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Mesh networking vs. traditional Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office?

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Charlie Osborne

for Between the Lines

| June 22, 2021 — 19:52 GMT (20:52 BST)

| Topic: The future of work: Tools and strategies for the digital workplace

Mesh networking is a relatively new entry into the consumer market, so you would be forgiven to think it would automatically be ‘better’ than a standard router. However, a mesh network is an overkill for some.

A standard router acts as a central hub for Internet connectivity. Traffic and requests from devices granted permission to connect to the main router’s internet service — usually through a password — are funneled through one access point.

Wireless business: The best Wi-Fi routers for your home office

The disadvantages:

Coverage issues: As Internet access is distributed through a single point, this can mean that areas far away from your router will have slow or spotty connections that drop. However, range extenders can help remove this barrier and can still end up being cheaper than investing in a mesh network.

Overload: Unless extenders or channel separation features are used, too many connections may result in overloading, bottlenecks, lag, and drops.

Tweaking: If you want to tweak the more advanced settings on a router, this can often require annoying visits to a platform via desktop, rather than seamless mobile app connectivity we have learned to enjoy for many of our modern services.

Also:

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What about Wi-Fi 6?

It is worth mentioning Wi-Fi 6 system and wi-fi 6 routers, also known as 802.11ax. This is the next standard in wireless technologies after Wi-Fi 5 and is designed to increase wireless device performance and wi-fi coverage in comparison to 802.11ac. Some modern home devices support this standard, and so could be considered when future-proofing your smart home office.

MU-MIMO (Multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output), too, should be kept in mind. Some routers use this technology to improve the speed of data transfer when multiple devices are connected simultaneously — but not all.

Mesh networking:

While traditional routers are singular, centralized access points, mesh networking devices, such as mesh wi-fi routers, dual-band or tri-band mesh wi-fi and whole home mesh wifi, are decentralized. Instead of a device connecting to a single gateway to the Internet, mesh networks are created from multiple nodes that all provide web connectivity. For example, you could have a central ‘hub’ in the kitchen and then have satellite nodes in the home office, kitchen, or bedroom.

When you are trying to access the web while in the kitchen, you would automatically connect to the hub, whereas you would jump on the node while you’re in your home office, and so on..

With remote working and video calls becoming the ‘new normal’, now is a good time to upgrade your wi-fi with the latest mesh networking systems for improved coverage.

The disadvantages:

Initial expense: In general, mesh devices require a more expensive outlay to setup. While a device’s hub and one satellite might not be too costly, if you want to take full advantage of what a mesh network can provide, you may need to buy more — and the cash required to do so can add up.

More than one: Setting up a mesh network means you will need more than one power outlet. For each satellite you add, you will need to ensure there is a power supply and that you’re happy to have them dotted around your property, as attractively designed as they can be.

Speed: Mesh means coverage over speed. In some cases, mesh networks — especially at entry levels — will not provide the same speeds you can expect from typical wireless routers.

What is best for my home office?

You need to decide whether or not the outlay for a full mesh network is worth it. In larger homes with dead spots, mesh networking can provide a way to immediately improve your wi-fi signal strength and coverage.

However, it can be expensive to overhaul your existing router setup for your large home, and going for a full mesh may simply be described as overkill unless you consistently have multiple users and connected devices competing for bandwidth. If you want to expand, a wi-fi extender makes the most sense for the sq. ft size of your home.

There are some mesh network systems out there, such as Google WiFi/Google assistant, Nest WiFi, and eero which are relatively cheap to set up — as long as you don’t need too many satellites. These fall inline with Google nest, Amazon Alexa or an Apple device.

Also: Working from home 101: Every remote worker’s guide to the essential tools for telecommuting

Before changing your setup, you should also consider your ISP package. If you’re subscribed to a low-speed offering, new equipment is not going to necessarily help. Instead, package upgrades could be a better option.

If you are a sole user and need a stable, powerful internet connection — such as for resource-hungry work applications or gaming — a traditional router may be all you need for reliable wifi. Wired should be quicker than wireless, and so investment in a simple Ethernet cable, easily picked up for $10 to $15, could be enough.

Wi-Fi range extenders, too, could be considered as an alternative to mesh if you just need to boost coverage and throughput in some areas, and will likely be less expensive than purchasing individual mesh nodes. Some vendors also offer mesh ‘bolt-ons’ such as Asus’ AiMesh, which can connect up existing routers to create a mesh-like coverage wireless network without ripping everything out and starting again.

However, mesh networking is here to stay and at a time when many of us are now in the home rather than traditional home offices, a mesh setup could be a future-proof investment. It’s not suitable for you if you rely on wired connectivity and speed, but if you need to make sure dead zones and drops do not impact your working day — and you don’t mind the potential expense — mesh systems are a worthwhile upgrade to your home equipment.

Previous and related coverage

Amazon brings Eero mesh Wi-Fi to ISPs
Qualcomm revs reference design for next-gen home mesh network platform

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