Wi-Fi is spread by a router across your home. If your Wi-Fi doesn’t reach one room, you may have to invest in additional devices to help the router spread the signal further.
With so many technologies available and so many brands of each type, it’s easy to get caught in a spider’s web of tech talk, where everyone claims to have the best solution. So we’re comparing the pros and cons of two possible solutions: mesh systems and boosters.
Mesh Systems VS Wi-Fi Boosters
A mesh system involves a series of devices that all connect to one home network. They spread a Wi-Fi signal further than possible with just the router. Wi-Fi range boosters, also known as Wi-Fi extenders, are bought off-the-shelf and increase the range of your Wi-Fi router. So what’s the difference?
Signal Strength
Broadband extenders increase the range of the internet. However, they do so while decreasing the Wi-Fi performance. This leads to more problems with broadband speed and general Wi-Fi connectivity.
A mesh network connects your router to a series of devices that carry the same Wi-Fi signal throughout your house. Mesh systems don’t suffer from the same decrease in performance as boosters because they work with the network to spread the signal.
Single Network or Multiple Networks
Boosters operate on a separate network. Your devices switch between the two networks when you enter the area covered by that network. The idea is that your device will know when to switch automatically.
This is great in theory, but the reality sometimes means manually switching between the two networks. If you’re lucky, a manual switch means going to the setting on your device and selecting that network. If you’re not so fortunate, it means putting in the network password each time.
Wireless mesh devices installed by Aptus Broadband automatically ‘pair’ with the current network so that they’re effectively the same network. This means there’s no switching between broadband networks and you won’t have to worry about buffering videos when on the move throughout the house. Because its all the one network, there is only one password regardless of how many mesh devices are paired with the network.
Scalability of Wi-Fi Range
Both extenders and a mesh system will get the signal to the room at the other end of your house. However, only mesh systems will allow you to scale the Wi-Fi range indefinitely without negatively affecting the performance. The nature of a mesh system means you can pair as many devices as it takes to make your home a Wi-Fi hub!
Which is Better: Boosters or Mesh?
Boosters are more common but, as you can see, that doesn’t mean they’re the best all-round solution. Mesh systems have a few obvious advantages over extenders. That’s why Aptus recommends mesh technology to solve Wi-Fi range issues.
For more information about an Aptus Mesh solution, contact us on 059 915 8030 or sales@aptus.ie.
