The Best WiFi Mesh Network Systems of 2024

Have you ever struggled to keep an even Wi-Fi signal at your home? A good-quality mesh router is what you need in combination with NetSpot.

David Morelo

July 4, 2024

When in winter 2016 several small brands, namely Eero, Luma and Plume, started a revolution in WiFi systems by selling mesh-router systems, large brands hurried to follow this trend. Very soon after TP-Link (TP-Link Deco), Netgear (Netgear Orbi), Linksys (Linksys Velop) and Google (Google Wi-Fi) started offering mesh-router solutions. Many other brands are working on their products too.

TP-Link Deco W7200

See Details

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E (RBKE963)

See Details Buy on Amazon

Eero 6 Plus

See Details Buy on Amazon

Google WiFi

See Details Buy on Amazon

Luma

See Details Buy on Amazon

LinkSys Velop

See Details Buy on Amazon

Show more items

NetSpot WiFi Survey Software

Measure and visualize the strength of your wireless router at ease.

Get NetSpot

4.8
957 User reviews

If it is so popular, then probably a mesh router isn’t just a trend anymore, it may actually be a worthy upgrade for your home Wi-Fi. The correct placement is everything in case of a wifi mesh network.

Jump to...

Comparison of Mesh Routers
The advantages of mesh routers
The disadvantages of mesh routers
Do you need a WiFi mesh system?
We recommend For a better performance
- Pros and Cons

Comparison of Mesh Routers

WiFi mesh systems can seamlessly cover a large area with a strong signal. They consist of multiple units that can be independently positioned to form a single network.

When selecting a WiFi mesh system, make sure you have at least a rough idea of how large is the area that you want to cover. You can use a network analyzer like NetSpot to create a signal heatmap of your space. Then you need to set a budget and evaluate the potential candidates based on their features.

Let’s have a look at the most popular mesh router solutions that bring peace and quiet into your wireless environment. They look really attractive too, so no need to hide them and figure out the wire situation — everything looks pretty neat.

To find the right spots for your Wi-Fi mesh network nodes, NetSpot is highly recommended. So let’s have a look at the 6 best mesh network system solutions:

CHOICE #1

TP-Link Deco W7200

Rating : 4.7 out of 5

If you’re looking for a relatively affordable mesh WiFi system with support for the WiFi 6 standard, then the TP-Link Deco W7200 is an excellent choice. You can get it up and running in no time using the Deco app, and it will keep you secure with TP-Link HomeShield.

Just know that the TP-Link Deco W7200 units don’t have any USB ports, which can make printer and storage sharing somewhat more difficult — but certainly not impossible.

CHOICE #2

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E (RBKE963)

Buy on Amazon

Rating : 4.5 out of 5

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E — $380.00 for a two-piece kit, works with Alexa, 9,000 sq. ft. max coverage area, 4 Ethernet ports per device by Netgear

Are you interested in the best WiFi speeds and coverage money can buy? Then we recommend you consider the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E WiFi mesh system. Yes, it’s ridiculously expensive, but its performance is unmatched.

With just three units, you can cover up to 9,000 sq. ft. with a strong signal and achieve speeds that reach up to 10.8 Gbps. Each Netgear Orbi WiFi 6E unit features three Gigabit Ethernet ports plus one 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for your stationary devices.

Admin interface:	mobile app, browser
Max coverage area, in theory:	9,000 sq. ft.
Ethernet ports:	four per device
USB ports:	one per device
Smart Home integration:	Alexa
Parental controls:	Yes
Price:	$380 for a two-piece kit

CHOICE #3

Eero

Buy on Amazon

Rating : 4.1 out of 5

Eero 6 Plus — $299.00 for a three-piece kit, works with Alexa, 4,500 sq. ft. max coverage area, 2 Ethernet ports per device by eero

The Eero 6 Plus mesh system standards out from other similar products because it’s elegantly small yet more than capable of satisfying the needs of demanding users. The system doubles as a Matter and Zigbee hub, making it easy to connect your smart home devices.

You can get a pack of three Eero 6 Plus units for just $299, and that’s a great price because they can together cover up to 4,500 sq. ft. with speedy internet. Just know that Eero collects some data about its users. If that makes you uncomfortable, we recommend you choose another product instead.

