Fix dead spots properly: how to plan a mesh Wi-Fi system

Node count is not coverage

Mesh kits are sold on square-metre claims measured in open space. Homes are not open space. Plaster, brick, foil-backed insulation, tiled bathrooms and metal ducting all remove signal, and the effect compounds with distance.

Plan nodes by rooms that need strong signal, not by the coverage number.

Backhaul decides the speed you actually get

Every node has to send what it receives back to the router. How it does that matters more than the Wi-Fi generation on the box.

• Dedicated backhaul. A separate radio carries node-to-node traffic, so your devices keep the full channel.
• Shared backhaul. Nodes and devices compete for the same radio, which is why speed drops at the far end of some kits.
• Wired backhaul. Ethernet between nodes beats any wireless arrangement, and most mesh systems accept it if you already have cabling.

Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 in practice

The 6 GHz band is less congested than 2.4 and 5 GHz, but its range is shorter, so 6E suits open-plan rooms with a node nearby. Wi-Fi 7 features only help when your devices support them; a new router does not upgrade older laptops and phones.

Placement that matters

Put nodes in the open, roughly one per floor, and keep them out of cupboards and away from microwaves, cordless phone bases and metal furniture. Each node needs to hear the previous one clearly, so a chain through a stone wall fails even when the lights say connected.

How we compare them

Our comparison sets each system against the same specification rows, including backhaul type and port count. See the mesh Wi-Fi comparison.