Best Mesh Wi-Fi Router Systems of 2023

September 8, 2023 Floo

Nest Wifi

A solid Wi-Fi 5 system (but don’t spend more than $200)

What is the best mesh router overall?

The further you get from your router, the weaker your internet connection tends to be. The best thing you can do to fix the issue is to upgrade to a mesh router. For most homes, our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200, a two-piece mesh system that offers excellent performance for around $180. There are lots of other top-tier mesh routers worth considering too, and we’ve spent years testing them out in order to find the best systems of the bunch.

Why does mesh Wi-Fi matter? Between working from home, gaming online, video chatting and streaming shows and movies, there are plenty of reasons to want a fast, reliable Wi-Fi signal throughout the entirety of your home.

With multiple devices spread throughout your home, a mesh router is like a team of routers that can relay your wireless traffic back to the modem better than a traditional router. They’re particularly good fits for large or multistory homes where your Wi-Fi network has a lot of ground that it needs to cover — and walls to travel through — but they can also help boost speeds at range in small- or medium-size homes. And in 2023, there are lots of new, next-gen options on the market, so it’s a good time to make the switch.

Watch this: Best Wi-Fi Routers for 2023: A Buying Guide

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Some of the most consistent mesh router performance we’ve seen in our tests comes from systems from Eero, which popularized mesh networking before being bought by Amazon in 2019, as well as the latest setups from the TP-Link Deco, Asus ZenWiFi, Netgear Orbi and Google Nest product lines. Mesh systems regularly sold for as much as $500 a few years ago, but now these manufacturers offer multipoint mesh router systems — including the main router and the additional satellite extenders — for closer to $200. Though we’d recommend aiming a bit higher, you can even find basic, entry-level mesh systems for as little as $40 per device that can provide strong Wi-Fi signal throughout your entire home.

We’ve still got lots of routers and mesh systems we’d like to try out, the majority of which use Wi-Fi 6 technology, promising better performance and faster speeds. Shop around, and you’ll find mesh routers from Eero, Nest, Netgear Orbi, Linksys and others that support Wi-Fi 6E, which means they can also access a newly unlocked mass of fresh bandwidth in the 6GHz band.

Expect regular updates to this post as new Wi-Fi mesh routers like those make it to market. For now, here are our picks for the top-tested systems you should be considering first if you’re shopping for the best mesh Wi-Fi system options available now.

Best mesh Wi-Fi router systems of 2023

Ry Crist/CNET

Wi-Fi Standard Wi-Fi

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Your Router Is in the Wrong Spot. Here’s Where to Move It to Speed Up Your Wi-Fi

May 20, 2023 Floo

Few things are more frustrating than a slow home internet connection. It’s a massive headache if you work from home, if you’re trying to install smart home gadgets, or if you just want to unwind with some Netflix at the end of the day. So what can you do if your Wi-Fi always seems to be unstable, regardless of what internet service provider you have or how many devices are connected?

The good news is there’s an easy way to optimize your Wi-Fi network and address these issues — and it’ll only take you a few minutes.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We’ll send you the fastest internet options, so you don’t have to find them.

There are a lot of factors that determine internet speeds and while there are a few tricks or guidelines you can follow to improve the overall wireless speeds and coverage in your home, one of the most crucial factors is the location of your router. And the best place is not always where the technician sets it up. So keep reading to learn about the best place in your home for your router and other tricks for faster Wi-Fi. You can also check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, the best mesh routers and the best Wi-Fi extenders. (And if you have a mesh router, make sure you check out our guide for where and how to set that up the right way, too.)

See also: T-Mobile Home Internet Review

Choose the right router for your space

First things first: It all starts with choosing the right router or other equipment. Not all routers are the same and the size and layout of your home will determine what type of wireless network you need.

For most apartments and smaller homes (under 1,500 square feet), a single wireless access point should suffice. That said, if your router is several years old, you may want to consider upgrading to a newer model with support for 802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6. That’s the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, and it’ll give you the fastest wireless speeds possible and the best overall coverage.

For bigger, multilevel homes, it’s worth considering making the upgrade to a mesh network to offer consistent coverage throughout the entire house. Once the main access point is installed, if you find a far corner of your home doesn’t have solid wireless coverage, just add another node to that area. Problem solved.

