Wi-Fi is an integral part of our daily lives. Whether you’re working from home on video calls, teaming up with friends on gaming consoles, or watching over your property while away from home, a stable connection is essential. If your home network has dead zones, it can be a pretty big nuisance. Luckily, there is an answer to your Wi-Fi woes.
You can buy a new Wi-Fi router to provide some extra range and stability, or if you’re serious about creating a network that can cover an entire home, you can invest in a mesh Wi-Fi system. These systems effectively extend and strengthen your local Wi-Fi network, stretching it to every corner of the house, apartment or condo, and eliminating weak spots. The best thing is, you don’t need to be an IT expert to install one. The majority of mesh Wi-Fi systems can be set up in a matter of minutes, simply by plugging them in and downloading a companion app to your phone.
Best Wi-Fi extenders and boosters: Options from Linksys, Netgear, and more
Strengthen spotty Wi-Fi connections with these fast and reliable boosters and extenders.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best options to create a list for you to choose between if you’re thinking of going down the mesh Wi-Fi route. We’ve tested these models, considered range, speed, ease of use, and cost, to ensure they merit a place on our list.
Best overall Mesh Wi-Fi system
ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
Delivering powerful performance
If you’re after dazzling speeds, then the Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a great choice of Wi-Fi mesh systems. You’ll make the most out of it if you know your way around the more advanced settings.
- Fast
- Fantastic security and parental features
- Easy setup
- You can only have two routers
- Pricey
Serious about speed? The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) mesh system is deserving of its place at the top of this list. It’ll cover every corner of your home with a strong connection, even though the system supports a maximum of two routers. Even gamers will get on well with this mesh network.
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system with one 2.4-GHz band and two 5-GHz bands. Each router has three gigabit Ethernet ports as well as a 2.5-gigabit WAN and a USB 3.1, so there’s an extensive list of ports available to you. Setting it up takes a matter of minutes using the smartphone app.
What are Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E? The Wi-Fi generations explained
The different flavors of Wi-Fi have long had complicated names but, in an attempt to remove confusion, the Wi-Fi Alliance has renamed the versions.
Another positive is Asus’ AiProtection Pro software, which includes comprehensive parental controls and anti-malware protection, both of which mean you can keep every member of your household safe online. The best part? You don’t need to pay a monthly subscription to use it.
Easiest mesh Wi-Fi system to use
Google Nest Wifi
Exceptional performance
$155 $349 Save $194
A superb mesh Wi-Fi system with a lovely design, it’s also user-friendly, and simple to set up.
- Fast speeds
- Easy setup and controls
- Google Assistant works like a dream
- Cheaper alternatives out there
- Configuration options are slim
- Built-in speaker isn’t loud
It took Google a couple of iterations to perfect its mesh offering, but the company’s Nest Wi-Fi is something special. The Nest brand has been at the forefront of many of Google’s smart home devices, from thermostats to doorbells to hubs. The Wi-Fi system is incredibly easy to set up. With just a few taps on your phone, you’ll have a strengthened network with the option to extend it using units that also pack smart speaker capabilities and the Google Assistant.
Google Nest Wi-Fi: Fantastic mesh network with Google Assistant bonus
For those looking to improve Wi-Fi weak spots, with the added bonus of Google Assistant voice control, the Nest Wifi mesh system is fantastic.
The system’s design is clean and minimalist. The devices blend into the background around your home and provide silent benefits. Plus, the useful parental controls make it perfect for anyone with kids.
The Nest Wi-Fi system is not the cheapest on the market by any means, but it’s still reasonably priced. And because it’s Google, you can rely on solid software support for years to come. Sometimes the biggest names know what they’re doing, and Google has hit a home run here.
Best 6E Wi-Fi system
Amazon Eero Pro 6E
Fast, reliable, and easy to set up
$300 $400 Save $100
The Amazon Eero Pro 6E is simple and speedy, covering up to 6,000 square feet for more than 100 connected devices.
- Easy to install
- Provides extensive and reliable coverage
- Doubles as a Zigbee hub
- Eero Secure costs extra
- Other systems offer better range
A superbly-priced option from the Amazon-owned brand, this newer 6E version of Eero’s system is incredibly easy to install. It’ll take a matter of minutes to get up and running, which is partly due to the fact that the app is clearly laid out and easy to navigate.
Amazon Eero Pro 6E mesh: Making mesh 6E
Does Amazon’s latest Wi-Fi 6E-enabled system cut the mustard, or should you opt for the cheaper Pro 6?
While the Eero Pro 6E’s 6,000 square feet range isn’t the best in the business, it’s still pretty good. You’ll be able to have more than 100 devices connected at any one time. In our experience, Eero is one of the most reliable mesh networks there is. In my testing, the connection rarely dropped, and it massively improved speeds in every corner of the house.
