Welcome to the community! Read our posting tips, and learn how to earn ranks, levels and badges to get started.
Ask any devices or smart home question in the Devices/Security or Network Troubleshooting Categories.
Happy posting!
Ask any devices or smart home question in the Devices/Security or Network Troubleshooting Categories.
Happy posting!
Best quality vs price mesh router




I’m looking for a good mesh router, what’s the best device in term of quality vs price ratio?
Tagged:
10
Answers
I don't think any one person could answer this since there are so many options available and no one has tried them all.
What are your needs? What is the square footage you want to cover? What is your WAN speed?
At that footage I wouldn't get a mesh, I would spend the money on a great router instead.
But if you're looking towards the future I would go with either Google WiFi (not Nest), FreeMesh since it's open source, or Linksys Velop because it's good and inexpensive.
Given those three choices I would go with Velop, you can get a three node dual-band setup for $129 if you are in the US.
Get a decent router and put it in the middle if needed. I can almost guarantee that it will be enough.
However, unless you have special requirements, physical problems (very thick walls or unusual layout) you are likely be better off with a decent Wi-fi router. Alternatively, if you have a reception problem with a specific location running an Ethernet cable to that location may be a better, and cheaper, option.
With Velop being so inexpensive I don't think it would be a bad idea, you can get two for $75 (new on eBay) or 3 for $129 on Amazon.
You would be hard pressed to find a better router for less.
A couple of reasons why.
One is to blanket your space in your own WiFi signal to drown out nearby APs.
Two, even with a small space you can benefit by placing one of the units near the wall where you go outside (patio, back yard, etc..)
Currently my home network is an ASUS AI Mesh network, and it practically dominates the signals in my neighborhood.
What are your needs? House dimensions, etc?
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain
I live in a multi-unit building with hundreds of WiFi networks around me. The chance of interference is significant. I chose the Razer Portal because it supports "FastLanes" which are supposed to be less busy. In practice though, since a number of my devices that I need to connect don't support them, I have to turn that feature off.
As others have said, in your case with only 500 sq. ft. to cover, I would just get a good quality single router and place it as close as possible to the middle of the area you'd like to cover. If nothing else, you would be able to specify the channel you wish to use if you find that it's slow due to congestion.
Plenty of people run Velop and are happy with their devices, the dual-band are almost half the price of the deco.
If price doesn't matter then sure there are better options.
I spent lots of time researching mesh and agree that Ubiquiti Amplifi is probably one of the best out there but expensive. I was on a budget and went with the deco m5 and overall I am very happy with it. I stuck with my existing router setup and just added the m5 pucks as access points for wifi throughout the house. All setup with ethernet backhaul and have no issues or dead spots in house (and garage).
$129 vs $170, that is quite a difference.
The Wirecutter has good recommendations for regular Wi-Fi routers that will easily handle twice that space. Buy a good, regular router instead.
If you _must_ buy a mesh system, because it's what the cool kids are doing these days, consider getting something like the AmpliFi Alien, https://www.amplifi.com. You can buy just the one router now, and add mesh repeaters later, when you move to a larger space. And you'll be one-upping the cool kids, because the Alien is Wi-Fi 6, which they probably don't have on their older mesh routers.
That router is crazy expensive (but nice), and with WiFi 6E being approved I wouldn't buy WiFi 6 yet (unless needed). Since 6E has 6ghz it will be important when standard AX becomes congested.