After testing over 60 mesh systems and routers in my previous home, a modern two-story, 1,600 square foot home, I found that Single routers generally outperform mesh systemsProviding faster and more stable connections, transferring files from one device to another over the network more quickly, and making smart home connectivity work efficiently without problems. But many of those routers struggled to provide a fast connection in my backyard.
Mesh systems extend your coverage, and nodes can target dead spots. I used a node to extend Wi-Fi in my backyard and plug a TV in the back room via Ethernet for a more stable and reliable connection. But it wasn’t until I moved into an old Victorian house that I realized the full benefits of a trap system. It’s a little bigger than my previous house, but the extremely thick stone walls can seriously degrade the Wi-Fi signal, especially on the fastest 6-GHz band.
After testing several systems in this house, it’s crystal clear: I need a mesh for this house. A Single router struggled to provide signal For the front upstairs room and garden, and I had to run an Ethernet cable to connect the EV charger.
With a mesh, I can decide where I need coverage, ensuring that my big TV and office computer have a fast connection. Depending on where the Internet comes from in your home, finding a suitable location for a single router may be difficult. Although there are exceptions, single routers are often ugly devices, sometimes loaded with antennas, which are good for performance but not pretty. Mesh manufacturers have taken the lead on routers that blend better into the home.
What about a Wi-Fi extender?
Based on my testing, even the best Wi-Fi extenders aren’t worth considering. Cheap Wi-Fi extenders perform very poorly, and good Wi-Fi extenders are so expensive that you’ll be better off upgrading your main router or opting for mesh, both of which will perform far better. A mesh system should give you nearly seamless handoff and limit interference; Wi-Fi extender also won’t work.
What about Ethernet?
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RJ45 Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable
If you want a fast, stable, and reliable connection, you can’t beat an Ethernet cable. Running Ethernet cables around your home takes some work, but it can be a great alternative or complement to Wi-Fi. Even though you can run cables between your main router and mesh nodes for wired backhaul, you’ll get a much stronger Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.
What about powerline adapter?
Plug these into a power outlet to pass the Internet signal through your electrical wires. 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 may work well for problem spots, but a lot depends on your wiring, and in my experience, their performance is not consistent.
Powerline adapters advertise high speeds, but what you actually 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. This is good enough if you just want to stream Netflix in the back bedroom, but the connection may also suffer due to 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 your home has coaxial cables – typically used to send video signals to a TV – installed, you can use them to pass Internet signals. When Ethernet was first developed, it ran over coaxial cables. Like a powerline adapter, you need an adapter at both ends to switch from Ethernet to coaxial and back. The latest MoCa 2.5 adapters support speeds up to 2.5 Gbps.
make your own trap
The problem with recommending a single router versus a mesh system or vice versa is that every home is different. Size, construction, local interference, equipment within the home, and other factors will impact how efficient any given router is, and the only way you can be sure what will work best is to test. But if you’re on the fence, I recommend choosing something that can later be expanded to mesh if it turns out you need more coverage. You can also always buy a single mesh router or start with a two-pack and add more if needed.
Depending on what type of router you have, you may be able to create your own mesh by adding another router. It requires a little more configuration than a dedicated mesh system, but it’s not as complex, it’s usually cheaper, and it potentially enables you to continue using your old router.
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