There are plenty of other features to talk about too, like the fact that these units double as Zigbee hubs to control all of your smart home tech, and you can control them with Alexa if you have separate Echo devices. And for a monthly fee, Eero Secure will prevent damage from malicious websites and help protect all of your devices.
Best premium mesh Wi-Fi system
Netgear Orbi 6E Mesh System (RBKE963)
Pricey but powerful
$1300 $1500 Save $200
If you’re willing to splurge a little, the Netgear Orbi 6E Mesh System (RBKE963) will massively improve your network and eliminate any weak or dead spots.
- Up to 9,000 sq ft of coverage
- 200+ devices can be connected
- Simple set up
Those who don’t mind spending a lot of money on a network that guarantees good results should take a look at the Netgear Orbi 6E (RBKE963). Its price tag might make your eyes water, but it will also provide you with one of the most expansive systems on the market.
Perfect for large homes, it boasts coverage of up to 9,000 square feet and can support more than 200 connected devices at any one time, with speeds up to 10.8Gbps. On the units, there are multi-gig WAN and LAN ports, although you won’t find any USB connections.
Netgear Orbi Voice review: Whole home Mesh Wi-Fi with Alexa smarts
Netgear Orbi Voice is a satellite system for Mesh Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. It also features Amazon Alexa and Harman Kardon speakers.
There are basic parental controls ready to go as soon as you set this system up. There’s also the option to pay for a Netgear Smart Parental Controls subscription to add more controls like age-based web filters, browser history reports, and internet time rewards.
Best affordable mesh Wi-Fi system
TP-Link Deco S4 Mesh Wi-Fi
Budget-friendly mesh Wi-Fi
$115 $150 Save $35
TP-Link keeps it simple with this stripped-back, intuitive mesh system. It’s ideal for homes that require plenty of coverage.
- Easy to install and use
- Superb coverage
- Reasonable pricing
- Not tons of app controls
- Mild security concerns
- No MAC address whitelisting
For those who need a relatively affordable solution that can tackle big homes, TP-Link’s Deco S4 is worth considering. We found the coverage was more than enough to blanket our home without suffering from severe drop-offs as we strayed away from the access points. There aren’t as many upgraded features or parental settings as you’ll find with more expensive options, but there’s still enough, we think, to satisfy most basic users looking to make tweaks to help maximize speed and performance.
Make sure to look into some of the more technical details of the mesh setup’s security, though, if you’re so inclined. While we mostly enjoyed the stripped-back nature of the settings, there are some security features (such as being able to allow MAC addresses and hide the network name) that appear to have been overlooked.
The bottom line: What is the best mesh Wi-Fi system?
According to our research and testing, the best mesh Wi-Fi system currently available is the ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8), thanks to its robust system and user-friendly setup. If ease of use is a priority, both the Nest Wi-Fi and Eero Pro 6E kits are simple to install in your home and, more importantly, troubleshoot when you eventually run into connection issues. For a more budget option, consider the Deco S4 Mesh Wi-Fi from TP-Link. It doesn’t offer the most comprehensive settings, but for a system that costs around $150 before it’s even discounted, it’s a great value.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
$300 $330 Save $30
How to choose a mesh Wi-Fi system
There are plenty of reasons why you might be looking to add a mesh system to your home network, but, regardless of what they are, there are some key areas that you’ll want to think about before you commit to an option, even if it’s one of those we’ve rated.
Figure out the following qualities of your home set-up:
- Where in your home do you find dead spots?
- What square footage do you need to cover?
- Do you have a need to control which devices are connected to Wi-Fi?
- Find out the base connection speed on your router.
FAQ
Q: Why should you get a mesh system?
The biggest reason you’re likely to want a mesh system is signal dropouts. If you have areas in your home where your router’s signal either doesn’t reach at all or is flaky enough that the speeds you get are no good, that’s a recipe that calls for a mesh system. In many cases, mesh systems also make it possible to control what devices can connect to your Wi-Fi, so they’re a great parenting tool, too.
Q: How important is speed when selecting a mesh Wi-Fi system?
A big question when judging different mesh systems is around speed — how fast is your base connection, and how much of that speed do you need to be translated through to the furthest reaches of your home? If you’re on gigabit internet, that’ll restrict your choices, but if you’re happy to accept something like 500MB/s, which is pretty good in our opinion, you’ll have more options.
Q: What range do you need from your mesh Wi-Fi system?
The other big question on our minds is how far you want to extend your network. There are two ways this can change your choices — firstly by impacting which models you go for according to how far they can cover per satellite, but also how many satellites you opt for in the first place. The best options hit the sweet spot of big coverage areas without requiring loads of different satellite points.
Q: Do you need an Ethernet port for a mesh Wi-Fi system?
Finally, a secondary question for you comes in the form of good old wired internet. If you want to be able to hook something like a console or gaming PC up to Ethernet from your satellite points, you’d better be careful to check whether it’s possible, as some of the options out there don’t have this capability.
Trending Products
