If you want to have full coverage in your home, Wi-Fi Mesh systems are the ideal devices for you, since we can place different nodes throughout our home to provide coverage to the last corner. We currently have a lot of quality Mesh Wi-Fi systems, but these are usually quite expensive equipment. Today in this article we bring you a selection of the best cheap Wi-Fi Mesh systems that you can buy, some of them we have already analyzed in this article where you can see the real performance that it is capable of providing Wi-Fi clients.
Wi-Fi Mesh systems are made up of at least two nodes, one acting as a router and the other as an extender for the first. In this article we have classified Wi-Fi Mesh systems that have two nodes, and also three nodes, where we will have one that acts as a router and the other two nodes will act as extenders to form a complete Wi-Fi Mesh network.
In some Wi-Fi Mesh systems, the manufacturer has implemented in the firmware the possibility for the equipment to function as Wi-Fi access points, that is, we will not have the router functions (DHCP server, WAN, port forwarding, VLANs etc), but they will be simple “bridges”, and our operator’s router will be the one that manages the entire Wi-Fi network. This possibility of using Wi-Fi Mesh systems without the router function is ideal for environments where we cannot change our operator’s router, since we will have an improved high-performance Wi-Fi network that will cover our entire house.
Cheap 2-node and 3-node Mesh Wi-Fi systems
These Wi-Fi Mesh systems that we recommend below, are made up of a router and a Wi-Fi extender, or a router and two Wi-Fi extenders. We will have Wi-Fi roaming to go from one node to another without cutting the wireless connection, we will also have band-steering to go from one frequency band to another in a completely transparent way. Some of these models allow us to configure the equipment in “bridge” mode, to use it as simple Wi-Fi access points.
The 3 node kits are ideal for houses with several floors, or very large houses where the coverage does not reach us correctly with only two nodes. The equipment that we will recommend in this section can also be sold in kits of 3 nodes, and even buy several and set up a single Wi-Fi Mesh network.
It is very important that we always buy a Wi-Fi Mesh system that allows expansion to more nodes, with the aim of providing coverage to the last corner of our home.
D-Link COVR-1102
This Wi-Fi Mesh system is one of the best value for money on the market. We have two versions, a version with two nodes and a version with three nodes. Both nodes are exactly the same and anyone can function as a router, and it is certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance with EasyMesh , so the nodes will connect to each other without having to do any advanced configuration.
The main characteristics are that it is simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. It has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one for the WAN / LAN and one for the LAN.
Another very important characteristic is that it allows us to interconnect the nodes via Ethernet, so we will have a trunk speed of 1Gbps, ideal for homes where we have all the houses wired.
We recommend you visit our complete analysis of the D-Link COVR-1102 where you will find all the technical characteristics, the real performance in the tests, and also all the configuration options of its firmware.
D-Link COVR-P2502
This hybrid Mesh Wi-Fi system was the first in the world to be launched on the market, the backhaul network does not use the Wi-Fi network where the clients connect, but is dedicated and is done through the Powerline network. Thanks to this equipment, we will be able to achieve a maximum interconnection speed of up to 1,300Mbps through the PLC network.
At the wireless level, the D-Link COVR-P2502 incorporate simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi . In the 2.4GHz band we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps , and in the 5GHz band, we can achieve a speed of up to 867Mbps . These devices have Beamforming, MU-MIMO, and also Smart Roaming (Wi-Fi roaming to go from one node to another without cutting the connection), as well as Smart Steering (to go from one frequency band to another).
This model has two exactly the same nodes, each of which incorporates a total of 3 Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN, does not act as a router, and they are specifically designed to coexist with the operator’s router without problems.
We recommend you visit our complete analysis of the D-Link COVR-P2502 where you will find all the technical characteristics, the real performance of this hybrid WiFi Mesh, and its firmware options.
TP-Link Deco M4
This Wi-Fi Mesh system from the manufacturer TP-Link also works very well, the most remarkable thing is that it will allow us many configuration options through the official app. We have two versions, a version with two nodes and a version with three nodes. Both nodes are exactly the same and anyone can function as a router, an important characteristic is that it can work in access point mode, so we will not have the router options, ideal to be able to coexist with the router of our Internet operator.
The main features of the Deco M4 are that it is simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. We have Beamforming, MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi roaming and also Band-Steering, all of which can be managed from the app. It also has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one for the WAN / LAN and one for the LAN.
Other very important characteristics are that it allows us to interconnect the nodes via Ethernet, so we will have a trunk speed of 1Gbps, ideal for homes where we have all the houses wired. If we use the router mode we can configure VLANs in the WAN, guest Wi-Fi network, parental control and other typical options of routers.
