The 10 Best Mesh Wi-Fi Network Systems to Buy in 2018
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Updated August 06, 2018
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If you live in a large home, especially one with dense concrete or brick walls, your Wi-Fi router probably isn't cutting it. Range extenders might help, but what you really need is a mesh Wi-Fi system. Designed to blanket your home with coverage free of dead spots, Wi-Fi systems consist of a router that connects to your modem, plus satellite units that communicate both with the router and with each other, freeing up 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for you.
Sound complicated? It’s really not. Wi-Fi systems are aimed at people with limited technical knowledge so setup and monitoring is a snap. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites to make the process even easier.
If you live in a large home, especially one with dense concrete or brick walls, your Wi-Fi router probably isn't cutting it. Range extenders might help, but what you really need is a mesh Wi-Fi system. Designed to blanket your home with coverage free of dead spots, Wi-Fi systems consist of a router that connects to your modem, plus satellite units that communicate both with the router and with each other, freeing up 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for you.
Sound complicated? It’s really not. Wi-Fi systems are aimed at people with limited technical knowledge so setup and monitoring is a snap. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites to make the process even easier.
Best Overall: Netgear Orbi High-Performance AC3000
A name synonymous with Wi-Fi, Netgear takes the top spot on the list
with its Orbi High-Performance AC3000, which offers 5,000 square feet of
coverage.
Complete with an identical router and satellite, the Orbi system boasts lightning fast throughput speeds, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming and a number of customizable features. It’s a tri-band system with six internal antennas and can deliver throughputs speeds of 1,266Mbps (400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 866Mbps on the 5GHz band). Its additional 5GHz band communicates solely between the router and the satellite and hits speeds up to 1,733Mbps. At the base of the router, there are three Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port and a USB 2.0 port, meanwhile the satellite has four Gigabit LAN ports and a USB 2.0 port, which give you stellar connectivity options.
Complete with an identical router and satellite, the Orbi system boasts lightning fast throughput speeds, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming and a number of customizable features. It’s a tri-band system with six internal antennas and can deliver throughputs speeds of 1,266Mbps (400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 866Mbps on the 5GHz band). Its additional 5GHz band communicates solely between the router and the satellite and hits speeds up to 1,733Mbps. At the base of the router, there are three Gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port and a USB 2.0 port, meanwhile the satellite has four Gigabit LAN ports and a USB 2.0 port, which give you stellar connectivity options.
Leave it to Google to design the best-looking anything. Its Wi-Fi
system is no exception. The set contains three satellites, which Google
call “Wi-Fi points,” each of which covers 1,500 square feet, for a grand
total of 4,500 square feet of blanketed coverage. The points are shaped
like thick hockey pucks and sit beautifully in plain view.
Unfortunately, they lack USB ports, which mean you can’t connect
peripherals.
Each point houses a quad-core Arm CPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of eMMC flash memory, plus AC1200 (2X2) 802.11ac and 802.11s (mesh) circuitry and a Bluetooth radio. Google combines its 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into a single band, which means you can’t designate a device to a single band, but on the upside, it uses beamforming technology, which automatically routes devices to the strongest signal.
Google Wi-Fi wins our pick for best design not just for its hardware, but its software, too. The accompanying app (for Android or iOS) is intuitive and lets you manage the status of your points, as well as set up guest networks, test speeds, port forwarding and more. Unfortunately, there are no parental controls, but regardless, Google Wi-Fi will get your household online quickly and easily.
Each point houses a quad-core Arm CPU, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of eMMC flash memory, plus AC1200 (2X2) 802.11ac and 802.11s (mesh) circuitry and a Bluetooth radio. Google combines its 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into a single band, which means you can’t designate a device to a single band, but on the upside, it uses beamforming technology, which automatically routes devices to the strongest signal.
Google Wi-Fi wins our pick for best design not just for its hardware, but its software, too. The accompanying app (for Android or iOS) is intuitive and lets you manage the status of your points, as well as set up guest networks, test speeds, port forwarding and more. Unfortunately, there are no parental controls, but regardless, Google Wi-Fi will get your household online quickly and easily.
Best for Large Homes: Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD (High-Density) Home Wi-Fi System
Of Ubiquiti’s devices, the AmpliFi HD is the most robust. Made for
large, multi-story houses with dense walls and other obstructions, this
device uses six high-density, long-range antennas to cover up to a
whopping 20,000 square feet. (Don’t worry, the antennas are internal, so
it keeps a sleek aesthetic.) The system consists of a router and two
plug-in mesh points which, while rather large, are nearly works of
modern art. The front of the router has a beautiful full-color LCD touch
screen that displays the time and date, and you can tap the screen to
reveal stats such as current Internet speeds (upload and download),
router and WAN IP addresses, as well as current throughput speeds.
