Mesh repeater: finally stable WiFi with AVM, Netgear & Co.

Mesh what? A mesh network offers laptops, smartphones and tablets several inputs into the home network, so-called access points. It differs from normal WLAN networks in that the router automatically determines the best “access point” for your device. If you go from the top floor to the basement, your smartphone will always connect to the repeater in the mesh network that offers the most stable reception.

Ideally, you won’t notice a loss of connection when you stroll from top to bottom. WiFi repeaters without a mesh function cannot do this. If your smartphone is connected to a normal one, it tries to tap into the reception of the repeater in the attic. The connection is correspondingly bad.

Mesh repeaters: you need to pay attention to this

Before setting up a mesh network, there are a few things to consider. Not every router can calculate which repeater is the best access point for the devices on the network. So you need a mesh-enabled router in connection with mesh-enabled repeaters. In German households, a Fritzbox often connects laptops and the like to the Internet. The manufacturer tells its customers which of its modems and repeaters work together in a mesh network. The newest of the new is not always necessary: ​​Some Fritz boxes are mesh-capable after a firmware update.

If you find out after checking that your router is not mesh-capable, you don’t need to despair: there are sets that contain mesh routers and repeaters, such as the Fritzbox 7590 with the Fritz Repeater 2400. Both routers and repeaters transmit in the 2.4 and 5 gigahertz (Ghz) ​​frequency bands. The modem is suitable for DSL and VDSL connections to set up a mesh system.

Therefore, if you’re with cable providers like Vodafone, the package won’t make you happy. Nice: Extensions to the home network succeed effortlessly with others AVM repeaters. Thanks to the WPS function, a push of a button is all it takes to embed the repeaters as access points in the network. The repeaters take over the setting of the Fritzbox network. So you don’t have to connect to a new network with your smartphone and the like. By the way: Most other mesh repeaters also connect via WPS buttonbut some sets of routers and extenders create a new home network that you must reconnect your devices to when setting up the mesh system.

You should also decide on a single manufacturer: who intends to Netgear mesh repeater Embedding in an existing mesh system with AVM repeaters will cause problems. The different manufacturers usually do not get along with each other. Exceptions are WiFi repeaters and routers that do this EasyMesh certificate to have. This allows mesh repeaters from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.

This begs the question of whether you want a dual or tri-band mesh system. The difference lies in the way the mesh repeater and router communicate: dual-band mesh networks have 2.4 and 5 gigahertz WiFi frequencies. You can communicate using one of the WLAN frequency bands. Tri-band mesh systems outsource communication with each other to their own frequency band, which usually operates at 5.8 gigahertz. But who needs what?

Mesh repeater: At home, a dual band is sufficient

Dual-band mesh networks are sufficient for normal home use. The number of connected devices is manageable. Accordingly, there is enough space on the frequencies for communication between the router and mesh repeater and computer, smartphone, television, etc. The general rule is: the more devices are sending and receiving data in the network at the same time, the more likely you want to keep the frequencies free – because at some point the data highway is full and the home network is paralyzed.

If you don’t have a Fritzbox, this is suitable for home use Netgear Orbi WiFi Set RBK13-100PES. It consists of a router that you connect to your modem and two mesh repeaters. According to the manufacturer, the set covers an area of ​​up to 300 square meters and transmits with two antennas each at 2.4 and 5 gigahertz.

Compared to the AVM Fritz Repeater 2400, it is multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output capable (MU-MIMO). That means that the router devices at the same time can send different data on different antennas. The speed of the mesh system benefits if the smartphone, television and laptop also support MU-MIMO. This is the case with iPhones from the iPhone 6 onwards.

That’s cheaper Mesh set by Tenda, consisting of a router and two mesh repeaters. According to the manufacturer, it is also MU-MIMO capable and covers a maximum of 300 square meters. However, buyers can expect an ugly bottleneck: the Ethernet ports only offer a data transfer rate of 100 megabits per second.

If you want to connect your TV or computer to a WiFi repeater by cable, don’t use your full bandwidth if your internet connection is faster than 100 megabits per second. Too bad: If your modem is also a router, the Tenda-Set does not adopt its WLAN settings, but sets up its own network to which you have to reconnect your smartphone, tablet, television, etc.

Mesh Repeater: Wifi-ac or Wifi 6?

Wifi 6 is the newer standard. Accordingly, it manages the data in the network more efficiently and offers faster transmission rates. If several people in a household stream 4K films while the other half plays online, mesh repeaters with the older standard could reach their limits.

In addition, Wifi 6 solves an annoying problem that plagues city dwellers in particular: WLAN networks of all neighbors that interfere with each other. Anyone affected by this should consider choosing Wifi 6 over the older standard. By the way: Wifi 6 is backward compatible. So you don’t have to convert your entire network to the standard, you can do it step by step.

The set Nightawk MK62 from Netgear consists of a router and two repeaters. The manufacturer promises coverage of up to 250 square meters. Nice: It’s EasyMesh certified. You can therefore integrate repeaters from other manufacturers into the network with the certification. The set flexes its muscles, especially when it comes to the number of devices: The manufacturer promises to provide up to 25 devices with a reliable line – Wifi 6 makes it possible. You can manage your network using a smartphone app and set up guest access, for example.

Who Needs a Tri-Band Mesh Network?

Tri-band mesh systems mark the upper class. If you want to equip a doctor’s office, law firm or a place with many people with WLAN reception, you can use tri-band mesh repeaters and routers. who one Fritz box 7590 calls his own, drives with the Fritz Repeater 3000 into the safe WLAN haven.

Like its little brother, the repeater works well as an access point with Fritz boxes. However, it offers two gigabit LAN ports and thus one more than the Fritz Repeater 2400. Practical if there are two computers in the study that you want to connect to the repeater via LAN cable.

It’s more extensive Set by Netgear consisting of a mesh router and two repeaters. The manufacturer promises coverage of up to 525 square meters. Overall, Netgear donated eleven gigabit LAN ports to the set, distributed over the individual repeaters and the router. The network can be set up and managed using the free Orbi app. For example, you can create guest networks or set up parental controls.

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Sources: T3N.de, Heise.de, Elektronik-Kompendium.de

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