To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers of the year (our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200). If you need some additional guidance, consult our router buying guide.

Just remember: Regardless of whether you have a single access point or a mesh network, where you place the primary access point still matters.

OK, so what’s the best place to put your router?

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Why You Need to have a New Router, Even on a Slow Online Connection

April 17, 2023 Floo

Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

Old Wi-Fi routers are vulnerable to safety exploits and absence the high-quality-of-daily life upgrades identified in modern-day routers. Even if you you should not have to have the bandwidth enhancement, upgrading is helpful.

If your house world wide web is pretty sluggish, you could possibly consider it does not matter if you have a dusty outdated router without having the newest bells and whistles. Here’s why you need to give really serious thought to upgrading.

1st, Let us Determine Outdated and Slow

Conversing about a router becoming previous or new, or an internet connection currently being slow or rapidly requires us to define how we’re utilizing people terms within just the context of this report.

Most routers are normally at minimum a Wi-Fi technological innovation era out of day about 5 a long time or so right after their launch day. If you purchased your router five years ago, and it was currently an old product at the time of invest in, you’re even further taken out from existing Wi-Fi engineering. New, in the context of routers, refers to router products launched in the previous few years—within three yrs is even greater.

And as considerably as “fast” and “slow” world-wide-web goes, that is really subjective concerning views on broadband adoption and personalized choice. Nonetheless, we’re seeking at rapid and sluggish below as a connection among the Wi-Fi router hardware and the net relationship speed.

People today have requested us, does it make any difference if I have an old router if I have gradual net? And which is a perfectly legitimate query. What does it make a difference if you have an early 2010s-period 802.11n router with only a 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps broadband connection that will by no means saturate the router thoroughly? It matters far more than you feel for the reason that the Wi-Fi practical experience is far more than just speed check success but a whole host of router capabilities. Let’s glance at why.

Aged Wi-Fi Routers Really don’t Get Safety Updates

Chatting about security is not attractive, but protection is essential. Even if you really do not truly feel like any of the pace or excellent of lifetime enhancements we’ll be speaking about in a instant make any difference to you, the security of your residence community must matter.

The times of turning on the family members personal computer now and then to deliver an occasional e-mail or play an offline sport are very long gone for most of us. Our homes are on line all the time in some capability, our televisions are connected to the world wide web, and folks use their residence world-wide-web connection and the units on it for factors like banking, securely logging into the health-related records, and other vital issues.

With that in thoughts, it is significantly less than ideal to have a tremendous old router that does not get stability updates anymore. What ever vulnerabilities are found just after the very

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Your Wi-Fi Router Is in the Wrong Spot. Here’s Where to Move It for Faster Internet

March 7, 2023 Floo

This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

A slow home internet connection can make even the simplest Google search super frustrating. If you find that your Wi-Fi is always unstable, no matter what internet service provider you have or how many devices are connected, what do you do? Sometimes having your router professionally installed might not even solve the immense problem of a slow, weak internet connection. That’s a massive headache if you work from home, if you’re trying to install smart home gadgets, or if you just want to unwind with some Netflix at the end of the day.

The good news is there’s an easy way to optimize your Wi-Fi network and address these issues — and it’ll only take you a few minutes.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We’ll send you the fastest internet options, so you don’t have to find them.

There are a lot of factors that determine internet speeds and while there are a few tricks or guidelines you can follow to improve the overall wireless speeds and coverage in your home, one of the most crucial factors is the location of your router. And the best place is not always where the technician set it up. So keep reading to learn about the best place in your home for your router and other tricks for faster Wi-Fi. You can also check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi routers, the best mesh routers and the best Wi-Fi extenders. (And if you have a mesh router, make sure you check out our guide for where and how to set that up the right way, too.)

Choose the right router for your space

To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers of the year (our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200) and if you’re not sure where to begin in choosing your next router, consult our router buying guide.

Regardless of

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Stop Putting Your Mesh Router in the Incorrect Place

February 2, 2023 Floo

I’ve spent the earlier couple of decades at CNET testing and examining Wi-Fi routers, and if you will find one thing I’ve uncovered, it really is this: In most homes, the most significant way to strengthen the Wi-Fi connection is to improve to a mesh router.

