Page 35 - Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security_Neat

Consider
Which Mesh Systems To

That said, here are three things to think about when picking a mesh
networking system:

• Can you tolerate buying from a startup? If so, you’ll have more op-

tions. If not, there are several mesh systems on the market made by

long-established and well-regarded network hardware companies,

saving you some of the worry about losing support.

• Do you want or need the maximum possible throughput for trans-

ferring extremely large files, handling backups, or streaming high-

definition video? That requires either nodes with three radios or

nodes that allow Ethernet for backhaul, some of which can be

simultaneous with a radio for even better performance.

• How much money do you have in your pocket? You can spend

roughly from $50 to $150 per node.

At this writing, the four systems that fit these criteria in different

combinations are Netgear Orbi, Eero, Linksys Velop, and TP-Link
Deco M5. Let’s take a look at each one.

Disclosure: I Don’t Have a Mesh Network

I have to be fully honest about my home network: it relies on stan-

dard equipment. While I’ve tested Wi-Fi hardware for nearly 20

years, I have a working network with two Apple base stations, one

TP-Link
gateway, and a CenturyLink-provided gateway required to

work with its fiber network.

With great coverage across my home and a gigabit internet connec-

haven’t needed to switch over. At some point, I’ll be making
tion, I

the leap, but I demonstrate one of my earlier points: if you have a

working network, there’s really no need to spend hundreds of dollars

to put together another working network.

To inform this section, I’ve relied on Take Control owner Joe Kissell,

(who loves his Orbi), reader recommendations, Wirecutter, and

reviewers at Techhive/PCWorld.
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