What Is the Best Whole House Wifi Router

Between working andlearning from dwelling house, gaming online with friends, and calling loved onesfor regular video chats, the terminal few years have fabricated the importance of a reliable Wi-Fi signal at habitation abundantly clear. With the average home's internet use surging, it's a great time to give your habitation network an upgrade -- and one of the best moves well-nigh homes can make is to upgrade your router to a mesh system.

With multiple devices spread throughout your dwelling house, a good mesh router is more like a team of routers that tin can relay your wireless traffic dorsum to the modem better than a traditional router, especially when y'all're connecting at range. With the right system quarterbacking your connection, yous could enjoy total wireless coverage and speeds that are well-nigh as fast equally your network is capable of throughout the majority of your home, if not the entirety of it. Better yet, y'all won't have to juggle your connection betwixt your main network and a split extension network like you will with aelementary range extender -- the mesh router will automatically route your connection accordingly within a single network.

Watch this: Which Router Upgrade is Right for You?

Some of the best mesh routers we've tested include systems from Eero, which popularized mesh networking before existence bought past Amazon in 2019, as well as the latest setups from TP-Link Deco, Asus ZenWifi,Netgear Orbi and Google Nest. Mesh systems like those regularly sold for every bit much as $400 or fifty-fifty $500 a few years ago, just now, all of these manufacturers and others offer multipoint mesh router systems -- including the main router and the boosted satellite extenders -- that cost less than $300, if not less than $200. Though we'd recommend aiming a fleck college, you can even find basic, entry-level mesh systems foras picayune as $20 per device.

We've all the same got lots of routers and mesh systems we'd like to try out -- including agrowing number that apply Wi-Fi half dozen technology promising meliorate performance and faster speeds. More than mesh routers that back up Wi-Fi 6E, which means they tin can admission anewly unlocked mass of fresh bandwidth in the 6GHz band, should continue to arrive throughout 2022, as well, but it's probably still likewise early to invest in a system similar that (and believe me, they won't come up cheap).

Wait regular updates to this post equally new Wi-Fi mesh routers like those make it to market. For at present, here are our picks for the meridian-tested systems y'all should be considering commencement if you're buying now.

TP-Link Deco W7200

Best overall

Chris Monroe/CNET

For a mesh router upgrade that really feels like an upgrade, you'll want to await for these things: Wi-Fi six support, and a tri-band pattern with the usual ii.4 and 5GHz bands, plus a second 5GHz band that the arrangement can use as a dedicated backhaul connection for wireless transmissions between the master router and the satellites. The problem is that tri-ring Wi-Fi half-dozen mesh routers like that are typically pretty expensive. Not also long ago, I was commending Asus and Eero for bringing the cost of a ii-piece organization like that downwardly to around $400 or so.

Now, TP-Link is doing even ameliorate and selling the Deco W7200 mesh router, a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system that only costs $229 for a ii-pack. That might exist the best mesh router value I've ever seen -- and the fifty-fifty better part is that it performs like a champ, with fast, stable speeds, decent range and a setup process that'south about as piece of cake as information technology gets, with satellite extenders that automatically join the mesh as soon as you plug them in. In fact, the merely mesh system that beat the Deco W7200 outright in my at-home speed tests, the Netgear Orbi AX6000, costs more than three times as much at $700 for a 2-pack.

All of that makes the Deco W7200 an outstanding value, and the offset mesh router I'd bespeak people to if they asked for a recommendation. Merely know that it's been in and out of stock this twelvemonth on Walmart's website, and so information technology might not exist immediately available in your area. If it isn't, you could also consider stepping up to the TP-Link Deco X90, which performed even ameliorate in my tests and adds in a multi-gig Ethernet jack for high-speed internet plans. It costs more at $450 for a 2-pack, but Amazon currently has it available for $50 off if you employ a coupon before checkout.

Read our TP-Link Deco W7200 review.

Netgear Orbi AX6000

Best performance

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

At a retail cost of $699 for a 2-pack and currently on auction for $668 on Amazon, the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi is too expensive to recommend outright -- simply if you merely want i of the fastest mesh routers money can purchase, look no further.