Admin interface:	mobile app
Max coverage area, in theory:	4,500 sq. ft.
Ethernet ports:	two per node
USB ports:	one per node
Smart Home integration:	Alexa
Parental controls:	Yes
Price:	$299 for three, $200 for one

CHOICE #4

Google Wi-Fi

Buy on Amazon

Google WiFi — $300.00 for a three-piece kit, works with Philips Hue, IFTTT, 4,500 sq. ft. max coverage area, 2 Ethernet ports per device by Google

Google WiFi offers an appealing design, fast speed and great outcome. The app it comes with makes setting the whole system up a breeze. The app will even test the placement of the units for the most efficient result.

With Google WiFi you can remotely pause Internet for individuals or groups. The LED rings on each unit are controllable and make great nightlights.

Admin interface:	mobile app
Max coverage area, in theory:	4,500 sq. ft.
Ethernet ports:	two per node
USB ports:	none
Smart Home integration:	Philips Hue, IFTTT
Parental controls:	No
Price:	$300 for three, $130 for each additional

CHOICE #5

Luma

Buy on Amazon

Luma — $400.00 for a three-piece kit, works with Alexa, 5,000 sq. ft. max coverage area, 2 Ethernet ports per device by Luma

Luma is an evolving mesh network system that lets you say goodbye to Wi-Fi dead zones. It promises easy setup process, flexible features, and great performance. Each unit in Luma system is dual-band and dual-stream with two wired Gigabit Ethernet ports. The units are flat hexagons that can only be positioned vertically unlike Eero system.

The units in Luma home wifi system look identical (without a dedicated base or satellite), which is similar to Eero. It is reasonable to label your Luma units to be able to easily identify them in case you decide to move them around.

Luma offers an extensive set of features including parental controls, Internet pause, and what Luma refers to as “network security scanning”. The parental controls and the “network security scanning” are actually just DNS-based filters, which means that if an attack that doesn’t rely on DNS happens, it will easily go through.

Admin interface:	mobile app
Max coverage area, in theory:	5,000 sq. ft.
Ethernet ports:	two per node
USB ports:	one per node
Smart Home integration:	Alexa
Parental controls:	Yes
Price:	$400 for three, $150 for one

CHOICE #6

LinkSys Velop

Buy on Amazon

LinkSys Velop — $480.00 for a three-piece kit, works with Alexa, 6,000 sq. ft. max coverage area, 2 Ethernet ports per device by LinkSys

LinkSys Velop are sleek white towering nodes, coming out of beautiful packaging, with cables going out of an opening in the corner, a reset button (in place of a paper-clip hole). LinkSys Velop delivers impressive speed and coverage, thanks to a three-band system providing efficient communication among the nodes.

Features that this system offers are parental controls, guest networking, device prioritization, port forwarding, integration with Alexa, etc. This makes the app more dense than simple mesh kits have, but it is still quite friendly.

Admin interface:	mobile app
Max coverage area, in theory:	6,000 sq. ft.
Ethernet ports:	two per node
USB ports:	none
Smart Home integration:	Alexa
Parental controls:	Yes
Price:	$480 for three, $350 for two, $200 for one

The advantages of mesh routers

Additionally to getting a flawless, reliable Wi-Fi signal, with mesh-router systems come several other bright advantages. Here are some of them.

manage them from a phone app from any spot on the globe

1. Easy network management. Thanks to mesh-router systems users are getting an easy access to network. Most of the mesh-router systems are absolutely automated, so you can manage them from a mobile phone app with a few easy taps from any spot on the globe. Mesh-router apps allow the quick scan of connection speed, cutting off Wi-Fi access to certain networks, creation of guest networks, testing the connection quality between different points and even connecting to smart home devices.

2. Streamlined connections. For the range extender you may sometimes be required to create a separate network with a different name, which will make you switch your Wi-Fi connections as you move into the different spots of your space, sometimes manually. With a mesh-router system constant reconnection is out of the picture, even if you move around. And as all points in mesh systems broadcast the same signal, you won’t be dealing with much of a lag.

3. Tight security. Some home mesh-router systems come with a good security support.

The disadvantages of mesh routers

Well, nothing is perfect and so are the mesh-router systems.

THE PROBLEM : ALL OF THEM ARE VERY EXPENSIVE

We’ll only talk about the most significant drawbacks.

