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Installing mesh Wi-Fi in my home was a big change. I no longer have to work on the router or worry about his Wi-Fi calls dropping out in the kitchen. My house was built in the same spirit as the Faraday Cage, a house that has challenged and finally conquered whatever technology the cable company has sent its way. It worked so well that I convinced everyone I knew that mesh would solve their home coverage problems. And most of the time I was right. Since the price of mesh Wi-Fi points has dropped, I bought a few more to strengthen the signal. I had no idea there was a better Wi-Fi out there until my shiny new mesh router arrived from Google. As usual, I was wrong.
What is mesh Wi-Fi?
First, for the uninitiated, let’s explain what mesh Wi-Fi is. Wi-Fi typically reaches your home through a modem. There’s probably a cable coming in from outside somewhere that ends up dead-ending at the modem. You either own your modem or lease it from your internet provider. If you connect your computer to a modem using a cat5 cable, you will get the same internet speed as a modem. That signal hasn’t had any attenuation yet, so you’ll get the same speed you paid from your internet provider.
These days, a modem is usually also a router, but you can also use another device. The router enables Wi-Fi. The router receives the signal from the modem and transmits it horizontally as Wi-Fi. Each router has a different range, but it can be blocked by obstructions such as appliances or other large pieces of metal. So devices like repeaters and extenders were invented that could be placed somewhere in the house to pick up the signal and extend it, but doing so would attenuate the signal. This meant that Wi-Fi was “less” but available in a larger space.
Mesh is another idea. A mesh is a series of points, one of which connects to your modem and redistributes Wi-Fi where it’s needed most at any given time. These points form a network, allowing you to cover a larger area. There is debate as to what to call these devices. Although they are technically called routers, once installed in your home they are probably considered Wi-Fi “points.”
With the new system you don’t need as many points
I upgraded to a new Google Nest Wi-Fi router (Nest WiFi Pro, $319.99 for a 3-pack), instantly went from 5 points to 3 points. In reality, you probably don’t need all three. The coverage is great (2200 square feet compared to 1500 square feet for the original Google Wifirouter I replaced) and it penetrates any space without worrying about obstructions.
Apart from new hardware inside that covers more area, new routers use new hardware. Wi-Fi6 Standard (802.11ax). If your router is more than three years old, it may be Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) only. Wi-Fi 6 has much faster throughput speeds, so it can transfer data more efficiently. This has the major benefits of alleviating network congestion and also reducing power consumption. Wi-Fi 6 does this in a similar way to mesh. Find out what your household is trying to do with Wi-Fi, assign channels to each device, and direct her Wi-Fi power where you need it and from channels you don’t need. .
In addition to 6 Ghz, we have increased capacity for radio frequency services at 2.4 Ghz, the frequency that serves most smart home devices. Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 uses predictive technology to determine when Wi-Fi is likely to be needed and can use the appropriate battery for Wi-Fi, so Wi-Fi is not required. You can save battery life across your device. This increases battery life for video doorbells, cameras, and other battery-dependent wireless devices.
New mesh devices are more secure
Wi-Fi 6 devices support WPA3 encryption (the latest data security standard) and stronger password protection. The Wi-Fi signal is not broadcast widely, but sent directly to the client, which eliminates exposure to significant risks, and the 256-bit encryption algorithm makes it difficult to hack.
Mesh networks typically update automatically, which means you’ll also get cybersecurity updates. To further enhance security, mesh systems allow you to easily spin up a guest network (or even multiple ones), change their passwords, or issue temporary passwords. This isolates your home network from guests accessing or snooping on devices on your home network.
Switching is not a difficult process
No matter how excited I was about better Wi-Fi, I was reluctant to make the switch. I live alone and have a ton of smart home devices, four hubs, and a coffee maker connected to my current system, and the thought of reconnecting them all gave me palpitations.
I am happy to say that the process was unexpectedly smooth. I decided to stay in the same ecosystem (Google) and keep the SSID and see if it helps. Mounting the new router took longer than reassociating all my devices. All mesh systems now include an associated app that lets you control your Wi-Fi, and that app helps you set up your new system. It feels no different than setting up a new smart home device.
Once the Wi-Fi was reconnected to the new modem, I started receiving notifications about various hubs and devices, each of which required me to reauthorize the connection. If the SSID or password has changed, you will need to change the settings. I hate to admit it, but overall it was a good experience. So I had to clean my house and remove devices that had been offline for a long time or had been removed from my home.
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In conclusion, the switch was a good thing. Remember above when we explained how the signal coming into the modem is the strongest possible signal? Because there is nothing yet to weaken the signal. Since it’s broadcast over Wi-Fi, the signal will be weak depending on where you are, but there are speed tests you can access to see how your Wi-Fi speeds compare to what you’re paying. The cable company has no control over the data sent by the modem. This is just for you. I was very satisfied because not only the download speed but also the upload speed became faster. Newer devices are simply better at broadcasting signals from modems.
In the weeks since making the switch, I’ve experienced fewer pauses in streaming, fewer outages on my smart home devices, and Zoom hasn’t dropped out once.
