TOP 5 great MESH systems for the home

The Wi-Fi signal often does not reach the remote corners of a large apartment or country house. The Mercusys Halo H50G MESH system is ideal for solving this problem.

Structurally, the system consists of two small white cubes with sides slightly less than 9 cm in size. Each of the "pods" provides power connectors and a trio of reassignable gigabit WAN / LAN ports with automatic connection type detection. Also near the interfaces is a reset button. Each cube of the MESH system covers a space of about 60 m².

The modules support two wireless bands — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In the first case, the bandwidth reaches 600 Mbps, in the second - 1300 Mbps. The nodes of the MESH system are connected over the air or through a cable connection. Client devices are automatically connected to the node with the strongest signal. Beamforming technology helps to focus the signal in the direction of connected devices.

The MESH system is configured through the Mercusys Halo mobile app. The model "knows how" in WPS and QoS, and also has parental control functions. The web interface provides a reduced functionality: it can only update the firmware and check the logs with a log. For a snack, Mercusys Halo H50G left the most delicious - democratic cost, which minimally hits the thickness of the wallet (https://e-katalog.pl/ua/k762.htm).

Xiaomi Mesh System AX3000 differs from classic routers both in terms of appearance and functionality. By what criteria? Let's figure it out.

The device is intended for the deployment of seamless networks of wireless Internet access in apartments and country houses of a large "square". The MESH system consists of two rectangular turrets about 22 cm high with built-in antennas. Towers are supposed to be installed in a vertical orientation. With the network provider Xiaomi Mesh System AX3000 keeps in touch via a gigabit WAN connector. The model also has three gigabit LAN ports for cable connection of client devices.

The MESH system has been established in Wi-Fi 6 networks with a total wireless channel bandwidth of up to 2976 Mbps. The 2.4 GHz band has a theoretical data exchange rate of up to 574 Mbps, and at a carrier frequency of 5 GHz - up to 2402 Mbps. Communication between the system modules is carried out in the 5 GHz band. In terms of capabilities, the device is characterized by support for WPA3 encryption (software only), a number of familiar functions in the manner of VPN / Smart VPN, DDNS, port forwarding, IPTV and, of course, sharpening for creating Mesh networks at the touch of a button.

To configure the Xiaomi Mesh System AX3000, a proprietary web interface or the Mi Home mobile application is used. Both options require an intuitive menu. The MESH system captivates with high stability and good coverage, and its strength is enough to fully meet household needs.

A system of a wireless router and one additional Asus ZenWiFi AC Mini CD6 node covers a “square area” of more than 300 m² with wireless networks. It looks quite decent in appearance, demonstrates good speed characteristics and functionality.

The nodes of the kit look akin to small white columns. The main one provides for an extended set of communications: a gigabit WAN port and three gigabit LAN ports for connecting via a local area network. The nodal repeater of the system has two LAN ports. Asus ZenWiFi AC Mini CD6 complies with the AC1500 device class: in the 2.4 GHz band, the system provides a maximum throughput of 600 Mbps, and at a frequency of 5 GHz - 867 Mbps. Four built-in antennas are responsible for signal transmission.

Together with the kit, the user receives the AiProtection Classic information protection system with flexible parental control tools. Access to it is opened through the intuitive web interface for setting up the router or from the ASUS Router mobile application. In it, you can track the general state of the network and consider in more detail the loading of the MESH system.

In the back of the model's functions, there is support for Beamforming and MU-MIMO technologies to improve the quality of coverage, as well as the ability to connect to the smart home ecosystem(using the Amazon Alexa voice assistant). As a result, the kit will serve as an excellent solution for completely covering an apartment or house with a single wireless network without "dead" zones.

Mesh Wi-Fi systems combine the power of multiple wireless access points to provide complete over-the-air Internet coverage of a large area. An interesting version of such a system is presented in the Asus portfolio. Meet ZenWiFi AX Mini!

The MESH system consists of two compact "pods" with built-in antennas that cover an area of up to 310 m². Also on the market is a complete set of the device from the leading router and two auxiliary nodes, covering a "square area" of over 450 m². Stable Internet access is achieved by seamlessly reconnecting the client from one system cell to a closer one, and without the slightest delay in the operation of the Internet connection.

The Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini base station has two gigabit ports: WAN/LAN and LAN. The operation of the system components is established in networks of the Wi-Fi 6 generation - in the 2.4 GHz band, data transfer rates of up to 574 Mbps can be squeezed out of the device, at a frequency of 5 GHz, the data exchange rate reaches 1201 Mbps. In practice, speed indicators will depend on the specific habitat conditions of the MESH system. The points are connected to each other in the same ranges in which the user devices are located.

The MESH system implements options for express network configuration using a mobile application or deep settings via a standard web interface. The model also claims support for Beamforming, MU-MIMO technologies and AiProtection protection. It only lacks more ports (there is not a single USB interface in the system equipment). Asus ZenWiFi AX Mini is a truly high-end product for deploying a large and fast wireless network in a home or small office with high-quality coverage and minimal blind spots.

The TP-LINK Deco X68 MESH home system is capable of simultaneously serving a large number of connected gadgets and devices from the smart home ecosystem.

Competitive advantages of the model over peers - work in Wi-Fi 6 networks and high data transfer rates. So, in the 2.4 GHz band, the MESH system provides a wireless channel bandwidth of up to 574 Mbps, and at a carrier frequency of 5 GHz - up to 3003 Mbps. The connection of the device to the World Wide Web is kept through one of the two WAN ports, reassigned to the LAN if necessary.

The modules of the MESH system are made in the form of white oblong cylinders. Client gadgets automatically reconnect to nodes with a higher signal level, this happens imperceptibly for the user. A system of two routers can serve premises with a total area of over 500 m², while up to 150 client devices are connected to it.

Simple and convenient configuration of the MESH system is done through the interface of the Deco mobile application. It provides browsing and prioritization of connected devices, setting up a guest network, WPA3 data protection, etc. What's more, TP-LINK Deco X68 understands voice commands given through the Amazon Alexa virtual apprentice. HomeShield's comprehensive protection is in charge of identifying network security threats. The system fits perfectly with a private house or a large apartment, where the capabilities of a traditional router are not enough to provide full coverage of the serviced area.