The reasoning right here is basic. Regular routers put out a Wi-Fi sign from a solitary stage in your property, but mesh routers use many units to put out a usable signal from many details in your household. That makes them far more like a staff of routers that operate with each other to relay your site visitors again to the modem. It truly is a much improved technique to dwelling networking, notably in massive, multistory households, in which a classic, single-issue router will possible leave you with useless zones in the rooms that are farthest absent. They can even make a important distinction in smaller houses, particularly if you have any dead zone rooms the place speeds aren’t as speedy as you’d like.

Shopping for a quicker net speed?

We’ll ship you the swiftest web solutions, so you really don’t have to locate them.

Most mesh routers are quite basic to get started with: Just join one particular gadget to your modem with an Ethernet cable, plug it in and then comply with the guidance in the system’s application. From there, you’ll need to have to decide places for the remaining satellite extenders, which are also often termed nodes (or “Details” if you’re a Nest Wifi person). Even now, you will want to put some assumed into where you spot the items, as their certain location will make a considerable effects on the system’s general performance. In this article are some rules to keep in mind as you go. (You can also check out out our ideas on the finest spot for your Wi-Fi router, and how to safeguard your house Wi-Fi community from hackers.)

In which must you place your mesh router?

Mesh routers and other Wi-Fi products execute their greatest when they are positioned out in the open, and up off of the floor.

Netgear

Like with most wi-fi transmissions, it isn’t going to get a great deal to disrupt your Wi-Fi signal and slow it down. Which is why it is vital to place your mesh extenders strategically, in destinations where by they will be equipped to conduct at their best.

Shift the key router

Very first points 1st, you may want the major router in your setup — the mesh product that is wired to your modem — to be found as centrally in your home as feasible. Which is the same technique you’d choose with a one router, and the reasoning is the exact: Routers place out Wi-Fi signals in all instructions, so positioning your router in a central place in just your residence will make the most out of your relationship.

That goes double for mesh methods, the place the strength of

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Your Mesh Router Is in the Erroneous Spot. Here is Wherever to Set It for Speedier World wide web

December 27, 2022 Floo

This story is part of 12 Times of Ideas, supporting you make the most of your tech, property and health in the course of the holiday break season.

I have used the earlier few of decades at CNET testing and examining Wi-Fi routers, and if you will find 1 point I’ve discovered, it really is this: In most houses, the most significant way to increase the Wi-Fi connection is to update to a mesh router.

The reasoning in this article is basic. Standard routers put out a Wi-Fi sign from a one issue in your residence, but mesh routers use numerous devices to place out a usable sign from various details in your property. That makes them more like a group of routers that do the job with each other to relay your visitors back to the modem. It can be a significantly much better tactic to dwelling networking, specifically in substantial, multistory households, where by a conventional, solitary-issue router will very likely leave you with lifeless zones in the rooms that are farthest away. They can even make a considerable big difference in more compact houses, primarily if you have any lifeless zone rooms where speeds aren’t as speedy as you’d like.

Browsing for a faster internet pace?

We’ll send out you the speediest online selections, so you never have to find them.

Most mesh routers are quite easy to get started off with: Just link a person system to your modem with an Ethernet cable, plug it in and then adhere to the instructions in the system’s application. From there, you are going to need to have to decide on spots for the remaining satellite extenders, which are also from time to time referred to as nodes (or “Points” if you are a Nest Wifi consumer). Still, you can want to set some imagined into in which you spot the things, as their particular site will make a important impression on the system’s performance. In this article are some recommendations to continue to keep in head as you go. (You can also verify out our strategies on the finest location for your Wi-Fi router, and how to secure your household Wi-Fi network from hackers.)

Mesh routers and other Wi-Fi products complete their finest when they’re found out in the open up, and up off of the floor.

Netgear

Where by must you set your mesh router?

Like with most wireless transmissions, it isn’t going to choose considerably to disrupt your Wi-Fi signal and gradual it down. That is why it can be essential to put your mesh extenders strategically, in spots wherever they’re going to be capable to complete at their greatest.

Go the primary router

Initially items to start with, you can expect to want the most important router in your set up — the mesh gadget which is wired to your modem — to be situated as centrally in your dwelling as possible. Which is the same method you would consider

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