If you need to improve or extend your Wi-Fi coverage, you have two options. The first is an extender, and the second is a mesh router. An extender, otherwise known as a repeater, retransmits your Wi-Fi’s data stream. A mesh router acts as a Wi-Fi hub in whichever room it is located.
Both options will improve a weak connection over a broad area, but mesh routers are better for a full replacement, and they’re generally easier to set up. Here’s a list of the best on the market today, starting with Nest‘s excellent app-managed mesh routers.
Best mesh Wi-Fi systems
Nest Wi-Fi
The Nest Wi-Fi system is a mesh Wi-Fi solution that offers aC2200 speeds designed for large spaces — two models can cover as much as 4,400 feet when linked together, and you can make the system larger or smaller depending on how many units you buy. We liked Google’s first attempt at mesh Wi-Fi for its ease of use, but Nest Wi-Fi makes it even easier to set up and manage the router, especially if you have any experience with the Google Home app.
They’re also smart. Specifically, they have speakers and include Google Assistant, so you can give them voice commands and use them throughout the day (as opposed to most routers, which just sit there). The speakers aren’t quite big enough for impressive music, but they’re great for changing your schedule or getting updates and answers to your questions. If you have other Nest or Google Assistant devices around the home, then you also can control them via these routers. You can read more details in our full review.
Note that you have options to buy anywhere from one to three units of Nest WiFi depending on the space that you want to cover.
Netgear Nighthawk MK62
The Nighthawk line also has a highly capable mesh router, and if you’ve used a Nighthawk router before then you know the app is highly capable when it comes to monitoring your system, making settings changes, and enabling more security. The AX1800 router supports coverage up to 3,000 square feet with its included satellite and can handle more than 25 devices.
The dual-band router can offer speeds up to 1.8Gbps across four Wi-Fi streams, plus two Gigabit Ethernet ports (one per device) for wired connections that may require higher speeds or more reliability.
The Netgear Nighthawk MK62 router is also Wi-Fi 6 ready, so if you have compatible Wi-Fi 6 devices you can enjoy the big boost in bandwidth. Even if you don’t, the router still supports beamforming and MU-MIMO for older devices.
Samsung SmartThings Mesh Router
Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi is a mesh router and smart device controller rolled into one. A single device can cover around 1,500 square feet, while three devices properly positioned can cover around 4,500 square feet. The smart hub home technology supports more than 100 devices, and may be particularly useful for those who have a mix of various smart devices around the home, both old and new: It supports Zigbee, Z-Wave, and cloud-to-cloud communication technologies.
Like Google Wi-Fi, Samsung’s SmartThings Mesh Router also has adaptive channel switching to find the best connection for devices. However, the smart home controls do require micromanagement of apps and some research. For example, while the router works with other SmartThings devices, it doesn’t work with Samsung Connect Home devices, and so on. Make sure you know what’s supported before buying.
Eero Home Wi-Fi System
Like the company’s previous Eero mesh router system, the new Eero 6 mesh router adds support for the newer, faster dual-band Wi-Fi 6 standard. Available in retail packs with a single hub, a hub and two beacons, or even three hubs, the Eero 6 can blanket large homes up to 5,000 square feet in size, and you can add even more beacons to expand your coverage for outdoor spaces. The company claims that its Eero 6 mesh system is great for internet connection speeds up to 500 Mbps. If you have a fiber broadband plan with gigabit speeds, you’ll want the faster Eero Pro 6, which benefits from a tri-band antenna and comes with a smartphone hub built-in so you can connect your Zigbee devices without needing a separate base station.
The company also offers its own parental controls through a subscription service called Eero Secure. If you opt into the package, you gain access to tools like VPN, access to 1Password password manager, Malwarebytes anti-malware tools, and more insight and control over your home network. The router stays updated with automatic firmware updates in the background, and you’ll benefit from Eero’s simple ease of use.
TP-Link Deco
The set of three TP-Link Deco devices can extend a wireless network up to 4,500 square feet and can connect more than 100 devices at once, which may be a nice feature for a public or business environment. The control options offer plenty of customization options too, including device prioritization, filtering internet content, and Wi-Fi pausing for the kids. When left to its own devices, the Deco uses adaptive routing to choose what looks like the fastest connection for devices on a first-come, first-served basis. You also get three free years of Trend Micro antivirus security. All in all, it’s one of the best packages for businesses that want to provide reliable Wi-Fi to their customers.
Ubiquiti Amplifi HD Wi-Fi System
The Ubiquiti Amplifi HD Wi-Fi System comes with a main router hub that features a very nifty round screen that can display your current router speeds and other useful information at a glance. Then it uses two antenna-shaped “mesh points” for extending the network even farther — up to an impressive 10,000 square feet for extra-large spaces. The mesh points use a very handy set of LEDs to show signal strength so you can choose the best spots to place them. If you’re a big fan of on-device information, this system has your back — but there’s also an easy app to use for setup and management.
Netgear Orbi
Based on the company’s previous design for its mesh network routers, Orbi’s new Mesh WiFi 6 System gets an updated design that supports Wi-Fi 6 network connectivity with a tri-band antenna. The updated Wi-Fi 6-enabled models allow you to connect more devices, get faster speeds, and offer more coverage. Netgear, Orbi’s maker, claims that you can blanket a space of 12,500 square feet with its mesh system. Orbi’s system comes in various sizes, ranging from a two-pack with a satellite receiver to a five-pack model for maximum coverage and expandability. The system allows you to “stream multiple 8K/4K videos at up to 6Gbps, all at the same time,” Netgear said.
Setup and control are done through a convenient smartphone app, and like some of its competitors, Netgear also sells optional subscription services that may benefit some home users, including Netgear Armor for cybersecurity protection and an extended warranty ProSupport for Home option.
Asus ZenWiFi XT8
Asus supports AiMesh software to make its ZenWiFi routers easy to operate and compatible with any additional routers that also have AiMesh, which means an older router may be able to help serve as a satellite device without extensive work, expanding coverage even farther beyond the 5,500 square foot coverage the powerful router pack already offers. The router also comes with free parental controls and security software for extra management options.
The router system is Wi-Fi 6 and ready to provide all the latest features for compatible devices, including MU-MIMO direct connections, OFDMA data compression, and other improvements from faster Wi-Fi generations. Its three bands can provide a combined speed of 6600Mbps.
The Asus ZenWiFi XT8 is another pricey model compared to a traditional router, but an excellent choice if you want a particularly powerful system that is ready with Wi-Fi 6 features.
Editors’ Recommendations