Overview
- Jump To Details
Eero 6 Plus
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Amazon Households - Jump To Details
Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
A Solid Alternative to the Eero 6 Plus - Jump To Details
Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi System
Most Affordable - Jump To Details
Netgear Orbi RBKE963 WiFi 6E Mesh System
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Very Large Homes - Jump To Details
Asus ZenWiFi AXE6600 ET8 Mesh
Best Mesh System for Wifi 6 - Jump To Details
Google Nest Wi-Fi System
Style-Conscious Homes - Jump To Details
TP-Link Deco XE75
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Efficient Wireless Backhaul
Best Aussie EOFY Networking Deals Available Now
- D-Link 2-Pack Home Mesh WiFi System – A$149 (was $249.95, 40% off)
- Google Nest WiFi Mesh Router – A$159.78 (was $269, 41% off)
- NETGEAR AX5400 Nighthawk 5.4Gbps Dual-Band WiFi 6 Router – A$338.50 (was $429.95, 21% off)
- NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home WiFi 6 Quad-Band Mesh System (Up to 10.8Gbs) 2 Pack – A$1,599 (was $2,099, 24% off)
- TP-Link AX5400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router – A$199 (was $299, 33% off)
See more networking and PC deals available in Australia here.
Sure, maintaining smooth Wi-Fi performance and throughput for video streaming, gaming, and linking up smart home devices is important. But now that so many folks are working from home, you also need to consider how crucial work applications and different modes of work communication (especially video conferencing) perform over your home network. If your job or your children's education rely on robust connectivity, strong, whole-house wireless coverage goes from a nice-to-have to a must.
That's where Wi-Fi mesh router systems come in. These kits blanket your home in a consistent web of Wi-Fi signal, using multiple physical pieces of transmitting hardware to help spread the signal. Let's take a look at the best Wi-Fi mesh routers we've tested, followed by tips for understanding the features to consider before you buy one.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Eero 6 Plus
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Amazon HouseholdsWhy We Picked It
Amazon’s Eero 6+ is more than just a stylish three-piece Wi-Fi 6 mesh system. Sure, it delivers fast wireless throughput and strong signal transmissions in homes of up to 4,500 square feet, but it also has hidden talents. It functions as a home automation hub that controls Zigbee devices such as cameras, smart plugs, and thermostats. And of course, it works with Alexa voice commands and routines.
Who It’s For
The Eero 6+ is a good fit for those who use Amazon Alexa to control their smart home devices. It uses sleek, low-profile nodes to bring Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and home automation control to every room in the house, and it can access 160MHz channels. It comes with a thoughtfully designed mobile app that lets you control everything from your phone, but you’ll have a pay a bit more for parental control and network security software.
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Easy to install and manage
- Controls home automation devices
- Supports 160MHz channels
Cons
- Pricey
- Lacks USB connectivity
- Some features require a subscription
Learn MoreEero 6 Plus ReviewAsus ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
A Solid Alternative to the Eero 6 PlusWhy We Picked It
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that delivered speedy throughput scores in testing. It’s a two-piece system that offers plenty of coverage for medium to large homes (up to 5,500 square feet) and can be paired with other Asus devices that support AIMesh technology. It’s a snap to install and manage thanks to a user-friendly mobile app, and it comes with free lifetime parental controls and network security software.
Who It’s For
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a solid choice for anyone looking for an easy way to eliminate wireless dead spots. Its robust parental controls and anti-malware software make it an ideal choice for families that want to monitor and limit online activities while providing secure Wi-Fi 6 coverage to all corners of their home. It’s also a great choice if you plan on making wired connections, as its 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN port lets you take advantage of high-speed internet plans and provides speedy connectivity to NAS devices. Plus, at $399 for a two-pack and frequently available on sale, its current pricing is less than it was when we tested it three years ago, making it still expensive but potentially more attractive to people who want to maximize their networking budget.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Excellent performance
- Lifetime parental controls and network security tools
- Multi-gig LAN port
- USB connectivity. User-friendly app
Cons
- Pricey
- Some advanced settings require web console
Learn MoreAsus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) ReviewVilo Mesh Wi-Fi System
Most AffordableWhy We Picked It
The Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi System is the most affordable three-piece mesh system we’ve come across. It's now $115.99 for a three-pack, up from $59.99 when we tested it in 2021, but it's still a steal even at current pricing. It’s not a superstar performer, and it uses older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) technology, but it is very easy to install and manage, offers good range, and comes with parental controls that let you schedule internet access times and allow or disallow internet access for any device.
Who It’s For
If you need to fill in Wi-Fi dead zones but don’t have the money for a mesh system that uses the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, the Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi system will get the job done. We don’t recommend this system for users who do a lot of 4K video streaming or those who download large chunks of data, but it is more than suitable for everyday web surfing and basic home networking duties.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Easy to install and manage
- Basic parental controls
Cons
- Uses older technology
- Lacks malware protection and QoS settings
- Middling throughput performance
- No USB ports
Learn MoreVilo Mesh Wi-Fi System ReviewNetgear Orbi RBKE963 WiFi 6E Mesh System
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Very Large HomesWhy We Picked It
The Netgear Orbi RBKE963 is a three-piece mesh system that employs the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology to access the relatively uncrowded 6GHz radio band. This wildly expensive system delivered very fast throughput speeds in our performance tests, and it offers excellent signal range. It’s loaded with high-end components and is easy to configure.
Who It’s For
People with very large dwellings (up to 9,000 square feet) and very large bank accounts who want to blanket their home in the latest Wi-Fi technology should take a look at the Orbi RBKE963. This beefy mesh system offers multi-gig WAN and LAN ports and comes with basic parental controls, but you can subscribe to Netgear’s Smart Parental Controls if you require age-based web filters, detailed browser history reports, and internet time rewards.
Pros
- Blazing performance
- Supports 6GHz Wi-Fi
- Easy to install and manage
- Multi-gig connectivity
- Excellent signal range
Cons
- Very expensive
- Some features require a subscription
- Lacks USB ports
Asus ZenWiFi AXE6600 ET8 Mesh
Best Mesh System for Wifi 6Why We Picked It
Speedy throughput performance, strong signal strength, and the ability to access the 6GHz radio band earned the ZenWiFi ET8 our Editors’ Choice award for Wi-Fi mesh systems. It’s expensive, but it uses the latest Wi-Fi 6E technology, and is equipped with multi-gig ethernet ports and USB ports. It also comes with Asus’ AiProtection software, which provides free lifetime parental controls and network security tools.
Who It’s For
There may not be that many 6GHz clients out there right now, but they are coming. If you want to future-proof your network, the ET8 mesh system will let you take advantage of all that uncrowded bandwidth. It’s also an excellent choice for users who don’t mind spending extra for a system that is expandable and easy to manage.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Strong throughput performance
- Multi-gig WAN and USB connectivity
- Strong anti-malware and parental controls
- Very good signal range
Cons
- Pricey
- Some advanced settings require web console
Learn MoreAsus ZenWiFi AXE6600 ET8 Mesh ReviewGoogle Nest Wi-Fi System
Style-Conscious HomesWhy We Picked It
Designed to be placed out in the open, the Google Nest WiFi is a two-piece Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) mesh system that also serves as a Google Assistant smart speaker. It delivered impressive throughput scores in our tests and was easy to install. It can be expanded with up to five nodes for larger homes and offers easy-to-use parental controls that allow you to pause internet access, create access schedules for family members, and restrict access to websites that contain adult content.
Who It’s For
With the Google Nest WiFi mesh system, you get impressive Wi-Fi 5 performance and three stylish nodes that pull double duty as Google Assistant smart speakers. That makes it a great choice for people who want a router and smart home hub all in one device to listen to music, place hands-free calls, and control certain smart products such as lights and cameras.
Pros
- Solid throughput performance in testing.
- Stylish design.
- Easy to install.
- Built-in Google Assistant voice technology.
Cons
- Lacks dedicated backhaul band.
- No anti-malware tools.
- Advanced settings require a separate app.
- No USB ports.
Learn MoreGoogle Nest Wi-Fi System ReviewTP-Link Deco XE75
Best Wi-Fi Mesh System for Efficient Wireless BackhaulWhy We Picked It
A mesh system can use one of a few different means of communicating between its nodes. This process, called backhaul, is essential to blanketing your home with strong, fast Wi-Fi signals. While most mesh systems use a dedicated 2.4GHz or 5GHz band for backhaul, the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro instead defaults to using a 6GHz band, known as Wi-Fi 6E. This is among the most efficient setups we've seen, since few client devices have Wi-Fi 6E support yet, and the 6GHz spectrum is still relatively uncrowded. And if you do have Wi-Fi 6E-capable devices or are lucky enough to have a wired Ethernet connection for backhaul, the XE75 Pro can be configured to use 6GHz for client communications instead.
Who It's For
If you're in the market for a cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E mesh system, but don't have many Wi-Fi 6E-capable devices, you might want to consider the XE75 Pro. It puts Wi-Fi 6E technology to good use behind the scenes, while standing ready to use the 6GHz band for client devices in the future. Plus, at the current MSRP of $299 for a two-pack (cheaper than when we reviewed it), it's reasonably priced.
Pros
- Easy installation
- Wi-Fi 6E support
- HomeShield parental control and security software included
- Multi-gig WAN
- Solid performance
Cons
- Pricey
- No USB ports
- Some HomeShield features require a subscription
Learn MoreTP-Link Deco XE75 Review
Buying Guide: The Best Wi-Fi Mesh Network Systems for 2024
Many late-model wireless routers can project strong signal to most rooms of a typical medium-size house. But larger homes and dwellings with dense walls, multiple floors, metal and concrete substructures, and other material impediments may require additional components to bring Wi-Fi to areas that a single router can't reach. Range extenders can help fill dead zones, but most provide only half the bandwidth that you get from your main router. Access points, meanwhile, offer more bandwidth than range extenders, but they require a wired connection to the main router. And both solutions typically create a new network SSID that you have to log in to as you move from one area of the house to another.
If you're new to networking, you might be worrying that all of the above will leave you sitting on the floor surrounded by a lot of router documentation and questioning your life choices. Fortunately, there's another alternative: a mesh Wi-Fi system.
What Is a Wi-Fi Mesh System?
Also known by popular brand names like Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro, or TP-Link Deco, mesh systems (or mesh Wi-Fi routers) are designed to blanket your home with wireless coverage. These systems are a hybrid of sorts, made up of several networking components. A main router connects directly to your modem, and a series of satellite modules, or nodes, get placed throughout your house. They are all part of a single wireless network, and they share the same SSID and password. Unlike range extenders, which typically communicate with the router via the 2.4GHz or 5GHz radio bands, most Wi-Fi system satellites use mesh technology to talk to the router and to each other.
Setting up and maintaining a traditional wireless home network can be daunting, even if you're tech-savvy. Wi-Fi mesh systems, on the other hand, are geared toward users with little or no technical knowledge and can be installed in minutes. They typically come with a user-friendly mobile app that walks you through the installation process with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions. The app tells you where to place each node for maximum coverage and chooses the best Wi-Fi channel and radio band for optimal throughput performance, so you can maintain a strong wireless connection as you move about the house.
Wi-Fi mesh systems are easy to expand (with no current limit on the number of nodes you can add) and manage using your smartphone. From an app, you can disable Wi-Fi access to specific devices with the press of a button, or give certain devices network priority without having to log in to a complicated network console.
What Should I Look for in Wi-Fi Mesh Router Design and Features?
Most Wi-Fi mesh systems look nothing like a traditional setup with a router and range extender. The router and nodes use internal antennas and are almost always tastefully designed so you can place them out in the open rather than in a closet or under a desk. (Don't expect to find a lot of flashing LED indicators—these systems are designed to blend in with your home's décor.) They usually have at least one LAN port for connecting to devices like TVs and gaming consoles, but USB connectivity is a rare feature at this point.
Similar to modern standalone routers, mesh systems are multi-band networking devices that operate on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. Some models offer support for Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) technology, which streams data to multiple compatible wireless clients simultaneously rather than sequentially. Most Wi-Fi systems use band steering to automatically select the least-crowded radio band for the best performance and offer easy-to-use parental controls, guest networking, and device-prioritization options. While designed for ease of use, they usually let you configure port forwarding and wireless security settings but lack the advanced network-management options such as individual band control, firewall settings, and wireless transmission rate settings that you get with a traditional router. Nor can you use third-party WRT firmware to customize the system for enhanced performance and network monitoring.
Do Wi-Fi Mesh Systems Support Wi-Fi 6?
Some do, yes, and you should insist on it in a new mesh system if you own client devices that support it. Wi-Fi 6 (also called 802.11ax) is an evolution of 802.11ac technology that promises increased throughput speeds (up to 9.6Gbps), less network congestion, greater client capacity, and better range performance courtesy of several new and improved wireless technologies, including Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). OFDMA improves overall throughput by breaking Wi-Fi channels into sub-channels, allowing up to 30 users to share a channel at the same time.
Additionally, 802.11ax takes advantage of previously unused radio frequencies to provide faster 2.4GHz performance and uses MU-MIMO streaming, too. Some Wi-Fi 6 devices can also communicate on the less-crowded 6GHz band, which is known as Wi-Fi 6E. For more on the benefits of the 802.11ax protocol, check out our speed tests and primer What Is Wi-Fi 6?
Which Is Better: A Wireless Mesh Router, or a Range Extender?
If you're worried what these systems might cost, don't sweat it; aside from a few pricey contenders, most mesh systems are only slightly more expensive than a router/range extender combination. Wi-Fi systems range in price from less than $100 for a single-node system to at least $300 for a setup that can cover a 3,000-square-foot house with three or more nodes.
The pricing looks higher with these systems because, in most cases, you're paying for at least two devices, the router and a router node that forms the mesh. Most systems, in fact, come with two nodes, so you're buying three devices in total. If you break it down per device, you'll most often find that they cost only a little more than you'd pay for a similarly powered router and range extender solution. That's especially true now that we're seeing prices coming down on mesh systems, even the newer models compatible with Wi-Fi 6.
Also remember: Wi-Fi systems are all about ease of use. They are a snap to set up and manage, offer whole-house coverage via a series of attractive nodes, and provide seamless room-to-room roaming over a single network. If you want total control over your network and require the best possible throughput performance and connectivity options, stick with a traditional router solution. If you don't want to deal with things like assigning radio bands and logging in to different networks as you move throughout your home, however, a Wi-Fi system makes sense. (For more about the differences between these two technologies, check out our explainer Wi-Fi Range Extender vs. Mesh Network: What's the Difference?)
So, What Is the Best Wi-Fi Mesh System to Buy?
We've laid out our top mesh picks in the detailed spec breakout chart below. For even more detail, you can click through to our full reviews of the best Wi-Fi systems we've tested. Need some more help getting all your devices up and running their fastest? Check out our tips for troubleshooting your internet connection. And once you've picked out the best product for your home, read our primer on how to set up a mesh Wi-Fi router.
