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Credits: Illustration by Ian Moore; product images provided by Amazon.
When I heard stories from friends and family about their internet issues and found out they were still using generic router/modem boxes provided by their internet provider, which usually cost a monthly rental fee and don’t have mesh networking capabilities, I was heartbroken.
If you live in a small, one-story home, you might not need an expensive Wi-Fi setup, especially if you always have a strong signal. But if you have more than one floor, a garage that’s far from the router, or your Wi-Fi is spotty in certain areas, a mesh system (such as this Google Nest Wifi router and a few extra Wi-Fi nodes) could be the solution. Routers are on sale at a discount right now. $39 It’s currently at its cheapest price ever on Amazon (originally $169), according to a price checker.
Google Nest Wifi was launched in 2019 and is not compatible with Wi-Fi 6. But Wi-Fi 6 is overkill for most people, even if they have a compatible router to use it. The Google Nest Wifi router must connect to your existing internet provider’s modem with an Ethernet cable and extends coverage to 2,200 square feet. According to PCMag’s “Excellent” review, it can handle up to 200 connected devices and achieve data rates of up to 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,733Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The magic of mesh networks comes from adding nodes (which Google calls points). Unlike regular Wi-Fi extenders, nodes don’t just amplify the signal from your router (thus cutting the speed in half), they’re essentially separate routers that emit the full bandwidth of the primary router. many Save money by purchasing the router and two points together $151.99 It’s a better deal (down from the original $349) than buying the router and points separately.
