Why Some Homes Need Mesh Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Dead Zones

As our homes are being filled with more and more devices and smart gadgets, a strong Wi-Fi connection is essential to our internet experience.

Because the signal travels through the air, Wi-Fi connections can become weaker or experience interruptions in certain circumstances.  Oftentimes, simply moving your router or changing frequencies can improve your connection.

Sometimes it seems like nothing will fix the weak or non-existent signal in certain areas of your home.  Living with these dead zones can be frustrating.  Two of the most common causes of dead zones are larger homes and older homes. 

In homes over 1,500 square feet, the Wi-Fi often can’t reach rooms farthest from the router.  Because distance can impact signal strength, many large homes require additional equipment for total coverage. 

Houses built before 1970 were often constructed with concrete, stucco, or metal reinforced walls, causing older homes to be full of dead zones since these building materials disrupt the Wi-Fi signal.

Luckily, with the addition of Mesh devices, Wi-Fi signals can be improved throughout larger and older homes.

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Unlike range extenders, a mesh system uses the same Wi-Fi network name as your router.  This means that all traffic is on one Wi-Fi network.  With range extenders, you must manually switch to another network to access the Wi-Fi.  On the mesh system, your device will automatically connect to the closest node. 

Mesh networks are the best way to eliminate dead zones in larger or older homes.  Comprised of a main router and additional nodes, a mesh system provides whole home coverage.  With several Wi-Fi access points throughout the house, a mesh network offers multiple sources of wireless connectivity. 

The mesh nodes can be connected throughout your house wirelessly or with hardwired connections.  Together, the devices work on a network of beacons to improve your Wi-Fi signal and cover more areas of your home.

Because all traffic is on one network, the mesh system can use smart technology to deliver data on the fastest and most efficient path.  With adaptive and dynamic routing, it avoids bottlenecks and can automatically reroute traffic if one of the nodes is down.

At Hunter, we offer mesh extenders for $10 each per month to pair with our free router.  To improve Wi-Fi coverage in homes over 1,500 square feet, we recommend one node.  For homes larger than 3,000 square feet, we recommend two.