November 22, 2023 / Christopher Wang

WiFi Mesh Vs Extender: Choosing the Best One for You

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Do you know there were 311.3 million internet users in the USA in January 2023? We all rely on the internet to get most of our jobs done on a daily basis. Every home has its own home network in place. We expect internet signals throughout our homes. But this usually does not happen with a single router. Does a single router fail to meet your internet needs as well? You can consider a mesh system or WiFi extender. Do you wonder what the difference is and which one to choose? Check this WiFi mesh Vs extender post and decide for yourself what suits best for you.

WiFi Mesh Vs WiFi Extender!

Different makes of homes, multiple rooms, multiple storeys, building materials used and many other factors play a vital role when it comes to deciding WiFi strength and coverage. When one WiFi router fails to serve your internet requirements, you can go for other options to widen the network coverage without compromising on signal strength.

In this section, we will help you decide the best option for you based on our study and research work.

What is a Mesh WiFi?

A mesh WiFi system consists of different WiFi units that are placed in different parts of the home. These units called nodes or satellites give out WiFi signals to the client devices in the vicinity.

The main unit connects to the router or modem or DSL gateway with or without an Ethernet cable. Other units are connected to the main unit. These devices work together and blanket whole home with network.

This is the best solution for medium or large homes that need internet access in different parts of the home.

What is WiFi Extender?

A WiFi extender on the other hand, extends the network of the existing router. It connects to the main router or DSL gateway which serves as input signal provider for the extender. WiFi extender takes in the signal from the main router and repeats ii further and expands the network coverage.

The extender is placed halfway between the router and area with no WiFi to eliminate WiFi dead spots.

Comparing WiFi Mesh & Extender

Let’s now discuss more on WiFi mesh Vs extender. The table ahead will help you understand this better and help you in making the decision.

Mesh WiFi	WiFi Extender
Pros: Ideal for larger homes or offices. You can move around the home without having the fear of getting disconnected from WiFi. You need not switch to different networks. You can move the nodes to different areas. Add more nodes to the network to increase the network coverage.	Pros: Best suited for small homes or offices. Helps in getting rid of WiFi dead spots in the home. Works best with the existing router. WiFi extender can be set up easily. Less expensive when compared to mesh systems. They are portable. You can move them around the home as you like.
Cons: Little more expensive than WiFi extenders. Setup may be difficult. More power consumption. You may need to replace the existing router.	Cons: Not suitable for large homes or offices You will have two separate networks. One for router and other for extender. May decrease signal strength.

Mesh WiFi

WiFi Extender

Pros:

Ideal for larger homes or offices.
You can move around the home without having the fear of getting disconnected from WiFi.
You need not switch to different networks.
You can move the nodes to different areas.
Add more nodes to the network to increase the network coverage.

Pros:

Best suited for small homes or offices.
Helps in getting rid of WiFi dead spots in the home.
Works best with the existing router.
WiFi extender can be set up easily.
Less expensive when compared to mesh systems.
They are portable. You can move them around the home as you like.

Cons:

Little more expensive than WiFi extenders.
Setup may be difficult.
More power consumption.
You may need to replace the existing router.

Cons:

Not suitable for large homes or offices
You will have two separate networks. One for router and other for extender.
May decrease signal strength.

Which One is the Best Choice For You?

You have a good insight into what a WiFi mesh system and how it works. You have also learned about WiFi extenders and their functioning. Now that you know what the difference between both the devices in discussion is, it is completely your take to decide which suits best for you.

While deciding, you should consider a few factors like:

Your budget
Your internet requirements
Make of your home, etc.

Now, if you have a small home where you have one area where the internet is hard to reach, then you can invest in a WiFi range extender. It is easy to set up and easy to use. We recommend getting a Linksys extender. Use the Linksys extender login page to complete the setup and you are good to go.

However, if you have a large home where you need a mesh internet system with multiple client devices that connect to the internet, then get yourself a mesh system.

In the End

We are anticipating that this WiFi mesh Vs extender blog post has helped you to a great extent in making your decision.

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wifi mesh vs extender