TP-Link Deco E4
This Deco E4 is the cheap version of the previous M4, with a very important differential characteristic, which is that it incorporates a Fast-Ethernet port (10 / 100Mbps) for the WAN / LAN, and another port for the LAN. At the level of wireless characteristics, we have the same as the Deco M4, with simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. This equipment incorporates Wi-Fi roaming and also band-steering, to have a Wi-Fi network throughout the Mesh network and that the device itself takes care of everything.
These devices are managed from the Deco app for Android and iOS smartphones, where we will have all the configuration options available. Two very important aspects are that they allow interconnection via Ethernet, and also that it allows you to configure it in Wi-Fi access point mode, without the router functions, ideal to be able to coexist with our operator’s router.
This model allows incorporating more than 3 nodes without problems, although we must remember that the interconnection network is shared with wireless clients, so we may not get too much speed.
TP-Link Deco E3
This model actually consists of a Deco E4 that acts as a router, and a Deco M3W extender. The wireless characteristics of both devices are simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi, the Deco E4 incorporates Fast-Ethernet ports, but the Deco M3W does not have any Ethernet port, so it would only act as a universal Wi-Fi repeater with Mesh functions ( Wi-Fi roaming and band steering).
If you do not want to spend too much money, it is an option, but we believe that other better and a little more expensive options are preferable such as the Deco M4 of the same TP-Link, or directly the D-Link COVR-1102 that we have seen before.
Tenda NOVA MW5S
The main characteristics of the Tenda NOVA MW5S are that it is simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. This model incorporates technologies such as Beamforming, MU-MIMO and even Fast-Roaming with the 802.11r standard, so that the transition between the nodes is transparent and very fast. Other interesting wireless features is that it will allow us to configure a guest Wi-Fi network.
The Tenda NOVA MW5S Mesh Wi-Fi system has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one for the WAN / LAN and the other for the LAN, this equipment also allows it to be configured as a Wi-Fi access point without the possibility of having routing functions.
A very important aspect that is common to all Tenda NOVAs is that we have the possibility to “mix” the different models and they will work with each other without any problem.
Tenda NOVA MW6
The main wireless characteristics of this Tenda Mesh Wi-Fi system is that it is simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , we will achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and a speed of up to 867Mbps. Other wireless features available in this Wi-Fi Mesh system are Beamforming technology to focus the Wi-Fi signal, MU-MIMO to optimize global speed, AP Steering or also known as Wi-Fi roaming, Band-steering to go from the 2.4GHz band to 5GHz and vice versa, and it also has Fast-Roaming with the 802.11v / r standards to make the transition as fast as possible.
This Wi-Fi Mesh has 2 or 3 exactly the same nodes, each of them has a Gigabit Ethernet port for the WAN / LAN, and another Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN. We can use one of the nodes as the main router, and the other two nodes to extend the wireless signal, in addition, they come preconfigured to greatly facilitate their configuration.
The negative part of these devices is that they incorporate very few advanced configuration options, they do not have as many options as the D-Link, TP-Link or NETGEAR, although for a user who wants simplicity it may be a good alternative.
We recommend you visit our complete analysis of the Wi-Fi Mesh Tenda NOVA MW6 where you will find all the technical details, real performance achieved, and the configuration options of the app.
Tenda NOVA MW3
This equipment is similar to the Deco E4 that we have seen previously, the most important thing is that a Fast-Ethernet port (10 / 100Mbps) for the WAN / LAN, and another port for the LAN. At the level of wireless characteristics we have the same as the NOVA MW6, with simultaneous dual band with Wi-Fi AC1200 , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. This equipment incorporates Wi-Fi roaming and also band-steering, to have a Wi-Fi network throughout the Mesh network and that the device itself takes care of everything.
These devices are managed from the app for Android and iOS smartphones, where we will have all the available configuration options, we must bear in mind that this Wi-Fi Mesh is of the entry range, so you should not expect to obtain a great speed, on all through its Fast-Ethernet ports.
As you have seen, this model is quite basic and it is likely that it will not work for you due to its 100Mbps ports.
NETGEAR Orbi RBK12
This Wi-Fi Mesh system from the manufacturer NETGEAR is somewhat more expensive than the previous ones, for this reason we have left it for last, but it has an optimal performance in terms of Wi-Fi roaming. This kit consists of a total of two nodes, one acts as the main router and the other as an extender. The firmware allows us to configure the equipment as a bridge, so that it does not have the router functions and that it can coexist without problems with the operator’s router.
The main characteristics are that it is simultaneous dual band with AC1200 Wi-Fi , so we can achieve a speed of up to 300Mbps in the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps in the 5GHz band. It has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one for the WAN / LAN and one for the LAN.
We recommend you visit our complete analysis of the NETGEAR Orbi RBK12 where you will find all the technical characteristics, the real performance in the tests, and also all the configuration options of its firmware.