When we talk about connectivity, of the options we have, we can name the most basic: cable or wireless. The latter has gained much importance in recent years. We have more and more compatible devices and the improvements are also evident. But when talking about a home network we are also presented with a couple of options. In this article we are going to buy the use of a traditional Wi-Fi router in front of the Wi-Fi Mesh to prepare our home and have access to the network wirelessly.
Why we should prepare our house with a good Wi-Fi network
We have more and more devices connected to the Internet in our homes. We are not only talking about computers or mobiles, but we have a wide range of possibilities. It is what is known as the Internet of Things. Here we can include televisions, smart bulbs, video players, voice assistants …
All this means that we must have an adequate connection , have coverage throughout the home and that the different equipment can connect without problems. Otherwise, there could be cuts, loss of speed and even the impossibility of being able to use certain devices.
Therefore we can say that today it is essential to have our home prepared with a powerful Wi-Fi connection if we want to make use of this type of device. We can have different options to make this possible and improve speed, quality and stability.
Basically we can say that we have the option of having a traditional Wi-Fi router and also the option of covering the home with a Mesh Wi-Fi system that also acts as a router. We can always opt for repeaters and other devices to improve the signal, but we are going to focus on these two main options.
Traditional Wi-Fi router: advantages and disadvantages
The traditional Wi-Fi router is the option most used by home users. Many maintain the device provided by the operator, although there is also a wide range of options to improve the signal. This device has its advantages and disadvantages, as we will see.
Advantages of using a traditional router
- Price : One of the advantages of using a basic, traditional Wi-Fi router is cost. We can find a large number of equipment in all kinds of prices. Even if we opt for the router offered by the operator, we may not have to pay anything.
- Ease of installation : normally a normal router is Plug and Play. We do not need to carry out any type of complex configuration and it is compatible with all our equipment. For those who are not looking for complications, it is without a doubt the best.
- Create separate networks : in most routers we can create separate networks. We can create a guest network and thus prevent them from connecting to the main Wi-Fi and not having to give the password. We can even connect certain devices to that network that we have created.
- Speed and capacity : the normal thing is that Wi-Fi routers have a greater bandwidth, a greater capacity to connect our devices. As long as we have good coverage, we can achieve further optimization.
Disadvantages of traditional routers
- It does not allow to cover a large area : One of the most important disadvantages is that a traditional Wi-Fi router does not allow to cover a large area of a home. This will also depend on the type of device, of course. However, we are talking about the limitation of a single device.
- Overload : as it is a single device, all the computers that we have connected to the Internet will access it through it. That means we could be overloaded at certain times.
- Limitation in settings : Another disadvantage of traditional routers is that they do not usually have a large number of options and settings available. In addition, many of them only allow modifying this type of aspect through a computer, without being able to enter from the mobile using an application.
Mesh Wi-Fi: advantages and disadvantages
An alternative option to a traditional Wi-Fi router is to have a Mesh Wi-Fi . As we will see, it also has different advantages and disadvantages that we must take into account. In the end, each of these devices will adapt better or worse depending on the type of user.
Advantages of a Wi-Fi Mesh system
- Greater coverage : undoubtedly one of the main advantages of a Wi-Fi Mesh system is that it has greater coverage. It is precisely its greatest utility. We are going to have different devices in our home and that means that it will cover a much larger area. They can be hundreds of square meters without problems.
- Less connection drops : we will also achieve a lower probability of connection drops. A Wi-Fi Mesh system is made up of different satellites, so our devices will always connect to the closest one. This avoids signal loss problems if we are on the move, for example.
- Additional controls : they usually come with a large number of controls and options that we can configure. We can even use a mobile device to be able to manage it correctly.
- WiFi roaming to move from one node to another without cutting the connection, and band-steering to dynamically place us at 2.4GHz or 5GHz.
Disadvantages of Wi-Fi Mesh systems
- More expensive : One of the negative points is that they are more expensive than a traditional Wi-Fi router. At the end of the day it is a kit with several devices. We must take into account the balance between the cost and the benefit that we are going to obtain.
- Multiple Devices – These are more than one device. Do we want or can we have so many in our home? Maybe we are not interested in occupying many sockets. It is another negative point, although logically it is precisely for this reason that we can improve wireless coverage.
- Lower speed : we can say that the maximum speed that we can achieve is lower than that of a traditional router. Although this will depend on the WiFi Mesh models that we buy, if we are going to buy the top of the range, the speed will be equal to or higher than a traditional router, it all depends on the kind of WiFi we are buying.
In short, these are some positive and negative points that we must take into account both in a traditional Wi-Fi router as well as in a Mesh Wi-Fi system. Depending on the type of user and what we are looking for, we can choose one or another alternative. In addition, from each of the options we can have a wide range of products available, in order to choose the one that best suits our needs.