With full support for Wi-Fi vi and a second 5GHz ring that serves as a dedicated backhaul connectedness for the router and its satellites, the powerful organisation was downright impressive in our tests, with pinnacle speeds of nearly 900Mbps at close range in our lab. That'southward one of the fastest numbers we've always seen from a mesh router in that test, and it merely fell to 666Mbps at a distance of 75 feet -- which is still faster than we saw from the Nest Wifi up shut, but 5 feet away.

Things got even more impressive when we took the Orbi AX6000 abode to test its functioning in a existent-world setting. With an incoming internet connectedness of 300Mbps serving every bit a speed limit, the system returned average speeds throughout the whole abode of 289Mbps to Wi-Fi 5 devices and 367Mbps to Wi-Fi vi devices, including speeds at the farthest signal from the router that were 95% as fast as when connecting up shut. That'south an outstanding result, and it's held up as I've connected my controlled mesh router speed tests. In the two years that have passed since I kickoff tested the Orbi AX6000 at my home, no other system I've tested has been able to take its acme spot on the leaderboard, non even the newer Orbi AXE11000 system that adds in support for Wi-Fi 6E (yep, actually).

Once again, the problem is the toll: $699 is simply too expensive for almost folks, particularly given that you'll need a connection of at least 500Mbps in guild to notice much of a difference between this organisation and others we like that price less than one-half as much.

In that location'south besides the less expensive AX4200 version of the Orbi mesh system that costs $350. It's still a tri-band Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi half dozen, but you don't get the multigig WAN port that comes with the AX6000 model here. We'll keep an eye on that one and update this space once we've tested information technology out.

Read our Netgear Orbi AX6000 review.

Eero Pro 6

A cracking 3-piece setup for large homes

Amazon

Eero was an early pioneer of the mesh networking approach, and in 2019, it got scooped upward by Amazon. Then, in 2020, we got two new versions of the Eero mesh router: the Eero 6 and Eero Pro six, both of which add in support for -- yous guessed it -- Wi-Fi 6.

Each system is priced at a value, netting you a three-piece setup with 2 range-extending satellites for well-nigh every bit much every bit some competitors charge for a 2-piece setup. That's great if you live in a big home and you need your Wi-Fi network to cover a lot of ground -- the additional mesh Wi-Fi network extender will brand a big, noticeable divergence in your speeds when you're connecting at range.

But between the two of them, I strongly prefer the Eero Pro six, which costs $599 for a iii-pack or less if you lot tin can catch a sale. Unlike the regular Eero 6, which disappointed in my tests with poor band-steering, the Eero Pro 6 setup I tested worked like a charm, spreading fast, reliable speeds beyond my unabridged home. Plus, it features a tri-band blueprint with two 5GHz bands, which is key for optimal mesh functioning. It'south also a bang-up pick for Alexa users thanks to a built-in Zigbee radio that lets you pair things like smart locks and smart lights with your vocalization assistant without needing any extra hub hardware.

$599 isn't inexpensive by any stretch, but it's virtually as good a cost equally y'all'll detect for a iii-slice, tri-band mesh router with full support for Wi-Fi 6, and Amazon has a habit of putting it on sale. That makes information technology a worthy and sensible upgrade for large homes. Meanwhile, if you don't demand a three-piece system, you could too consider the Eero Pro 6 two-pack, which costs $399.

Read our Eero Pro 6 review.

Nest Wifi

A solid Wi-Fi 5 system for less than $200

Nov 2019

Chris Monroe/CNET

Several years ago, Google Wifi became a breakout hit thanks to its easy setup and its ability to spread a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection throughout your habitation for all of your connected devices. Now, there's the Nest Wifi, a second-gen follow-upward that adds in faster net speeds and a ameliorate-looking pattern, plus Google Assistant smart speakers congenital into each satellite extender.

The price is a little lower this fourth dimension around, also -- $269 for the two-piece setup above, with roughly the same area of Wi-Fi coverage as a three-piece, $300 Google Wifi setup from years back. That's less of a skillful deal now than it was when the system first launched, only in that location'south however enough of reason to consider Nest Wifi if y'all grab it on sale (sure enough, Google currently has the system marked down by $lxxx, bringing the price of that 2-pack down to $189).

On boilerplate, the Nest Wifi notched the fastest top speeds that I saw in my tests from any Wi-Fi 5 mesh router (and faster speeds than some of the Wi-Fi 6 systems I've tested, as well). Plus, the two-piece setup offered enough signal force to provide sufficient coverage at the 5,800-square-foot CNET Smart Home. Information technology also aced our mesh tests, never in one case dropping my connection as I moved nearly my domicile running speed tests, and I never defenseless it routing my connection through the extender when connecting directly to the router was faster, either.

