Before you buy a mesh system: a 10-point checklist

A mesh kit can fix a house. It can also be an expensive way to cover a problem that a cable or a shelf would have solved. Go through this list first.

Published · 2 min read

In this guide
  1. Before spending anything
  2. If you still need it
  3. Why the order matters
  4. Keep the maps

Mesh systems are the default answer to "my Wi-Fi doesn't reach", and they're often the right one. But they cost real money, and a surprising number of homes can be fixed without one. This checklist helps you buy one only if you need it, and the right size.

Before spending anything

1. Rule out the line. Check the connection by cable or right next to the router. If it's slow there, a mesh system won't help. See is my provider's router the problem.

2. Get the router out of hiding. Cabinets, floors and corners cost a lot of coverage. See router in a cabinet.

3. Try a better spot. Higher, more central, with a temporary long cable if needed. See where to put your router.

4. Map the home, then map it again. Once before the free fixes, once after. Many "we need mesh" homes stop needing it here. See how to test before and after.

If you still need it

5. Count the weak zones, not the square meters. One weak corner is one node. A weak floor is one node there. See how many mesh nodes you need.

6. Look for cable routes. Ethernet, TV coax or even powerline to where a node would go. A wired node is worth two wireless ones. See wired backhaul.

7. Check what your provider's box allows. Can you turn off its Wi-Fi? Does it have a bridge mode? The mesh system will sit behind it.

8. Check your devices. If most of your devices are older, you don't need the newest Wi-Fi generation. If you have many 2.4 GHz smart home gadgets, make sure the system handles them well.

9. Know the return window. Buy from a shop that lets you return it after testing in your actual home.

10. Plan to measure after installing. Place the nodes, map again, compare with the "after free fixes" map. If a room is still weak, move a node before buying another one. See where to put a mesh node.

Why the order matters

Every step on this list is cheaper than the one after it. The first four cost nothing and fix a surprising share of problems. The rest make sure that if you do buy, you buy the right number of units and put them where they work.

Keep the maps

WiFi Heatmap keeps a history of surveys for each floor plan, so the before-and-after of every step stays on your iPhone. When you walk into a shop, you'll know exactly how many weak zones you're trying to fix.

2 min read

Wired access point vs mesh node: which one to add?

You've decided the far room needs its own Wi-Fi. Now the shop offers access points and mesh kits. They overlap more than the marketing suggests. Here's the real difference.