High cost: An average good quality mesh-router kit will cost around $300 or more, with each added unit costing $100 to $200. An average traditional router costs around $100, and range extenders are from $20 to $100. The correct placement of each access point can reduce the cost of a mesh network kit. NetSpot can help you reduce the cost of such a network thanks to the efficient placement of each mesh router.
Wasted resources: In a small household, mesh routers may be just an over-solving of the connectivity issues. If you don’t have outstanding Internet demands, implementing mesh network may be excessive and unneeded. Some minor Wi-Fi dead zones can be easily eliminated with the help of a range extender, by moving an existing router to a more appropriate location or by upgrading a traditional router with a more contemporary model.
More equipment: Although most mesh-router system nodes look really well and are small enough, some people may find seeing the nodes all around the house being out of sync with their aesthetics.

Do you need a WiFi mesh system?

WiFi mesh routers is the latest upgrade for home Wi-Fi networks users. Mesh networks were around for years in places where network security is critical, like military bases and large enterprises. A network in such cases is often isolated and not connected to the internet. But it is only recently that mesh networking became available to home network owners.

If your household is large — at least 3,000 square feet — or has more than two floors or interior brick walls, you’ll most probably appreciate the mesh-router system that will help you forget about Wi-Fi dead zones.

We recommend For a better performance

We recommend NetSpot as a comprehensive and easy-to-use WiFi solution for any WiFi mesh network system to significantly improve the performance of your WiFi network.

You can use NetSpot app with its heat maps to clearly see your Wi-Fi network strongest and weakest spots.

Pros and Cons

Easy to use
Extensive features
Accurate
Modern user interface
SAVE 84%
$250 cheaper than any mesh router

SO, WE RECOMMEND

NetSpot

WiFi analyzer app runs on a MacBook (macOS 11+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.

Get NetSpot

4.8
957 User reviews

What people say about us

If your office is suffering wireless issues, or if you regularly troubleshoot Wi-Fi problems, NetSpot deserves a look

Eric Eckel

TechRepublic

NetSpot lets you build a heatmap of your wireless network so you can find out where your Wi-Fi signal is strong and the areas where it's weak.

Matt Elliot

CNET

With NetSpot Pro, you’ll never miss a beat, post, or important email even when your Internet is acting up.

Jeffery Battersby

BoingBoing

If your office is suffering wireless issues, or if you regularly troubleshoot Wi-Fi problems, NetSpot deserves a look

Eric Eckel

TechRepublic

NetSpot lets you build a heatmap of your wireless network so you can find out where your Wi-Fi signal is strong and the areas where it's weak.

Matt Elliot

CNET

With NetSpot Pro, you’ll never miss a beat, post, or important email even when your Internet is acting up.

Jeffery Battersby

BoingBoing

Best WiFi Mesh Network Systems — FAQs

What are the best mesh network system solutions?

5 best mesh network system solutions:

Netgear Orbi — This system uses an exclusive channel for communications between these two towers. In result you get a rather strong channel that can drive through the ceilings, floors, and walls.
Eero, the most advertised home mesh kit, makes a good option for larger spaces, because its units communicate with each other instead of communicating with the base. The more units are needed, the more you can add to the mesh.
Google WiFi offers an appealing design, fast speed and great outcome. The app it comes with makes setting the whole system up a breeze. The app will even test the placement of the units for the most efficient result.
Luma — Each unit in Luma system is dual-band and dual-stream with two wired Gigabit Ethernet ports. The units are flat hexagons that can only be positioned vertically unlike Eero system.
LinkSys Velop delivers impressive speed and coverage, thanks to a three-band system providing efficient communication among the nodes.

What are the advantages of mesh routers?

Not only the mesh system will offer you a great, consistent wireless signal, they also provide you with such benefits as easy network management even from remote locations, uninterrupted Internet connection thanks to the even distribution of access points, and excellent security support (depending on the system you are getting).

What are the disadvantages of mesh routers?

As wonderful as they are, there are some disadvantages to the mesh router systems:

As wonderful as they are, there are some disadvantages to the mesh router systems:
If you live in a small household, you probably don’t really need to get the mesh system, which again heads back to unnecessarily high cost.
Too many access points around the house may be an eyesore for some, and it might be easier and effective enough to just have a traditional router with good antennas, which also works for the above item.

When do you need a WiFi mesh system?

If you want to extend a network over a large household (3000 sq ft and larger), maybe with several levels and thick walls, then a mesh network system is a great option for you to have an evenly distributed WiFi signal without breaks or lags.