The lack of Wi-Fi six support might seem similar a missed opportunity, but the Nest Wifi does include back up for mod features like WPA3 security, device grouping and prioritization and 4x4 MU-MIMO connections that offer faster aggregate speeds for devices similar the MacBook Pro that can use multiple Wi-Fi antennas at in one case. It's also fully backward-compatible with previous-gen Google Wifi setups, which is a smart touch on. All of it is easy to set, easy to use and easy to rely on. Among dual-ring mesh routers, I'd much rather have a pinnacle-of-the-line Wi-Fi 5 organisation than an entry-level Wi-Fi 6 system -- fifty-fifty among new competition, the Nest Wifi mesh router fits that bill.

Read our Nest Wifi review.

Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8)

Best for multigig home cyberspace plans

Mar 2020

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

It isn't quite as fast every bit the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi listed higher up, but the Editors' Choice Honour-winning Asus ZenWiFi AX (model number XT8) came awfully close -- and at $400 or less for a two-piece system, it'southward a lot easier to beget.

In fact, the ZenWiFi AX offers the aforementioned multigig WAN ports as the Orbi AX6000, which is a great slice of time to come-proofing that yous don't always get in this price range. The tri-ring build means that it as well boasts the same dedicated backhaul band to aid keep the arrangement transmissions separate from your network traffic, and it offers the same ease of setup, the same steady mesh operation, and the aforementioned strong speeds at range, too. All of that makes information technology a future-gear up upgrade pick at a fair price. Information technology fifty-fifty comes in your choice of white or black.

I also appreciated the depth of control in the Asus app, which lets you manage your network and customize that backhaul as you see fit. If $400 is a scrap as well much for your budget, know that there's a smaller version of this organisation chosen the Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini. It isn't as loftier-powered and it isn't a tri-ring system similar its big brother, but it comes with iii devices that all support Wi-Fi vi for $250, which makes it pretty interesting. There was likewise a new dual-band ZenWifi system terminal twelvemonth chosen the ZenWifi XD6 -- information technology performed quite well in our tests, but it but costs slightly less than the XT8. Betwixt the iii of them, the XT8 is the one I'd be looking to buy first.

Read our Asus ZenWiFi AX review.

Netgear Orbi AC1200

All-time value

Ry Crist/CNET

I did a double take the first time I saw the price tag for the slimmed down, dual-band version of the Netgear Orbi mesh router system. Currently available at just $100 for a three-pack, which is even less that it was selling for during the holidays, information technology's a clear value choice -- and a dramatic turnaround from the original Netgear Orbi, which was as well expensive for almost consumers at $400 for a 2-pack.

Netgear brought the cost down by sticking with Wi-Fi five, ditching the built-in Alexa speaker that comes with the Orbi Vocalisation and skipping the tri-band approach and the dedicated 5GHz backhaul ring that other Orbi systems utilise to connect each device in the mesh. I wonder if Netgear missed an opportunity by not branding this system as "Orbi Lite."

Information technology all makes for a less robust mesh system than other Orbi setups, but I inappreciably noticed in my tests. Among the Wi-Fi v systems I've tested, the dual-band Netgear Orbi actually notched the fastest top speeds at close range, it kept up with the Nest and Eero in our real-world speed tests and it offered fantabulous bespeak strength in the large-sized CNET Smart Home.

Netgear's app isn't as clean or intuitive as Nest'south or Eero'southward, and the network didn't seem quite equally steady as those ii every bit it steered me from ring to ring in my tests, simply those are quibbles at this cost. If yous just desire something affordable -- maybe to tide you over until you're prepare to make the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E -- then the budget-friendliest Netgear Orbi definitely deserves your consideration.

Read our Netgear Orbi AC1200 review.

(CNET editors pick the products and services we write almost based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may become a commission. Read more than about how we test mesh routers.)