The router houses a single-core CPU, 802.11ac circuitry that supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands and delivers up to 5.25Gbps aggregate speed. Similar to other systems, the AmpliFi HD has a mobile app that lets you manage settings, but it also uniquely allows you to segregate its two radio bands and have separate SSIDs, letting you manage traffic more easily. Unfortunately, there are no parental controls on this unit, but most won’t find that to be a deal breaker.
The router houses a single-core CPU, 802.11ac circuitry that supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands and delivers up to 5.25Gbps aggregate speed. Similar to other systems, the AmpliFi HD has a mobile app that lets you manage settings, but it also uniquely allows you to segregate its two radio bands and have separate SSIDs, letting you manage traffic more easily. Unfortunately, there are no parental controls on this unit, but most won’t find that to be a deal breaker.
The Linksys Velop Tri-band AC6600 consists of three sleek white nodes
that are each roughly the size of a Jenga tower and good-looking enough
to sit on display rather than be tucked away. Each node covers 2,000
square feet, together covering a 6,000-square-foot home, so this is a
great option if you have a large home. (If you don’t need such vast
coverage, you can purchase nodes individually.)
Each node is an AC2200 router that delivers up to 400Mbps maximum speeds on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. Velop is one of the few systems that supports Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, which translates to faster throughput speeds. It also offers a plethora of features customizable in the mobile app, including parental controls, device prioritization and guest networking.
Each node is an AC2200 router that delivers up to 400Mbps maximum speeds on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. Velop is one of the few systems that supports Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, which translates to faster throughput speeds. It also offers a plethora of features customizable in the mobile app, including parental controls, device prioritization and guest networking.
While most Wi-Fi systems on this list hover in $300 to $500 range,
the Securifi Almond 3 system will get your entire home connected for
about half of the price. At that low price, you’ll be making some
sacrifices, and in this case that comes in the form of an AC1200 (2x2)
router that delivers max speeds of 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and
867Mbps on the 5GHz band. Still, that’s not too shabby.
The design is a bit of a departure from what you might be used to, but it’s sleek nonetheless. It comes in either black or white and uses Windows-like tiles on its touchscreen to guide you through setup and customization. Parental controls are limited – you can’t restrict access to certain websites – but you can shut off access to specific devices, which is done through a handy mobile or desktop app.
Perhaps one of the more unique features of the Almond 3 is the fact that it can double as a home automation system. It works with devices such as Philips Hue lightbulbs, the Nest thermostat and Amazon Alexa, which is something no other system here can say.
The design is a bit of a departure from what you might be used to, but it’s sleek nonetheless. It comes in either black or white and uses Windows-like tiles on its touchscreen to guide you through setup and customization. Parental controls are limited – you can’t restrict access to certain websites – but you can shut off access to specific devices, which is done through a handy mobile or desktop app.
Perhaps one of the more unique features of the Almond 3 is the fact that it can double as a home automation system. It works with devices such as Philips Hue lightbulbs, the Nest thermostat and Amazon Alexa, which is something no other system here can say.
If Wi-Fi security keeps you up at night, the Ally Plus will let you
rest easy. The system is made up of two identical units: a router and a
satellite. It’s only a two-band network, lacking a third band to connect
the two units together, so speeds will be slower than that of the
tri-band systems on this list. But luckily, the Ally Plus uses a
tri-stream (3x3) 5Ghz wireless band that caps at 1,300Mbps band and a
quad-stream (4x4) 2.4Ghz signal that caps at 800Mbps (compared to most
dual-stream systems), so you can still maintain fast speeds despite
signal loss.
Our favorite part of the Ally Plus is its security features. Through the mobile app, not only can you manage your Wi-Fi networks, but you can enable AVG security. This protects you against harmful websites, phishing attacks and downloading malware. You can also block certain websites from groups of devices or restrict access based on time of day, and if you have kids, you know that will come in handy.
Our favorite part of the Ally Plus is its security features. Through the mobile app, not only can you manage your Wi-Fi networks, but you can enable AVG security. This protects you against harmful websites, phishing attacks and downloading malware. You can also block certain websites from groups of devices or restrict access based on time of day, and if you have kids, you know that will come in handy.
