WiFi Mesh vs. WiFi repeater: Which works better in eliminating dead spots at home?

Social media management firm Hootsuite has recorded 76 million internet users in the Philippines this year. This has become evident as more of us go for a hybrid setup for school or work. We all know how a speedy and steady internet connection can save the day for us during important meetings, tight deadlines and multiple tasks that need to be addressed.

However, there may be times when your internet connection weakens or slows down unexpectedly during crucial activities. The culprit is usually due to the distance of your devices from the router, and/or the thick walls interfering with the passage of signal from the router. This may result to dead spots.

To improve your WiFi connection at home, a quick Google search may lead you to these things called WiFi enhancers. And a bit more search could make you wonder which will work better for your needs: a WiFi Mesh or a WiFi Repeater? Let's try and enlighten you with some essential info.

But first... what are WiFi dead spots?

Before deciding on a purchase, it’s important to identify the exact WiFi issue you have at home. It’s one thing to experience some slowdown due to too many devices connecting to your router, using up the bandwidth all at once. It’s another to lose internet signal altogether just by moving to an area at home farthest from the router.

The latter is an example of a WiFi dead spot, or a place where your home internet connection is at its weakest. The common cause is the router placement, especially when your WiFi signal has to pass through thick walls and floors.

WiFi Mesh System vs. WiFi Repeater

Both WiFi Mesh and WiFi Repeater can help increase the WiFi area coverage at home and get rid of dead spots. The way one does the magic, however, differs from the other.

A WiFi Repeater extends your router’s signal by creating a separate WiFi network that then wirelessly grabs the incoming data from the original network. While it does the job at a rather budget-friendly rate (a basic repeater unit can go as low as under Php 1,000), there are a couple of downsides to it.

First, since a repeater merely grabs the data and rebroadcasts the wireless signal, you don’t get as much bandwidth. Hence, expect the internet connection on your devices to get slower.

Then, there’s also the hassle of having to set up each individual repeater and its respective wireless network. You’ll also have to manually connect each device to every secondary network closest to you as you move through different areas at home. Worse, if you have a relatively large house with many walls and floors, you’ll need to set up and connect to as many repeater units as possible.

Meanwhile, a WiFi Mesh works like a second router, creating another access point within the original WiFi network. Thus, a set of multiple mesh devices or a WiFi Mesh System works like one single network connection – enabling the same speed and quality of connection in areas installed with the devices. And since a mesh node already widens the coverage of the already-existing WiFi network, you don’t need to manually connect your device to it. In general, the more WiFi Mesh devices installed inside your home, the more stable your connection would be, even in areas that used to be dead spots.

What is the best WiFi Mesh model to get?

A high-quality WiFi Mesh goes a long way in improving your productivity at home. When it comes to picking a model, choosing between the WiFi 5 Mesh or WiFi 6 Mesh is a matter of determining what you and your family really need.

WiFi 6 ensures faster overall speeds and greater bandwidth, allowing you to connect to multiple devices smoothly anywhere at home. This works well with newer high-end WiFi 6-compatible devices such as smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and basically any smart device that came out in 2019 and beyond. Thus, it makes a great option for smart, automated homes that need to stay connected all day. If you’re on a budget, WiFi 5 similarly provides seamless connectivity and coverage. As a cheaper alternative to the WiFi 6, it works better with older devices, or those released before 2019.

Still, there might be no need to split hairs on which gadget you should invest in. Focus on the goal: eliminate dead spots at home stat with a WiFi Mesh system. The more advanced WiFi 6 or the more affordable WiFi 5 – either model will do the job for you just fine. Pretty soon you will be able  to work smoothly, and spend better bonding moments with your family with fast and seamless connectivity.

For those living with internet dead spots at home, PLDT Home offers the best WiFi Mesh devices to cater to your connectivity needs. Easily avail the WiFi 5 Mesh (Tenda Nova MW6) at no extra cost if you upgrade to a Fiber Plus plan.

PLDT Home also offers other Mesh brands and units on top of the plan – including WiFi 6 Mesh (set of 3) for Php 699/mo and WiFi 5 Mesh (set of 2) for P198/mo both on 36 months installment. For more information including other payment terms, visit http://pldthome.com/wifimeshsystem.

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by PLDT HOME.