This graph shows the acme speeds of a unmarried router from each system we've tested in our lab, no extenders. The Eero Pro vi was the only 1 to notch a top speed college than ane,000Mbps (1Gbps), with Wi-Fi 6 systems from AmpliFi, Arris, Netgear and Asus shut backside. Meanwhile, the Nest Wifi router had the fastest boilerplate download speeds of the Wi-Fi 5 systems nosotros tested. (Lab testing was suspended during the pandemic, but will resume in 2022, so stay tuned for updated summit speeds from the models nosotros tested last year.)

Ry Crist/CNET

Top speeds

As I said, we've already run a skilful number of speed tests with these systems. When nosotrosclocked the top wireless transfer speeds for a single Wi-Fi router from each organisation, it was the Eero Pro vi that led the way with a close-range top speed of 1,008Mbps. That makes it the only mesh router we've tested that was able to top out above gigabit speeds in this single-device test. Meanwhile, theAmpliFi Alien, theArris Surfboard Max, the Netgear Orbi AX6000, the dual-bandNetgear Nighthawk and the Asus RT-AX92U performed well, too, each with meridian speeds comfortably north of 800Mbps at close range. No surprise there, as those all back up Wi-Fi half-dozen, the fastest version of Wi-Fi nevertheless.

Behind those came theNest Wifi, which holds the top spot in this examination among Wi-Fi v mesh routers. The budget-friendly, AC1200 version of theNetgear Orbi impressed u.s.a., also -- it was even faster than the Nest at shut range.

Just know that these top speed tests take identify in our lab. Nosotros wire each router to a MacBook Pro that acts as a local server, then we download data from that MacBook to another laptop continued to the router's Wi-Fi network. That lets u.s.a. see how fast each router can move data without the variables and limitations that come with connecting via your domicile internet service, where your ISP substantially sets the speed limit.

One other note -- we were forced to suspend lab testing during the pandemic, but are resuming testing this year, so stay tuned for updated superlative speeds from the models nosotros've tested over the by two years.

With a fiber internet connectedness of 300Mbps in my home, these are room-by-room boilerplate download speeds for each mesh router I've tested with a Wi-Fi 6 client device. The Netgear Orbi AX6000 is our top performer, simply the TP-Link Deco W7200 is right behind it and costs less than a third as much.

Ry Crist/CNET

At-home speeds

Top speed tests are one matter, merely it's important to as well take a shut look at how well these mesh routers perform when you lot add together in the range extenders and pull information from the cloud, the style they'll be used 99% of the fourth dimension. So, I took each ane domicile, set information technology upward on my 300Mbps AT&T fiber network and spent quite a chip of fourth dimension running speed tests in order to find out.

Up until 2020, I ran the majority of these at-abode tests using a Dell XPS thirteen laptop that uses Wi-Fi 5. And then, once Wi-Fi vi became bachelor, I started running two divide sets of tests: one to measure speeds to that Wi-Fi five laptop, and some other, separate set of tests to measure out speeds to a client device that supports Wi-Fi six. That means that there are some routers listed in this post that were tested earlier nosotros were able to run our at-home tests to a Wi-Fi 6 device (I've starred them in the leaderboard graph below).

Later running countless speed tests in multiple spots throughout my home, where I have fiber internet with upload and download speeds of 300Mbps, I average the results together to get these aggregate speed ratings for each mesh router I test. Here's the leaderboard equally it currently stands. (Routers with stars were tested with a Wi-Fi 5 client device, before we were using Wi-Fi 6 devices for our at-home tests. Routers without stars were tested with a Wi-Fi 6 client device.)

Ry Crist/CNET

The biggest names that are all the same waiting for Wi-Fi 6 speed test data are the Nest Wifi mesh router and the Asus ZenWifi XT8, both of which performed well when I tested them with my old Wi-Fi five laptop. The latter is a tri-band router with support for Wi-Fi vi, so it would likely be a spot or two college on that leaderboard (and potentially college than the dual-band ZenWifi XD6) if we had tested it with a Wi-Fi 6 device.

I'll update this post when I'thousand able to add those results, and I'll also continue to run tests on both types of customer devices in order to go a skilful sense of how well these routers perform with both current- and previous-gen hardware. You tin cheque out my full reviews for more information on that breakdown.

The brusk version is that newer client devices that support Wi-Fi 6 will typically be able to hit sustained speeds that are noticeably faster than what you'll become with older, Wi-Fi 5 devices -- but previous-gen devices like those tin can still do good from a mesh router that supports Wi-Fi vi.
(Spotter this: Wi-Fi 6: What the heck is it?)

