To test coverage and performance, we set up each kit's units in a challenging home environment. For our current round, we added the Linksys Velop, Google Wifi, Amped Ally, and Plume kits. Our first round of testing included the Eero, Luma, and Netgear Orbi kits, as well as both the HD and (now discontinued) standard versions of the AmpliFi kit. Illustration: Kim Kuįor our first two rounds, we tested every home mesh networking kit we could get (not just-announced, in crowdfunding, or in preproduction, but actually available when we started testing). The 3,500-square-foot test environment, with test locations labeled in blue, network hardware (other than Plume pods) in red, and Plume pods in purple. These approaches offer the benefits of the mesh-network kits, but at a much lower cost. But before you toss out everything and get a mesh-networking kit, you should try moving your router to a central location, adding a wireless extender, or running Ethernet cable to inexpensive wireless access points. You should consider a mesh-networking kit if you have a house that a single powerful router can't cover, such as a large house (say, above 3,000 square feet), a small house with signal-killing interior walls (like lath-and-plaster, brick, or concrete blocks), or a house with a complicated layout. Our testing, however, also showed that most people will still be fine with our current router pick instead of mesh. After spending over 50 hours testing nine mesh Wi-Fi networking kits in a large, complicated, multilevel home, we're confident the Netgear Orbi kit is the best choice for most people. Mesh-networking kits, which use multiple access points spread around your house, are a great alternative to traditional routers for large and troublesome homes where a single powerful router won't cut it. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology.
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