Almost everyone knows traditional routers (also known as wifi routers), they are present everywhere and are indispensable devices for transmitting the internet and transmitting wireless networks. You only need a router to manage the internet connection provided through your modem. For some cases, this may be a combined modem/router (also known as a “gateway”) provided by your network provider with certain service plans.
Mesh routers (or Wifi Mesh), appeared around 2015, and with them came another type of setup based on multiple devices. Typically, you place at least two devices (nodes) around your house, with the option to easily add more nodes for complete coverage. The arrangement can be repositioned or expanded as needed to eliminate dead zones, no signal, or poor signal stability.
But even though Mesh systems are newer, they do not make traditional routers obsolete because they only transmit and connect data between network devices. Mesh devices are often more expensive when compared to traditional routers with similar features, people often wonder whether they’re worth the price. So, we’ll lay out the points, so you understand the pros and cons of each when it comes to key features.
Table of Contents
Wi-Fi coverage area
Everyone wants a router that provides a strong, stable signal no matter where you are in the house. Both mesh routers and traditional routers can provide that – depending on the space you’re living in.
Because a mesh network relies on multiple devices (nodes), it is a good choice for homes with multiple floors or large floor plans. The scope acts like a series of interconnected points, hence the name “Grid”. Nodes can connect and transmit to their nearest node, and transmit back to the node that is directly connected to the internet and is managing traffic on your network, which provides two benefits.
First, the signal can be stronger because it doesn’t have to travel as far between nodes.
Second, bandwidth latency at the hub is minimized because data can take different paths to get there. And if your home still has any dead zones, you can simply reposition the nodes or buy more to ensure complete coverage.
In contrast, traditional routers act as a single point of transmitting and receiving data. When a device communicates with a traditional router, the signal must travel the entire distance from wherever the router is located. That can create areas of weak signal or complete loss of signal anywhere the signal isn’t strong enough to travel long distances or penetrate barriers like walls or doors. Traditional routers can provide good coverage in homes with smaller square footage and single-story layouts, like apartments or smaller houses. Areas outside the home may have weaker signals or occasional drops, but you can easily fix this by adding a Wi-Fi extender to your network.
According to objective assessments, based on coverage criteria, the Mesh system will be more optimal than traditional routers. Mesh will overcome dead spots in your home, bringing a smoother experience. But coverage isn’t the only factor to consider when buying a router.
Wi-Fi speed
When evaluating Wi-Fi speed using supported specifications and benchmark results, traditional routers outperform mesh routers. And if you just go on that basis, traditional routers win on this criterion.
One is the distance between communication points. The farther the signal travels, the more it attenuates. That can lead to spots in your home with weak wireless signals, which can make your connection sluggish. Additionally, if the signal quality degrades too much, you may experience problems or even dropouts in your connection, which also makes the connection feel “slow.”
Traditional devices are connected via network cables. If your router does not have enough network capacity, it can only handle transmissions from one device at a time, causing several devices to then have to wait their turn, causing delays that cause connection problems.
Signal problems are easily solved with a mesh router. Not only can you reposition buttons or add more buttons, but the buttons can all connect independently of each other. The wireless signal never has to travel far, no matter where you are in the house. Most importantly, this system works continuously. Purchasing a Wi-Fi extender to use with a traditional router to alleviate signal issues hasn’t been smooth sailing. Some Wi-Fi extenders operate on a separate wifi name (SSID) and password.
When it comes to traffic routing, there’s a bigger catch – you can avoid that kind of transmission delay by purchasing a mesh or traditional router that includes MU-MIMO technology as a feature. MU-MIMO allows a router to handle traffic from multiple devices at the same time.
Of course, mesh routers won’t be the fastest solution for everyone. But they eliminate the main cause of “speed” problems for most people and do so in an easy, straightforward way.
With the criteria of Wi-Fi Speed, it is difficult for us to choose a winner. Each type of router has its strengths, depending on the perception of each user and each space used.
Ethernet support
Wired connections are faster and more stable than Wi-Fi. For gamers and live streaming professionals, using an ethernet cable to your router can ensure a stable, uninterrupted connection.
Traditional routers have better support for wired connections. Even the most basic models have four ethernet ports for connecting a PC, printer, network-attached storage (NAS), or other compatible device.
Mesh routers don’t reliably provide that many ports. Some hubs (nodes that can act as routers for the mesh network) have only two Ethernet ports. One is to connect to your modem, the other port allows you to plug in the wire and connect to transmit signals to other devices (PC, Laptop, printer, NAS, camera…).
Of course, you can increase your mesh router’s available ethernet ports by purchasing an ethernet switch.
Traditional routers will be the choice with this criterion.
Setup and control
For today’s mesh and traditional routers, setup and management happen through an app or browser-based interface. Both have their advantages, with simpler and faster applications, and better browser-based interfaces for more complex, in-depth administrative tasks.
So on this point, it’s a tie between the two types of routers. Instead, research the specific models you’re interested in to see how good the management interface is, as quality varies between manufacturers.
Result
But as said earlier, mesh routers are not inherently superior to traditional routers. Everyone has their space layout, price point, feature requirements, number of active users, and devices. The actual winning router type is the one that best suits your situation.
To choose a winner, based on ease of setup and future network expansion, we chose the mesh router to win this test.
Of course, the final choice is still yours, experiment with the devices and let us know the results.