6 Most Important Factors to Consider When You Buying a Mesh Router

There are a lot of different mesh routers on the market these days. So how do you know which one is right for you? Mesh Wi-Fi system are perfect for larger homes or for people who have a lot of devices that need to be connected to the Internet. This blog post will tell you 6 most important factors you should consider when you buying a mesh router. 

1. 6 Factors to Consider When Buying a Mesh Router

There are many routers on the market; how do you pick the right one for you from the wide variety of mesh routers? Here is a chart for users to refer to the correct mesh router for their home by the actual situation.

The following data are the parameters that most users refer to:

• Price.
• The number of Frequency(Bands).
• Signal coverage area.
• The number of rooms that can be covered.
• Suitable bandwidth level.
• The maximum number of devices to be connected.

This article selects several routers of different price points for comparison. They are as follows: the Netgear RBKE963, Netgear Orbi RBK653, Meshforce M7, Eero Pro, Meshforce M3, TP-Link Deco, these routers come from different prices with different performance, users can according to their own needs.Compare this with the information in the chart and choose the right router for you.

2. The Difference Between Quad-Band, Tri-Band, and Dual-Band Routers

The term "band" in mesh routers refers to the number of frequencies the router can transmit data on. As the name implies， A dual-band router can transmit data on two frequencies. In comparison, a tri-band router can transmit data on three different frequencies. Finally, a quad-band router can transmit data on four different frequencies.

So, What is the effect of different frequencies on the Internet speed?

Dual-Band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz): Dual-band can be traced back to the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard - now known as Wi-Fi 4. This standard first came into commercial use in 2009.

2.4GHz:

Originally, Wi-Fi - then known as "wireless networking" through the 802.11b and 802.11g standards - began with only the 2.4GHz band, a frequency used in life by cordless phones, Bluetooth gadgets and household appliances (such as microwave ovens) in addition to Wi-Fi devices. As a result, this frequency is saturated in our living environment.

2.4GHz can be used for too many applications and is usually subject to severe interference, resulting in poor Wi-Fi signals. That's when 5GHz comes into play.

5GHz:

5GHz first appeared in the 802.11a standard as a single-band solution that made up for some of the shortcomings of 2.4GHz, a frequency with less interference in the channel signal.

Therefore, the most common router nowadays is both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Many years ago, dual-band routers could accommodate most users, even if they had certain drawbacks of their own.

Tri-Band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz): 

Additional 5GHz band:

In 2014, chipmakers added another 5GHz Wi-Fi band by splitting the 5GHz spectrum into uplink and downlink channels and giving one to each. And just like that, the Tri-band router is born.

So, a traditional or original tri-band router consists of two 5GHz bands and one 2.4GHz band - i.e., 2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz. in other words, it should have double the bandwidth on the 5GHz frequency compared to a dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz) router.

Tri-band is mainly to meet the increasing number of home devices that need to connect to the Internet. In today's router connection, the 5GHz signal channel is faster. It is the priority connection, and more and more devices will cause the signal channel overload. The dual-channel allows multiple devices to link simultaneously and enjoy a smooth network environment.

Meshforce M7 is a tri-band router for home use, which can afford 75 devices and cover more than 7 rooms.

Quad-Band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz + 6GHz): 

Quad-Band is different from Tri-band, it has a new 6GHz frequency. The 6GHz band can improve the more incredible speed through. The disadvantage is that the 6GHz frequency range will also be much smaller than 5GHz, and the Quad-Band router is very expensive.

Nowadays, tri-band routers are the most common type of router. They offer a good mix of performance and price for the average user. If you have a lot of devices like more than 200 devices that need to connect to the Internet or if you live in a particularly congested area, then you may want to consider investing in a quad-band router. However, most people don't have that demand, and it's too expensive than many other routers, so they may not be ideal for everyone.

3. The Calculation of the Signal Coverage is Easy

You can calculate the signal coverage area by yourself. For example, suppose the coverage area of a single mesh router is 2000 sq.ft.. In that case, you can think of it as the area of a circle, and theoretically, the coverage area increases by the same amount for each additional one.

However, that is theoretical. The signal is a wireless frequency, will receive interference from electronic devices, etc., but also receive physical barriers to block, so you should choose a coverage area greater than the area of your house when you buy a router (do not forget to include the garage), so that you can ensure that your entire house has wireless signal coverage.

So, how do you pick the right mesh router for your needs? Start by determining what type of environment you live in and how many devices you need to connect to the Internet. If you have a lot of devices or live in a congested area, then consider investing in a quad-band mesh router. However, suppose you don't have that many devices or don't live in an exceptionally crowded area. In that case, tri-band routers should be more than enough for your needs.

4. Do you have Wi-Fi signals in every room of your home?

When buying a router, you should consider the coverage and the number of rooms. Usually, the product information will indicate the number of rooms that can be covered, which is a reference parameter.

Your house has many rooms, or your house is a double or even triple story, which means you have barriers between each of your mesh routers, which can affect signal propagation.

The number of rooms that can be covered by different Mesh Wi-Fi systems varies depending on their performance. For example, Meshforce M7 is capable of covering 7 rooms, which is enough for most home needs. Of course, when you have more needs, you can choose to upgrade your router or add an additional mesh node to improve the coverage

It is important to note that, mesh routers have two types of installation it's wireless backhaul and wired backhaul, and the signal of the wired backhaul will be better than the wireless backhaul.

5. The Higher the Bandwidth, the Faster the Internet Speed?

This is not always the case. A router's bandwidth is what dictates how much data can be transferred at one time between your devices and the Internet, likewise, the router has transmission limitations.

Today, many routers support more than 100 megabytes of bandwidth, and there are many homes that use 100 megabytes or even gigabytes of bandwidth. You want to get the most out of your bandwidth, you need a good router.

The router model number usually comes with performance information, such as AC 2100, or AC 1800, etc. This means that this router is a Wi-Fi 5 router and it has a bandwidth of 2100 Mbps/1800 Mbps. The higher the number, the better the performance, and the more expensive it will be.

6. You need to Count the Number of Connected Devices in Your Home!

The number of devices that are connected to a router will affect the speed of your wireless network. Routers usually come with a specific number of "Device Connections" which is the maximum number of devices that can be connected at one time and still maintain the desired internet speed.

If you have more than this amount of devices trying to connect, then you may experience slower speeds on some or all of your devices. You should also keep in mind that not all devices need to be connected to the router at once; many routers allow for different numbers of connections depending on what type of device is being used (PC, laptop, tablet, phone, etc.).

You can roughly estimate how many devices in your home need to connect to your wireless router, if you only have about 10 devices, then you do not need to buy a router capable of connecting 200 devices. But if you have 100 devices, then you can't buy a router that can only connect to 50 devices, which takes you time to think about.

7. Make a Choice Based on Your Needs

Finally, keep in mind that the price is not always indicative of quality. There are plenty of high-quality mesh routers on the market that won't break the bank. Do your research and read reviews before making your final decision. Take a little time, you should be able to find the perfect mesh router for your home.

Here's why you should choose the Meshforce M7 tri-band router: