Home office networks: Are mesh or traditional Wi-Fi routers better?

You need to decide whether the finanical outlay for a whole mesh network is worth it. In larger homes with dead spots, mesh networking can provide a way to improve your Wi-Fi signal strength and coverage immediately. 

However, it can be expensive to overhaul your existing router setup for a large home, and going for a full mesh system may be overkill unless you consistently have multiple users and connected devices competing for bandwidth. A Wi-Fi extender can be a worthwhile investment instead if you decide to stay with a traditional home router but need to expand coverage. 

Some mesh network systems, such as Google Wifi, Netgear Orbi, and Amazon Eero, are relatively cheap to set up as long as you don't need too many satellites. 

If you're the only person using your network and you need a stable, powerful internet connection — such as for resource-hungry work applications or gaming — a traditional router and an Ethernet cable may be all you need for reliable and rapid Internet access. Wired internet speeds should be quicker than wireless, and investing in a simple Ethernet cable, easy to find for $10 to $15, could be enough, saving you the cost of a complete overhaul. 

Wi-Fi range extenders, too, could be considered as an alternative to mesh if you just need to boost coverage and throughput in some areas, and will likely be less expensive than purchasing individual mesh nodes. Some vendors also offer mesh “bolt-ons” such as Asus' AiMesh, which creates a mesh-like coverage wireless network without ripping everything out and starting again.

Mesh networking is here to stay and at a time when many of us are now in the home rather than traditional home offices, a mesh setup could be a future-proof investment. It's not suitable for you if you rely on wired connectivity for speed, but if you need to make sure that dead zones and drops do not impact your working day, and you don't mind the potential expense, mesh systems are a worthwhile upgrade to your home equipment.