The biggest advantage to mesh WiFi is its great coverage. A mesh network can grow with your changing needs. Need more coverage? Add a node to the room you need more coverage in. Devices connected to a mesh network can transmit signals further and consistently. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they achieve faster speeds.
If you are looking to increase your WiFi speeds overall, a mesh system, or WiFi booster like a range extender, will not improve your Internet speed. They increase coverage.
What Causes Slow Speeds?
Your slow Internet can be caused by several things. Some being:
- WiFi signal interference or congestion from your neighbors
- Your WiFi router being in a poorly placed spot
- Outdated equipment such as your modem or router that limits the speeds you are able to achieve
Addressing Slow Speeds
There are plenty of things you can do. Assess if you need to increase your Internet speed plan or boost your WiFi to make your speeds faster.
Test your WiFi speed
Running a WiFi speed test is a great way to see if you are getting the speeds you pay for, want, and need. If your speed is good, chances are you need better coverage and mesh WiFi is a great solution.
Improving your speed
However, if your WiFi is slow, before investing in mesh, try improving your WiFi speeds as the first step to improving your home WiFi. There are some quick actions you can take to increase your WiFi speed:
- Move your router: Put your router closer to your devices and in a central location.
- Check your router frequency: Use the ideal frequency band, which is 2.4 GHz for devices located farther away from the router, 5 GHz for newer devices and closer to the router.
- Manage your network security: Maintain your network and remove unknown or unused devices from the network.
- Run regular firmware updates: Update the firmware on your router and modem.
- Replace outdated equipment: Updated technology has made advancements in performance and security to handle the multitude of connected devices and achieve the speeds needed by bandwidth-hungry devices. So, if you are still using a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem router with WiFi 5, consider upgrading to the latest technology such as DOCSIS 3.1 (for a cable modem router) and WiFi 6.
Mesh WiFi to Enhance Your Network
After improving your speeds, investing in mesh WiFi system will enhance your WiFi network. Look for mesh WiFi systems where you can use a wired Internet connection via Ethernet ports for a reliable connection. The Ethernet connection gives you flexible options on setting up your home network. In addition, Mesh WiFi systems that offer instant setup and configuration of your mesh network takes the guesswork out of making the move to mesh WiFi.
A mesh WiFi system like Hitron’s mesh WiFi system continuously optimizes your home network performance by auto selecting the best backhaul link for maximum speeds everywhere in your home.
A solid mesh network allows everyone to connect to the Internet at once. Zoom calls are uninterrupted. No lagging videos and no lag while online gaming. More brilliant 4K HD video streaming.
The Hitron OS2210 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System is available on Amazon. It offers a 1-year membership for new members with the Plume HomePass™ app for easy setup, controls, and whole-home management.
Want to learn more about mesh WiFi or Managed WiFi? Checkout our articles and resources on our Learn Page.