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New router vs Mesh?

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330d
330d Posts: 629 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
I currently have Shell Energy broadband and the router they have given is not very good as I am struggling with Wifi coverage.

So i am thinking of adding a Mesh wifi system or ditching the Shell router and using my own. But I am not sure which option to take.

Router
I have seen this TP link router which has very good spec for £100. It also has OneMesh compatibility so can expand it in the future if required - https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-OneMeshTM-Supported-Dual-Core-HomeShield/dp/B09VPTT9GY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ax72&qid=1653736813&s=computers&sr=1-3

Mesh
Looking around a decent system is around £150.


Performance wise I believe both are quite similar. Any thoughts on which option I should go for? I am thinking router as it maybe sufficient at improving my Wifi and therefore no requirement for additional extenders. 

Comments

  • What service are you on ?

    Do you have a separate modem in addition to your Shell router ?

    If not, you will need to put the Shell modem/router into modem-only mode and then connect your new router.
  • I bought one of these systems for my flat (NowTV router is not good) and it has been a game changer.

    Can now use my wifi in the street across the road whereas before I struggled to get a signal in the flat.
    Things that are differerent: draw & drawer, brought & bought, loose & lose, dose & does, payed & paid


  • 330d
    330d Posts: 629 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    What service are you on ?

    Do you have a separate modem in addition to your Shell router ?

    If not, you will need to put the Shell modem/router into modem-only mode and then connect your new router.

    Yes I'm aware of that.
  • 330d
    330d Posts: 629 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Any views on the the performance differs on the two systems?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 28 May 2022 at 4:58PM
    There's no simple answer for whether mesh or single but better wifi router will work for you, a lot of factors come into play.

    • Size and layout of the house - particularly large in houses in terms of ground coverage, ones with very thick internal walls or more than 2 floors will probably benefit from mesh versus a compact house or flat where a single good router will work well. 

    • Need for outdoor wifi - if you need good coverage in your gardens then you may benefit from mesh or as least 2 good access points.

    • Location of the router - if you can put it in a reasonably central location, quite high and free of obstructions then a single one might do well.

    • Neighbours - if you have lots of close neighbours such as in apartments, terraced houses where wifi signals overlap, then multiple lower powered mesh points is preferable to one high powered access point to avoid interfering with the neighbours wifi and also hope that the neighbours do the same.

    • Types of Wifi devices - depending on the type of devices - lots of IoT / smart devices don't have good built in wifi so getting a mesh node near to that doorbell the other side of 2 brick walls on your porch might be better. If it is a fixed device like a TV or games console in a bedroom that you are trying to improve coverage for then just getting an ethernet cable run around the house for best performance. 

    • Number of devices - when you start getting over 20 wifi devices then a mesh running on different channels for each node will be preferable.

    • Type of usage and internet speed - if you have a slow broadband say less than 100mbps then coverage is more important than speed so a mesh will work well but if you have fast internet and looking to make use of it, investing more in one good wifi router may perform better - depending on all the above factors as well.
    Whilst mesh will generally give a wider reach of coverage area you do take a hit on performance for the same money as a good wifi router. Each of the nodes will have slower processors and smaller aerials than a single good quality wifi router and the nature of mesh making multiple transmission hops increases latency and can reduce bandwidth unless they use a dedicated backhaul.

    If you have an average size house and can put the wifi router centrally, then the one in your first post could be ok.
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