Every one of us prefer to have wireless internet in home to enjoy the freedom of accessing the web from anyplace in our home to do the basic things like work from home, helping children to get done with their home works and watching our favorite series. Wi-Fi offers that ability to do that from all the devices and thus Wi-Fi has become a necessity. Let us know more detail about ‘Mesh Wi-Fi vs Router’.
Mesh Wi-Fi vs Router
When it comes to setting up a Wi-Fi you may be confused to choose the right one among all the options available in the market. Here are some basics that helps you to pick the right one.
The key difference between mesh Wi-Fi and router is that, router has single point of access allowing multiple devices to use same internet connection including weak and dead spots, whereas mesh Wi-Fi has multiple access points to maintain same speed of internet throughout your home.
What’s Router?
Router is the fundamental building block of the modern business networks. It acts as a bridge to connect your device with internet while managing the traffic between networks by providing the single IP addresses. Not only does a router creat a wireless network among the devices but also determines the quickest path between them so that it works effectively.
Use case, If you are the person in need of a Wi-Fi connection for a smaller area(1BHK, Small scale organization) router is the best option to choose as it provides a faster and effective internet over smaller area.
Advantages of Router:
- Distributes a single network connection among various machines. The usage of this more than one customer may be connected to the net so that typical productivity can be elevated.
- Connecting to the net directly with a modem exposes your pc to variety of security threats. Consequently, routers can be used as bridge among 2 networks so that the surroundings is secure to a point.
- Cost is effective compared to mesh Wi-Fi
Disadvantages of Router:
- Speed of the internet decreases as the distance from router is increased and thus provides weak and dead spots.
- This easily becomes overloaded as single unit supports all the internet activity.
Best routers to buy in 2022:
- Asus RT-AX86U. Good for gaming. 95 feet coverage.
- TP-Link Archer C2300. The best budget router.
- Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E (RBKE963) Insane performance at an insane price.
- Asus ROG strux GS-AX5400
- TP-Link Archer AX50
What’s Mesh Wi-Fi?
Even with the good internet connection we can find the places in our home where Wi-Fi signal is weak or totally dead. This may be because of the placement of the Wi-Fi router.
The best solution for this problem would be using Mesh Wi-Fi. Mesh Wi-Fi is the latest technology accustomed to solve the issue of weak or dead spots. A mesh Wi-Fi system is the group of access points placed at different locations that provides a blanket of Wi-Fi coverage all throughout the home eliminating weak or dead spots.
Use case, If you are a person looking for the Wi-Fi with larger coverage area (2BHK, medium and large scale organization) mesh Wi-Fi would the perfect one for you.
Advantages of mesh Wi-Fi:
- Provides the overall network coverage eliminating the blind spots and weak points.
- Many of this router providers will allow you to control your Wi-Fi with the app and this makes mesh Wi-Fi user friendly.
Disadvantages of mesh Wi-Fi:
- It is more expensive than router, as we need to have multiple access points depending on the requirement.
- Sometimes mesh routers work slower than router.
Best mesh Wi-Fi to set up in 2022:
1. Amazon eero mesh Wi-Fi system- router replacement for whole home coverage.
2. TP-Link deco mesh Wi-Fi System- up to 5,500 sq feet,100+ devices.
3. Meshforce mesh Wi-Fi system up to 6,000 sq feet
4. Tenda nova mesh Wi-Fi system up to 6,000 sq feet.
5. Asus gen Wi-Fi ET8
Things to consider before buying a router
- Speed: While more expensive options are available, if high-speed internet access is a priority, it is worth the additional expense. Make sure the router you choose is compatible with the access speed you wish to purchase.
- Price: Your choice of router depends on several factors—the amount of money you have, the type of work you do, and your urgency to connect to the Internet—but unless you use them both for work purposes, you can save money and opt for the right one.
Average price of wireless router- 80$-250$ where as it costs 300$-1000$ on average to set up mesh Wi-Fi.
- Range: If you are unsure of which router to purchase, consider looking for routers with larger ranges, as some units may not reach their potential due to poor signal strength.
- Ease of use: Many mesh Wi-Fi routers allows users to control them using their smart phones, making them easier to use than routers.
- Size: Make sure you pick the right one for the location where you want to put it as mesh Wi-Fi has multiple nodes to be placed.
Picking up the right one
Every technology comes with both pros and cons, and at the end of the day it is up to you decide if the positives out weight the negatives. Internet is not unlike from all other technologies. Since the internet effects both our personal and professional life it is very important to follow some research and pick up the best available out there. So we have learnt about ‘Mesh Wi-Fi vs Router’.
Frequently asked questions
- Which one to choose normal router or the mesh Wi-Fi?
A. If you need a larger coverage then mesh Wi-Fi would be best, else router.
- What is the main difference between router and mesh Wi-Fi?
A. Router has only one access point, mesh Wi-Fi works with multiple nodes.
- Do I need a router with mesh Wi-Fi?
A. Yes, mesh Wi-Fi consist of the main router controlling all the nodes.
