• November 1, 2021
• Networking

Four Reasons to Choose Mesh Networking

Our Wi-Fi connection plays a vital role in our daily life, especially for anyone working or learning from home. We can't rely on spotty connections that fail during an important meeting or class. Instead, imagine a Wi-Fi network that's structured like a woven fabric with each device interconnected. This existing technology is known as a "mesh network," and is formed through a series of unlimited satellite nodes that connect to each other and the main Wi-Fi router. Worrying about dead zones will become a thing of the past and enjoying high speeds will be possible no matter how many devices and users are on your network. Here are Thornhill's four reasons to shift to mesh networking within your home.

Leave Ethernet Behind

Dealing with Ethernet can be a highly frustrating task. Traditional networks depend on utilizing range extenders, such as 2.4GHz radio bands to maintain contact with the router, creating spaces of weak radio frequency that form a dead zone. However, you won’t have to worry about it any longer with Wi-Fi mesh technology. After hooking up your router, you’ll have full freedom to decide where you’d like to place the connected satellite modules, known as nodes, throughout your home. The nodes remain in constant communication with the router and each other, so you’ll be able to experience a strong connection even if you’re furthest from the router, meaning you’ll be able to hear work presentations clearly and effectively.

Bid Dead Zones Farewell

Every member of your family probably knows where the dead zones of your home are, the irritating areas of buffering videos and garbled Zoom audio. Wireless routers can effectively provide coverage for small homes but have limited capacity for homes with more floors, balconies, dense walls, or concrete substructures. A range extender only provides half the standard bandwidth with inefficient wired connections between each access point and the router. Furthermore, any time you come across a different access point in your home, you have to log in to an entirely new network SSID, which adds to the annoyance. However, mesh technology eliminates these issues; your whole network is registered under a single SSID with a consistent bandwidth connection. No matter how far your property extends, you can place an unlimited number of satellite nodes under your network out to the perimeter.

Experience Powerful Network Performance

Most family members are using several devices simultaneously, whether you're texting someone while you stream a movie, or play music on your voice assistant as you write up the latest report. These things may be happening at the same time in different rooms! The increase in device usage means your bandwidth has likely suffered to meet everyone's work, education, and entertainment needs. However, the sixth generation of Wi-Fi handles up to 30 users at once for gaming, streaming, and surfing the web on one network, and it's fully compatible with mesh technology. The main routers and nodes come equipped with internal antennas and lack blinking lights that can be an eyesore. Instead, they blend in elegantly with your home’s décor, giving you more freedom to choose where you’d like to place the nodes. If you’re ever feeling nostalgic for a wired connection, most routers and nodes feature at least one LAN port.

Install and Manage with Ease

When mesh technology is paired with Wi-Fi 6, even members of the family who don’t know have any technical knowledge can handle these networks. When your new system arrives, it will come with simple instructions for a quick and painless installation as well as node placement suggestions. “Smart systems” like these will automatically select the best Wi-Fi channel and radio band that will create the strongest wireless connection. Through an app on your mobile device, you can adjust the security settings, network-registered devices, and your overall Wi-Fi system without needing to log in to a complicated admin site. Usually, the system will automatically update, so you won't need to check-in too often.

Everyone should enjoy the experience of a consistent Wi-Fi connection, whether it's for work or entertainment. It's time to leave behind the wired connections, clunky Ethernet, and complex maintenance in the past. Mesh networking is the next step in better internet coverage for your lifestyle. If you're prepared to bring satellite nodes, Wi-Fi 6, or the whole world of mesh networking to your home, contact our team at Thornhill Smart Systems today.