Specifically, my data shows improve functioning at range, with speeds that didn't dip equally much in the back of my house. With the tiptop-performing Netgear Orbi AX6000 system and others like it, speeds inappreciably dipped at all. Connecting my old laptop near the satellite in that master sleeping room and back bathroom was almost equally practiced as connecting near the router itself in the living room.

That likely stems from the fact that the router and the satellite are able to apply Wi-Fi vi to relay signals back and along more than efficiently and at faster speeds. The Orbi AX6000's tri-band pattern does some heavy lifting here, as well, as that allows the arrangement to dedicate an entire 5GHz band to the backhaul transmissions betwixt the router and satellite.

Bring your habitation upwards to speed with the latest on automation, security, utilities, networking and more.

Just be enlightened that adding an extra band to the mix really brings the cost up. The Asus ZenWifi XT8 and Eero Pro 6 each price most $400 or so for a two-pack, while the Linksys Velop MX10, AmpliFi Alien, Arris Surfboard Max Pro and Netgear Orbi AX6000 systems each cost about $600 or $700 for a two-pack. Meanwhile, our meridian pick, the TP-Link Deco W7200, merely costs $229 for a ii-pack.

If you live in a large dwelling and demand more than than 1 satellite extender, the Eero Pro 6 is worth considering. At $599 for a three-pack, it'southward expensive, but it still costs less than virtually other tri-band iii-packs with support for Wi-Fi half-dozen.

The Vilo mesh router is the slowest I've ever tested, but it's functional, and information technology only costs $20 per device, plus shipping.

Ry Crist/CNET

If you're living with a irksome Internet access provider connection and you don't need Wi-Fi 6 or a fancy tri-band build, and so there's zilch wrong with skipping those upgrades and going with something simpler in order to save some money. I've tested a number of bargain picks like that -- among them,the AC1200 version of Netgear Orbi, currently available in a three-pack for $115, is my meridian recommendation, with the right residual of operation and value. If you really want to go dirt cheap, y'all could opt for a organisation likeVilo, which costs simply $20 per device, plus shipping. It's the slowest mesh router I've ever tested, which wasn't surprising, just it was still functional and able to maintain average download speeds above 100Mbps in that back bathroom of mine.

Nosotros've resumed our mesh router tests at the CNET Smart Dwelling house, starting with some of our top-performing systems -- all were able to maintain strong average speeds throughout the entire place. Note the strong, beyond-the-lath jump in upload speeds from the Wi-Fi five customer to the Wi-Fi 6 customer.

Ry Crist/CNET

CNET Smart Home tests

After suspending near of our tests from the lab and the CNET Smart Home during 2022 and 2021, we're picking up where nosotros left off in 2022. For starters, I'm running an entire, split set up of tests for every mesh router I review at the CNET Smart Dwelling, a 5,400 foursquare-pes multistory home located in the rural outskirts of Louisville, where nosotros've got a fiber internet connection with upload and download speeds of up to 100Mbps.

For those tests, I run multiple rounds of speed tests across eight rooms: Four on the main floor, where the router lives, and four in the basement, where I place a satellite extender. I complete this procedure three separate times -- one time to an Apple iPad Air two from 2022 that uses Wi-Fi 5, again with a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop that supports Wi-Fi six, and a 3rd round of tests to a Samsung Galaxy S21 that uses Wi-Fi 6E to connect over the 6GHz band. Routers that don't back up Wi-Fi 6E will still work with devices like that, simply they'll treat them like regular Wi-Fi 6 devices, pregnant that the 6GHz band won't be in play.

With the incoming internet speeds express to 100Mbps, we haven't seen much differentiation in room-to-room download speeds betwixt the top models we've tested, but all have been able to deliver meridian speeds throughout the entirety of the house.

Ry Crist/CNET

Then far, the only Wi-Fi 6E mesh router I've tested at the CNET Smart Domicile is the Netgear Orbi AXE11000, a quad-band system that costs a staggering $1,500 for a three-pack. Information technology performed admirably in those tests, maxing out my speeds to all three devices across the entirety or virtually-entirety of the business firm, but with the net speeds capped at 100Mbps, it didn't offering a noticeable speed heave to my Wi-Fi 6E device, and it wasn't noticeably amend than systems that cost less, including some that price more than $1,000 less.

