After testing more than 60 vent systems and routers in my last home, a two-story, 1,600-square-foot modern home, I found that single routers generally improved mesh systemsproviding a faster and more stable connection, transferring files from one device to another over the network faster, and working efficiently without smart home connection issues. But most of those routers struggled to provide a fast connection in my backyard.
Mesh systems increase your coverage, and nodes can target dead spots. I used the node to extend the Wi-Fi in my backyard and plug the TV into the back room via Ethernet for a stable and reliable connection. But it wasn’t until I moved into an old Victorian house that I felt the full benefits of a vent system. It’s a little bigger than my last house, but the very thick stone walls can block Wi-Fi signals, especially on the 6-GHz speed band.
After trying several systems in this house, it is very clear: I need vents for this house. A one router struggled to provide a signal for the upper front room and garden, and I had to run an Ethernet cable to connect the EV charger.
With the net, I can determine where I need coverage, making sure my big TV and office computer have a fast connection. Depending on where the internet comes into your home, it can be difficult to find a suitable location for a single router. Although there are exceptions to this, single routers are often poor devices, sometimes full of antennas, which are good for performance but not great. Mesh manufacturers have pioneered routers that blend well into the home.
What about Wi-Fi Extenders?
According to my experiments, even best Wi-Fi extenders it is not worth considering. Cheap Wi-Fi extenders perform poorly, and the best are expensive enough that you’d be better off upgrading your main router or opting for mesh, both of which will do better. The mesh system should give you a seamless hand and prevent interference; a Wi-Fi extender won’t do either.
What about Ethernet?
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RJ45 Cat6 Patch Cable
If you want a fast, stable and reliable connection, you can’t beat it Ethernet cables. For run Ethernet cables around your home it takes some effort, but it can be a good alternative or complement to Wi-Fi. Even if you can run cables between your main router and the mesh nodes with a patch cord, you’ll get a stronger Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.
What About Powerline Adapters?
Plug these into a power outlet to pass internet signals through your electrical cables. You connect an Ethernet cable to your router on one end and another Ethernet cable to your device or switch on the other end. These can work well for problem areas, but it really depends on your wiring, and in my experience, their performance is far from consistent.
Powerline adapters advertise high speeds, but what you get depends on the quality of your wiring, electrical interference and distance. In the real world, you’re unlikely to get more than 300 Mbps, and 50 to 100 Mbps is often more realistic. It’s good enough if you just want to stream Netflix in the back bedroom, but the connection can also suffer from latency spikes when you turn on power-hungry devices, so it may not be suitable for gaming.
What About MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) Adapters?
If you have coaxial cables—commonly used to send video signals for TVs—installed in your home, you can use them to transmit Internet signals. When Ethernet was first developed, it ran over coaxial cables. Like Powerline adapters, you need an adapter at each end to switch from Ethernet to coaxial and back. The latest MoCa 2.5 adapters support speed of up to 2.5 Gbps.
Create Your Own Mesh
The problem with recommending single routers over mesh systems or vice versa is that every home is different. Size, construction, internal compatibility, in-house hardware, and other factors will affect how effective any router is, and the only way to be sure what will work best is to try it. But if you’re on the fence, I recommend choosing something that can be expanded into mesh later if it turns out you need more coverage. You can also always buy one mesh router or start with two packs and add more if needed.
Depending on what type of router you have, you can create your own mesh by adding another router. There’s more setup required than a dedicated mesh system, but it’s less complicated, usually cheaper, and will likely let you keep using your old router.
