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Does the Wi-Fi network signal in your home or small business vary according to each room or place where the devices are located? Are there interferences, or blind spots where the signal is too weak or not enough? Need to connect more devices than your router supports? If your answer is yes to these questions, possibly the solution is a Wi-Fi Mesh network!
But if you don’t know what it is, how it works, what its characteristics and respective advantages are, this post intends to clarify these and other possible doubts.
What is a Wi-Fi Mesh network?
A Wi-Fi Mesh network is a wireless computer network (wireless) based on Wi-Fi that everyone already knows and uses, but integrated with Mesh technology and which, simply put, consists of having two or more devices, also called of modules, which communicate with each other to form a single network.
Even the name “Mesh” hints at the principle on which the technology is based, since in English, “mesh” means mesh. Thus, each module works as a node, or network point, which when connected to the others, form a mesh that covers the entire environment, distributing the Wi-Fi signal.
For this explanation, it is also natural to deduce that a Mesh network has at least two devices, but may have several according to the currently available models of each manufacturer. In other words, expanding the reach of the wireless network involves including a new module in the area of the home or business where more and/or better signal coverage is needed.
The process of adding modules is usually quick and simple, but the configuration may vary according to existing brands and models.
What is the difference between signal repeaters and Mesh network?
For those who know something in terms of wireless networking solutions, it may seem like the concept of using repeaters, but Mesh works differently.
Signal repeaters became popular as only one Wi-Fi router was not enough to cover larger areas, especially when the router could not be in central positions, in order to make the signal coverage more homogeneous and distributed.
But when you add a repeater to the network, in practice what you are doing is creating another network, in addition to the fact that it may have a lower speed than the origin of the router connection.
By introducing a repeater, it acts as a “bridge” in data traffic, between the device you want to connect and the router, when the distance between them is greater than the reach of the signal. However, performance can be much lower, as each repeater can reduce the connection speed by up to 50%.
Another important drawback of using repeaters is that because they function in practice as a second network, despite being connected to the network created by the router, if a user moves between different rooms in the residence or areas of the company, he needs to change connections and consequently password.
In the Mesh network, the process is dynamic and automatic, with the device connecting automatically, after all it is the same network.
How does the mesh network work?
As we mentioned, a Mesh network consists of the router and at least one more module, although there are a few models from manufacturers where you can buy just one device, both for cases in which you want to expand the coverage area, and for those who already thinking about a future expansion, but at the moment just the router is enough.
Each module added to the network, at home or business, behaves like a network node, so that when a node is connected to another it forms a mesh (mesh), covering the entire environment and distributing the Wi-Fi signal. .
Due to their characteristics, Mesh networks eliminate the so-called dead zones or signal shadow areas, which occur due to the fact that the Wi-Fi signal is nothing more than a radio wave and, therefore, susceptible to physical obstacles, such as walls. or even the existing furniture in the environment.
For this reason, it is important to position the modules at strategic points, such as in central positions free from obstacles, thus ensuring greater coverage without losing speed, connectivity and stability.
In the Mesh network, the router/modules set, work together to form a unified network under a single name (SSID), making the devices automatically switch between each existing point (router or modules), while moving through the environments, without the worry about connecting to different networks.
It is an absolutely dynamic and intelligent process of transition between access points, without any change being noticed.
Another aspect of how it works is that the equipment available on the market is at least based on Wi-Fi 5, but many of the best options are based on Wi-Fi 6. As a result, they are dual band (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz ), with a network for both frequencies, so devices can always connect on the best available signal and therefore a better connection as well.
What are the advantages of Wi-Fi Mesh network?
As is usually the case with any technology, as soon as they are launched they tend to be more expensive, which was the case with the first equipment available in Brazil, when having one meant investing more than R$ 2000.00. Currently it is possible to find national models just above R$ 200.00 or even less if it is just the router.
But the price is not much more affordable than in the past, the advantage of basing your Wi-Fi network on the Mesh standard. There are a number of real and appreciable advantages.
1. Connectivity stability
Connections made in Mesh are usually more stable, compared to the traditional model of wireless networks in which there is only one router and access is made in places where the signal is weaker. It is known that due to the interference of some household appliances or other situations, such as closing doors, the connection may be lost and/or there may be a loss of performance.
In the Mesh network, as you can have a module at each farthest location or where the signal suffers some kind of degradation, you will have fast enough Internet speed to support multiple devices.
2. Performance
In addition to the uniform performance throughout the coverage area, which is a consequence of its operation, the main equipment operates in dual band – in the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands – dynamic, which means that the system is capable of automatically identify the best one.
Depending on the brand and model, there are a variety of devices using Wi-Fi 6, which also use the 6 GHz frequency band. Therefore, it is always possible to have the best band available, if, for example, there are other networks nearby occupying a given frequency as a priority.
This control of the use of frequencies and channels occurs transparently, without the need for any user intervention.
Particularly when opting for equipment based on Wi-Fi 6, you can take advantage of higher speed Internet access plans and their consequent benefits.
3. Demand / traffic control
Most equipment provides several features to better manage data traffic on the network, depending on the model and manufacturer chosen, so it is important to research the features well before choosing one and also not limit yourself only to the price factor.
For example, it is possible to guarantee the bandwidth for streaming from your SmartTV or perhaps for an online game on your desktop, in relation to other situations of use, it is the guarantee of watching the movie or playing without loss of image quality or gameplay, respectively.
Other control tools:
- Some forms of parental control are possible on certain models;
- It is possible to have/create a guest/visitor network, which is particularly useful so you don’t have to worry about the main network password, as well as it may be possible to apply traffic filters to them, ensuring the performance of home users;
- You can limit online time and block inappropriate websites according to unique profiles created for each user;
- You choose which devices have priority on your network, which can be desirable if there is a user / machine that needs guaranteed traffic or device density;
- Also depending on the chosen brand and model, there are apps for almost complete and remote control of the functionalities and use of the network, dispensing with past browser interfaces and the need to be connected to the network (in person).
4. Scalability
Increasing the network and its coverage area is easy and fast, just adding modules and in some cases, just repositioning them.
This is an aspect that is closely related to the technical characteristics of each available model. Within the same brand, different models can offer different areas of maximum coverage, in square meters and number of devices.
Thus, there are different brands in which a model has a coverage of 400 m2 and 128 connected devices (Positive Smart Home) and another for 260 m2 and 100 connected devices (TP-Link Deco M4).
It is also worth noting how the magnification of each model is, as there are differences between each brand. For example, in the case of the Positivo model, every module is a router, which allows each one to operate individually if necessary.
5. WiFi 6
The benefits of Wi-Fi 6 in Mesh devices based on it, such as MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output) and which is the feature that basically allows the router to communicate simultaneously with more than one user simultaneously, such as HD video streaming and chats simultaneously.
The sixth generation Wi-Fi standard also has technical implementations that make the devices perform much better than the 5th generation, which may be necessary and desirable if you have or plan a high-speed access plan, to which a 5th generation router would be a bottleneck.
Conclusion
In situations where traditional Wi-Fi networks do not offer an efficient solution, Mesh networks have characteristics that allow solving the problems.
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