The rest of the models we've tested so far hither in 2022 have all been meridian-performing models, and none of them accept struggled to deliver maxed out download speeds throughout the entirety of the house. Y'all'll meet more than differentiation in the upload speeds, but for the most part, our meridian picks all perform pretty closely to ane another in a real-world environment, which is a big reason why the to the lowest degree expensive of these top performers, the TP-Link Deco W7200, is our top choice overall.

It's also worth pointing out that our Smart Dwelling house data shows a clear, across-the-board do good in upload performance to Wi-Fi 6 devices every bit opposed to Wi-Fi 5 devices. As more and more of the devices in our homes start using Wi-Fi vi, having a Wi-Fi 6 router they can have advantage of volition become even more of an advantage than it already is.

Mesh routers worth skipping

Router recommendations are all well and practiced, but what about the mesh routers I don't recommend? Glad y'all asked -- let's run through the ones I'd pass on save for a good sale.

Let'due south start with the dual-bandNetgear Nighthawk mesh Wi-Fi system, which supports Wi-Fi 6 but doesn't include an extra backhaul band. That means that your network traffic has to share bandwidth with the transmissions betwixt the router and the satellite, but it also brings the price down. At $230 for a ii-pack, it's tempting, simply the performance was too shaky for me to recommend information technology.

Another dual-band pick is the TP-Link Deco X20 mesh router. Currently available at $200 for a three-piece organization with full support for Wi-Fi 6, the Deco X20 is similar to Amazon'south standard, non-Pro Eero 6 system, but it did a meliorate task in my calm tests of steering me to the correct band, which raised its overall speeds. Information technology's a decent pick if yous want a Wi-Fi half dozen system with two extenders and you don't want to spend too much, but a two-pack of the peak-recommended Deco W7200 tri-band system costs just $30 more than. Fifty-fifty without a 3rd device, I'd rather accept that tri-band two-pack than the X20's dual-band three-pack.

Here's a peek at some of my speed test data for the standard Eero 6 mesh router. In the peak batch of tests, I started my connexion close to the router and moved towards the back of the house. In the bottom tests, I connected in the dorsum of the business firm and moved closer to the router. The results were wildly inconsistent, which wasn't an outcome I found with the Eero Pro 6.

Ry Crist/CNET

Speaking of the standard Eero half dozen arrangement, it was a thwarting when I tested information technology out, with weak, inconsistent speeds between my various rounds of testing. Specifically, I saw a dark-and-day deviation in my speeds depending on whether or not I started my connectedness in the same room as the router. If I connected from distant, the system would go along my connection on the slower 2.4GHz band even afterwards moving closer to the router.

Among the other routers I'd pass on are fancier models that actually finished pretty loftier on that leaderboard. For example, I was impressed with the Asus ZenWifi XD6, a dual-ring mesh router that managed to proceed upwards with the tri-band models I've tested, but the upload speeds were a bit weak, and with a toll tag that's pretty close to what you lot'd pay for the fancier, tri-band ZzenWifi system, the value isn't especially strong. I've seen it marked downwardly closer to $300 for a two-pack, which is pretty tempting, but I tin can't quite recommend it at full price.

The Arris Surfboard Max AX6600 was some other strong performer that I'd skip. Information technology aced my Wi-Fi half-dozen tests, finishing with the 3rd-best boilerplate download speeds in my domicile of whatever system I've tested, but performance was much less consistent with Wi-Fi 5 devices, which makes it difficult to recommend at its full price of $400 for a 2-pack.

It isn't a top performer or a value pick, but the Amplifi Alien is a nifty-looking Wi-Fi 6 mesh router that lets you create a VPN-style connexion to your abode network when y'all're traveling, which is a nice, unique characteristic.

Chris Monroe/CNET

Setup, security, features and other considerations

Functioning and value are probably the commencement things you lot'll look for as yous store for a mesh router, only there are other factors worth taking into consideration as well. Have features, for instance. Mesh routers typically don't come with very many unique bells and whistles, simply there are some standouts. The Amplifi Alien mesh router from Ubiquiti is a adept example -- autonomously from a unique-looking build, it features touchscreen controls on the forepart of each device, along with a feature called Teleport that lets you institute a VPN-way connection to your home network when you're traveling. That's a useful trick that lets you leverage your home network'southward security capabilities when you lot're connecting to a public Wi-Fi network.