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Common to most all mesh Wi-Fi systems is their ease of setup, but the
eero takes easy to a new level. The company claims you’ll be up and
running in just a few minutes with help from its mobile app and Amazon
reviewers can back up that up. All you need to do is connect it to your
modem via the included Ethernet cable, wait for the indicator light to
blink blue and follow the on-screen instructions. After you’re done
setting up, the app also comes in handy for testing Internet speeds,
managing networks, creating guest networks and more.
The eero’s design is also praiseworthy. After all, it’s named after famed architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen for a reason. The three identical units (one router and two satellites) measure 4.75 x 4.75 x 1.34 inches and are white high-gloss on the top, but matte on the edges. Inside is a 1GHz dual-core CPU with five internal antennas and AC1200 Wi-Fi circuitry, all of which contribute to solid throughput speeds.
The eero’s design is also praiseworthy. After all, it’s named after famed architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen for a reason. The three identical units (one router and two satellites) measure 4.75 x 4.75 x 1.34 inches and are white high-gloss on the top, but matte on the edges. Inside is a 1GHz dual-core CPU with five internal antennas and AC1200 Wi-Fi circuitry, all of which contribute to solid throughput speeds.
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The Asus Lyra system comes with three receiver hubs, much like the
others on the list, and it links them all under one Wi-Fi name. They’ve
built the tech into them to automatically switch you between hubs as you
move out of range of one and into the range of another. The system also
operates with three separate bands, that way it’ll take you longer to
lose connectivity due to bandwidth restrictions. You can have your game
systems taking up one band, your general Internet use taking up another
and another band can tackle your business purposes. They’re all 802.11AC
routers offering you up to 2,134 mbps in transfer speeds.
There’s a proprietary, commercial-grade encryption and protection provided by Asus’s AiProtection tech, and there are additional security options that allow you to set up parental controls. Finally, it’s connected and controllable via an Asus app that is set up to work well with your smart home products, so it’ll be a great addition to any tech-forward household.
There’s a proprietary, commercial-grade encryption and protection provided by Asus’s AiProtection tech, and there are additional security options that allow you to set up parental controls. Finally, it’s connected and controllable via an Asus app that is set up to work well with your smart home products, so it’ll be a great addition to any tech-forward household.
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Offering up to 6,000 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage, this system from
Tenda is great for large homes (though it might struggle for
medium-sized offices). Much like the rest of the systems on the list,
this one will seamlessly connect as one Wi-Fi network, but it uses a
really unique technology to help focus those connections to stay
connected to all your devices at once. That tech is called Wave2 MU-MIMO
alongside Tenda’s equally cool beamforming technology, which
focus-transmits power to the devices in the room, giving you a
near-invincible connection to your Wi-Fi system.
They’ve also included a network optimization technology that maintains the integrity of the system, even when one unit goes down. If you disconnect to one unit, then it’ll automatically search and find the nearest available one. Plus it’s been designed to require no special setup, offering you plug-and-play simplicity with an easy-to-understand LED status indicator.
They’ve also included a network optimization technology that maintains the integrity of the system, even when one unit goes down. If you disconnect to one unit, then it’ll automatically search and find the nearest available one. Plus it’s been designed to require no special setup, offering you plug-and-play simplicity with an easy-to-understand LED status indicator.
Fast and simple Wi-Fi sounds like a blessing, but if you have a home
full of kids, you know it can also be dangerous. Luckily, the Luma comes
stocked with great parental controls, so you don’t have to worry about
what your kiddos are up to. In the settings, accessed through the mobile
app (no desktop support, sorry!), you can set a content filter policy
using five rating levels: Unrestricted, R-rated, PG-13, PG and G. You
can then add users and specify their access level. There’s also a handy
Pause feature that lets you freeze Internet access across the whole
network.
Beyond parental controls, the Luma offers solid performance, thanks to its three modules that each contain an 802.11ac router, a quad-core processor and two radio bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz). They are AC1200 routers with a max speed of 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. Its automatic band steering directs traffic to the most efficient band, giving you the fastest speeds. Overall, it’s a hassle-free way to get your Wi-Fi up and running that still lets you maintain control over the kids.
Beyond parental controls, the Luma offers solid performance, thanks to its three modules that each contain an 802.11ac router, a quad-core processor and two radio bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz). They are AC1200 routers with a max speed of 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. Its automatic band steering directs traffic to the most efficient band, giving you the fastest speeds. Overall, it’s a hassle-free way to get your Wi-Fi up and running that still lets you maintain control over the kids.
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