Home Mesh Wi-Fi

An Overview

Written by DeviceDeal blog

Get rid of Wi-Fi deadspots with a Mesh Wi-Fi system.

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• Mesh Wi-Fi Routers
• Modems and Routers
• Networking Cables

What is Mesh Wi-Fi?

A Mesh Wi-Fi system is a way of extending your Wi-Fi connection to cover a larger area. It works by combining satellites, or nodes, together. By placing these nodes throughout your home, you can simply connect to the closest one available to experience a stronger, more reliable connection.

Unlike traditional Wi-Fi networks, where all devices are forced to connect to one router, a Mesh system has multiple satellites spread throughout your home. Since all nodes share the same wireless network, switching between them is seamless and uninterrupted.

For larger homes, or houses with thick brick walls, Mesh Wi-Fi systems can be indispensible in providing a more stable, reliable and speedy Internet connection.

Mesh Wi-Fi is a way of extending your Wi-Fi connection.

Will it improve my internet?

If you live in a home that has weak Wi-Fi reception in certain areas (such as a backyard or garage), a Mesh Wi-Fi system can certainly improve your internet speeds around the house. We'd also say it would be an improvement over the free router you got with your NBN plan.

To understand whether a Mesh Wi-Fi system is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have slow Wi-Fi in certain parts of the house?
• Is my router placed at one end of the house, rather than the centre?
• Do I live in a large house with lots of brick walls and metal objects?

If you answered 'yes' to any of the above, a Mesh system might be worth investing in. This is because a slow and inconsistent Wi-Fi connection is often caused by two factors: physical barriers and distance.

What causes slow internet?

There are two things which can result in slow internet.

1. Physical barriers

Anything made out of concrete, brick or other thick materials are an absolute nightmare for your router. Signals have a hard time passing through dense objects and metal. When they obstruct your router or devices, you'll experience signal degredation, or even a total loss of signal. 

Think of going into an underground carpark or tunnel and losing mobile reception. It's the same deal with Wi-Fi signals.

2. Distance

The second 'killer' of Wi-Fi reception is distance, or how far away your router is from your devices. The further away they are, the worse your signal reception will be. It's pretty simple, really.

This means that if your router is in the front of your house, but you're trying to stream Justin Bieber music (or maybe his 4K concert video) in your backyard house party at the opposite end of your home, you're going to have a tough time.

Should I get a Mesh system?

It largely depends on what issues you have. If you have any of the issues listed above, then absolutely we'd recommend investing in a Mesh Wi-Fi system. After all, they are designed to remove network 'deadspots' from your home.

They'd also be an upgrade over most ISP-provided routers that came with your internet plan for free. Some Mesh systems also include the latest Wi-Fi 6 technologies, so you'll be future-proofed for years to come. Those are typically slow, with poor range, and won't help you get the full potential out of your home Internet plan.

Common Features

• One network. One login

Like normal Wi-Fi networks, you'll only have to remember one password to connect to any Mesh node. 

• Seamless roaming

You'll stay connected to the same network no matter where you are in the house. You don't have to connect to a new node manually. Instead, your device will seamlessly switch between nodes without you even noticing!

• Flexible routing

Mesh Wi-Fi systems will automatically route your devices to the best node available, ensuring your speeds and signal strength remain fast and stable even as you move to different areas of your home.

• Self-healing

Even if one node goes down, the Mesh Wi-Fi network will automatically re-route data to make sure you stay online.

Our Recommended Mesh systems

We sell a whole range of Mesh Wi-Fi systems from leading brands such as Netgear, TP-Link and ASUS.

As it's easy to get overloaded with all the different options, we've picked a few options that should help get you started.

Starter option: TP-Link Deco M5

The Deco M5 from TP-Link is a great starting option for those who need a simple, easy-to-use Mesh system. It has value features such as:

• Up to a 500 square-metre coverage area (3-pack satellite system), while a single pack system delivers up to 180 square-metres of coverage.
• Speeds of up to 1267Mbps (officially AC1300 - see what AC and AX means).
• Can connect over 100 devices to one unified network.
• TP-Link HomeCareTM provides a suite of personalized and secure features, including Parental Controls, built-in Antivirus and Quality of Service (QoS).