EASY SETUP AND APP-BASED NETWORK MANAGEMENT
Setting up and maintaining a traditional wireless home network can be
daunting, even for the tech-savvy. Wi-Fi systems, on the other hand, are geared
toward users with little or no technical knowledge and can be installed in
minutes. They typically come with a user-friendly mobile app that walks you
through the installation process with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions. The
app tells you where to place each node for maximum coverage and chooses the
best Wi-Fi channel and radio band for optimal throughput performance, so you
can maintain a strong wireless connection as you move about the house.
Wi-Fi mesh systems are easy to expand—there’s no current limit on the number
of nodes you can add. And you manage them using your smartphone, so you
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certain devices network priority without having to log in to a complicated
network console.
DESIGN AND FEATURES
Wi-Fi mesh systems also look nothing like a traditional setup with a router and
range extender. The router and nodes use internal antennas and are almost
always tastefully designed so you can place them out in the open rather than in
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these systems are designed to blend in with your home’s décor.) They usually
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consoles, but USB connectivity is a rare feature at this point.
SO WHICH IS BETTER: WIRELESS MESH OR RANGE EXTENDERS?
If you’re worried about what these systems cost, don’t sweat it; aside from a few
pricey contenders, most mesh systems are only slightly more expensive than a
router/range extender combination. Wi-Fi systems range in price from around
$150 for a single-node system to around $500 for a multi-node setup.
The pricing looks higher with these systems because, in most cases, you’re
paying for at least two devices, the router and a single router node that forms
the mesh. Most systems, in fact, sell with two nodes, so you’re buying three
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you only a little more than you’d pay for a similarly powered router and range
extender solution. That’s especially true now that we’re seeing prices coming
down on mesh systems, even the newer models compatible with Wi-Fi 6.