Speaking of security, if y'all're buying a new router, then information technology's worth looking for one that supports the latest encryption standards. About of the new models released in the last twelvemonth or ii support WPA3 for stronger defence force against things like brute-strength hacking attempts -- I'd want a model like that if it were me making the upgrade.

Most mesh routers are a cinch to prepare, with companion apps that walk you through the procedure in a matter of minutes. Just plug everything in and follow the instructions.

Screenshots past Ry Crist/CNET

As for setup, don't worry too much almost it, if at all. But about every new router, mesh or otherwise, volition come with a convenient companion app that'll walk you through the setup process in a matter of minutes. From there, you'll have simplified network controls only a few taps away, making it easy to turn a guest network on and off, manage parental controls, or change your network password. Just keep in listen that router apps like these will often glean lots of data from your networking habits for marketing and advert targeting purposes -- if you lot're privacy-minded, so it might be worth checking the app's privacy policy to meet if you can opt out of data collection altogether.

There are a number of other factors that we have into consideration whenever we examination a mesh router. Latency is a good example. I run each of my speed tests to the same, stable server on the other side of Kentucky, which gives me a good, comparative look at how rapidly each ane is able to ship and receive data. Most of the mesh routers I'thou testing these days do but fine, with average latency ordinarily coming in between 15 and 20ms per ping, but some systems will see latency spikes when they're routing your connection through an extender.

These radar graphs show you the latency across all of my speed tests for each router I exam. You lot're looking for results with fewer spikes that stick close to the center. Amongst these four top picks, the Eero Pro half dozen (blue) performed the all-time.

Ry Crist/CNET

We will also resume testing signal strength at the v,800-square-pes CNET Smart Domicile this twelvemonth later on putting those tests on concord during the pandemic. Using NetSpot software, nosotros're able to brand a map showing the indicate force of each device in the mesh, which gives you a good indication of the organisation's range and the quality of the connection.

In 2022, we'll resume our signal strength tests at the 5,800-square-foot CNET Smart Domicile. In a large home similar that, adding a third device to the mesh is your best bet for a better connexion at range.

Steve Conaway/CNET

Information technology's worth pointing out that those maps testify you the aggregate signal strength of each system throughout the house and not their actual download speeds. That said, amend indicate strength means ameliorate wireless speeds. My partner-in-testing Steve Conaway summed it up thusly: "Yellow means you're in sky, light-green means adept enough and blue means WTF."

The main takeaway from those tests is that you'll desire to prioritize getting a arrangement with more than than one extender if you live in a domicile every bit big as our Smart Home -- in virtually cases, those additional extenders will make a much more noticeable impact in the strength of your connection at range than an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 or a tri-band design will.

What well-nigh Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is a new designation for Wi-Fi six devices that are equipped to send transmissions in the 6GHz band, which is something routers couldn't do until recently, after the Federal Communications Commissionvoted to open that band for unlicensed use. The 6GHz band offers more than than twice as much bandwidth equally the 5GHz band and there aren't whatsoever older-generation Wi-Fi devices using it, and then the pitch is that it's sort of like an exclusive, multilane highway for your internet traffic.

The newest Linksys Velop mesh router supports Wi-Fi 6E, which means it tin transmit on the 6GHz band.

Linksys

There are already a scattering of routers that support Wi-Fi 6E bachelor for purchase. Among them is the Linksys Velop Atlas Max 6E mesh organisation, which -- at $900 for a two-pack, or $i,200 for a three-pack -- is ane of the near expensive mesh routers you can currently buy.

Wi-Fi 6E routers like that are certainly impressive pieces of hardware, but I won't be recommending that everyone buy one this year. Remember, the only devices that can connect over 6GHz are other Wi-Fi 6E devices and, aside from the Samsung Milky way S21 and a handful of others, in that location are hardly any of those on the market place all the same.

Fifty-fifty if you lot exercise own a device like that, you'll likely be ameliorate off on the 5GHz band than on 6GHz. Seriously. In most cases, both will top out at whatsoever max speeds you're paying for from your net provider, but the 6GHz band has noticeably weaker range than 5GHz.

Only take a look below at my at-home exam-data for that Atlas Max setup. I ran a full gear up of speed tests for each of the router's three bands using a Milky way S21, with the main router hooked up in my living room and a single extender placed in my master bedchamber. The router performed well -- but it's the green 5GHz ring that performed the best. The 6GHz band, shown in yellow, saw its speeds dip as I moved away from the principal router. They rebounded a bit equally I neared the extender, only the speeds on 5GHz were faster overall and I didn't discover whatever observable difference between the bands in terms of latency, either.

My average download and upload speeds by room for each band with a two-slice Linksys Velop Atlas Max 6E router running my home network. The 6GHz band (yellow) offers decent speeds, but it was outperformed by the practiced ol' 5GHz band (green).

Ry Crist/CNET

That weaker range also undercuts the notion that the 6GHz band volition improve mesh systems by serving as the backhaul band for the router and its satellites. With less range, you won't be able to spread those satellites out quite every bit much throughout your dwelling house if y'all're using the 6GHz band equally the backhaul. That means yous might demand to buy an additional satellite to encompass the infinite -- and with Wi-Fi 6E, that'southward an expensive proposition. Possibly tellingly, the new Wi-Fi 6E mesh router from Netgear Orbi still uses a 5GHz ring as the backhaul.

That'due south not to say that Wi-Fi 6E is a meaningless upgrade. It'south simply too early to buy in. With then much available bandwidth and so much less interference from other devices, the 6GHz band might bear witness ideal for side by side-gen, high-bandwidth connections -- things similar wireless VR headsets, which need to move a lot of data at relatively close range with every bit trivial interference as possible. Just that isn't a good argument for buying in now, earlier those devices even exist and when Wi-Fi 6E costs an arm and a leg. If you're at a crowded public venue like an airport or a stadium, a 6GHz network might exist a real luxury with its relatively fast speeds, room for everyone'due south traffic and fewer devices competing for bandwidth. Just that's an argument for getting a Wi-Fi 6E phone or laptop, not a Wi-Fi 6E router.

I'll go along testing Wi-Fi 6E systems every bit they hit the market, so stay tuned. When I accept more than data to share on 6E, I'll postal service information technology here, but for at present, don't rush out to spend large on a Wi-Fi 6E router, mesh or otherwise.

Mesh router FAQs

Got questions? Wait me up on Twitter (@rycrist) or transport a message straight to my inbox by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page. In the concurrently, I'll mail service answers to any commonly asked questions below.

Is a mesh router amend than a regular router?

With multiple devices working together to spread a stiff, usable connection across a larger space, a mesh router is normally better than a single, standalone router, specially in medium to large homes. In a habitation or apartment that's smaller than ane,500 foursquare feet or so, a mesh router might be more than hardware than yous demand.

Still, even small homes accept dead zones, and mesh routers volition aid address trouble spots like that improve than regular routers. My home is 1,300 square feet, and a adept example. With an average, single-point router like the one provided by my ISP, my 300Mbps fiber speeds typically plummet to double or even single digits in the back rooms uttermost from the router. With a mesh router, I can still hit triple-digit speeds in those dorsum rooms, which are nigh as fast as when I'm connecting closer to the router.

Does mesh Wi-Fi supplant your router?

Yes -- a mesh router will replace your existing router.

To ready one up, you'll need to connect ane of the devices in the organization to your modem using an Ethernet cablevision, just similar your electric current router. From in that location, yous'll plug in the other mesh devices in the organization elsewhere in your home, so they can start boosting the signal and relaying your traffic back to the modem-connected device whenever you're connecting from more than than a few rooms away.

What are the disadvantages of a mesh network?

Mesh routers are good for offering consistent speeds throughout your entire domicile, and the all-time of the bunch are capable of hitting gigabit speeds. Notwithstanding, unmarried-bespeak, standalone routers usually cost less than mesh routers with comparable specs, and so they'll typically offer better meridian speeds for the price.

Mesh routers often take fewer ports than unmarried-point routers, too. Some lack USB jacks, and others limit you lot to only one or two spare Ethernet ports for wired connections to media streamers, smart dwelling bridges and other common peripherals. Some mesh routers characteristic no additional ports whatsoever on the satellite extenders.

Y'all might also experience a very slight increase in latency when the system is routing your connexion through one of the satellite extenders -- in my tests, it normally translates to a small-but-noticeable bump of a few extra milliseconds per ping.

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Source: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-mesh-wifi-routers/

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