The Best Wi-Fi Mesh Systems

Google’s second-generation system comes with two nodes and can cover as much as 5,400 square feet, almost double the range of the original Google Wifi. It has a simple, elegant design that wouldn’t look out of place on abookshelf, and it comes in three colors, in case you want to match it to yourdécor. Miguel Melendez, a senior technologist atB&H Photo, suggests the Nest system for users who are already in Google’s smart-home ecosystem or are interested in it. Each of the access points is basically anotherGoogle Nest home device, with a built-inspeakerand Google Assistant. Setup is super-simple, too, he says. And you can buy the router and access points separately. That way, if you have asmaller home, Melendez suggests buying the router first and adding nodes later if needed.

Eero introduced the idea of mesh Wi-Fi to the world in 2016. The company is now owned by Amazon, which brought down the price by nearly half, making them the best bargain, by far, in a relatively expensive category. This newest Wi-Fi 6 version won’t be available until November 2, but you can preorder it now. It’s being touted as the fastest dual-band Eero system yet and can cover up to 5,000 square feet. Like the older mesh points, they are small, discrete, and can handle the needs of many households, however, the newest iteration also comes with two Ethernet ports and a built-in Zigbee smart-home hub. Damien Corr, digital product manager and IT consultant at Systems Evolution Inc., says, “The price is right and it’s not unduly clunky.” According to Dan Seifert, deputy editor at our sister site,the Verge, “Eero’s prior products have had a great user experience, and other Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers that have come out before haven’t been as nice to use. It will be interesting to see if Eero is able to preserve its user experience while providing the performance benefits of Wi-Fi 6 in the new system.” Another benefit, Seifert says, is that existing Eero owners will “be able to integrate the new Wi-Fi 6 system with existing units, which isn’t possible with Netgear’s Orbi and others.”

This pricey two-piece system launched in late 2019. It’s based on the newest, fastest Wi-Fi 6 technology and uses dual bands of 5GHz (as compared to 2.4GHz signals, which are slower but have a longer range). Our experts tells us that setup is easy and the app is easy to use. But is it worth the money? Yes, they say, depending on your needs. Not only does the Orbi 6 permeate every last corner of even the largest home, the added power and top speeds of almost 900mbps will handle the needs even the most extreme users. “This is simply the highest performer, which is also aimed at multiple-devicegamingand other high-bandwidth folks,” Corr says.

This powerful and stylish system is simple to install and is designed for larger homes. The small, circular touchscreen on the router conveniently shows you information at a glance, like current internet speeds. The mesh points are a bit bigger than other brands, but they plug into the wall and tend to offer more coverage and multiple ways of positioning them for optimal reception. “Ubiquiti is very well known and established in enterprise networking equipment. They have a good track record,” Melendez says. He recommends it for most homes because of its combination of reliability and ease of use. “The accompanying mobile app is well designed and probably the best one I have personally used in this space,” he says.

This mid-priced system is a little larger than Eero or Nest and comes with two identical pieces, both of which can work as the router or the satellite device. Installation is simple and takes only ten minutes. For quite a bit less than the Orbi 6, the ZenWiFi AX is Wi-Fi-6-enabled and has similar speed and performance. But what really makes it special is the depth of controls offered on the app, which lets you see exactly what is connected to the network and how each product is performing, as well as setting basic parental controls. “This is a powerful system that supports even more connected and demanding devices,” Corr says. “If yourfamilyhas extra streaming needs or uses a higher density of connected home devices, this is a solid choice.”