to increase signal range. In this way, the signal is not stretched but originates from several locations at once.
Because of its use of a system network structure, mesh routers are ideally for big houses. It provides more seamless internet connectivity when compared to what a Wi-Fi extender can deliver.
Best Wi-Fi Mesh Routers
Below, you will find a list of the top mesh routers in the market at the moment. This list was compiled using each product's overall popularity and generally positive ratings from hundreds of customers. We also tested each product to get a good handle of its strengths and weaknesses.
NETGEAR Orbi
The NETGEAR Orbi is quite possibly the current top-dog when it comes to mesh routers. This device is incredibly easy to set up, compact and delivers impressive levels of performance. Its design will fit in most modern style households.
It has a range radius of up to 5,000 square feet — more than enough to deliver non-stop Wi-Fi to a sprawling mansion. Even several walls will barely slow down the Orbi as we only noticed a slight dip with its speed from several rooms away.
The NETGEAR Orbi is also designed to be compatible with Alexa voice recognition technology. This further improves upon an already convenient mesh router experience. If you need more range, you can get additional Orbi satellite nodes. These nodes are also quite durable and are weatherproofed if you wish to extend Wi-Fi signal outdoors.
Netgear other Top Models: Netgear n300 Review
Additional features found in the Orbi include an automatically updating firmware, WPA2 security encryption, parental controls, and even a pre-programmed Disney Circle app. This app is perfect for parents who want to monitor their children's access to the internet. Overall, this is an excellent mesh router that also comes with a bunch of family-friendly features.
AmpliFi HD Wi-Fi System
AmplFi is a subsidiary of a company that manufactures industrial-grade Wi-Fi systems. This is quite evident with the level of quality the AmpliFi mesh router can deliver. They definitely learned a few tricks from their parent company in regards to developing routers with top of the line signal range.
Setting up this mesh router system is also incredibly quick and easy. Our experience installing the AmplIf mesh router clocked at less than five minutes, and a good chunk of that time was waiting for the system to boot up. It took the "plug and play" attitude to heart.
The primary station of the AmpliFI system features touchscreen technology. This makes gathering and checking necessary information about the system just as quick and easy as installing the unit. This unit also comes with its dedicated smartphone app.
The AmpliFI app is quite useful for checking the status of your network and making a more thorough rundown of your system configuration.
The AmpliFi mesh router system incorporates the use of specially designed nodes. The extenders feature a magnetic connector construction that provides it with full 360-degree motion. This allows users excellent mobility when it comes to positioning the nodes towards the base signal station.
SAMSUNG SmarThings Wi-Fi Mesh Router
The SAMSUNG SmarThings mesh router system utilizes compact and unassuming nodes which are perfect for those who prefer devices that blend into the background. This mesh router is available in three-unit package at around $300. It is quite affordable in comparison with other mesh router products.
This mesh router also doubles as a Smart home technology controller. Every other wireless appliance that you have like lights and thermostats can be controlled via this device. It pretty much consolidates every Smart technology-based device in your home into a single streamlined system.
With its primary feature of being Smart tech features, this mesh router is the perfect device for homes with several automated features. Especially if you have several SAMSUNG Smart products installed at home. All in all, the SAMSUNG SmarThings Wi-Fi mesh router is a reliable product but genuinely shines when used in state-of-the-art automated technology-infused homes.
Conclusion
Mesh routers are particular types of router systems that excel in covering a large area without affecting network speeds. If you live in a large home or if you are planning on installing a Wi-Fi system within a building, mesh routers are the way to go. The above products are currently the cream of the crop in this category, guaranteed. We hope that our list helped you figure out the best mesh router for your particular case.