Mesh Wi-Fi: the guide
If your Wi-Fi drops off in the bedroom, dies in the garden, or the kids complain about lag on the console upstairs, a mesh system is almost certainly the fix.
The short answer
Mesh Wi-Fi uses multiple nodes to blanket a house in a single seamless network. It's the best option for larger homes or houses with thick walls — much better than extenders.
How mesh works
You place two or three (or more) mesh nodes around the house. They all broadcast the same SSID, so devices move seamlessly between them. Most systems also use a dedicated backhaul channel so speed doesn't halve at each hop.
Mesh vs Wi-Fi extenders
Extenders halve your speed each hop and create separate SSIDs your device has to manually switch between. Mesh is invisible to the device and much faster.
How many nodes?
1–2 bed flat: 2 nodes. 3–4 bed house: 3 nodes. Big houses or gardens: 3+ with wired backhaul if possible.
Popular systems
TP-Link Deco, Amazon eero, Netgear Orbi and Google Nest Wi-Fi all work well and are compatible with OCCTA broadband when used in AP or router mode.
FAQs
Next step
Find out what's available at your address, or talk to a human about your setup.