With the ever-increasing number of devices in use at any one time at home or in the office, many internet users may experience the frustration of sluggish internet. Slow downloads, glitching streams, and dropped video calls can all happen when your internet connection isn’t up to the challenge.
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While fiber internet, such as the high-speed fiber broadband network delivered by Greenlight Networks, can make an enormous improvement in the quality, speed, and reliability of your internet, there are other steps you can take to make your internet even better. And if you’ve already upgraded to Greenlight Networks fiber internet, you also owe it to yourself to make sure you’ve got the Wi-Fi hardware necessary to get the most out of our fiber in every corner of your home!
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Keep reading to learn more about mesh networks and how they can make your internet experience the best it can be.
What is a Mesh Network- and How Do they work?
A mesh network is simply a patchwork of internet devices setup across your home or business that are interconnected together to disperse internet throughout an area that may not be reached by a single router. Each device in the mesh network—the main router and smaller devices commonly called “nodes”—is linked to one another, transmitting internet around their interconnected network.
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To establish a mesh network in your home, you will need to invest a modest amount of money in some hardware (i.e., the router and the nodes). After acquiring that equipment, they must be strategically placed throughout your home or business and in any area you wish to access the internet.
Once set up, the mesh network will work seamlessly—as if they were just one single unit—communicating internet data far more quickly and reliably than ordinary ranger extenders.
What Equipment is Needed for a Mesh Network?
The most important piece of equipment needed for a mesh network is a more up-to-date router. Indeed, many internet customers are still using antiquated routers that fail to take advantage of all that Greenlight Networks high-speed fiber has to offer!
The latest Wi-Fi technology is called Wi-Fi 6. Also known as 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6 is a substantial improvement over earlier forms of Wi-Fi and can handle fiber’s massive bandwidth and speed capabilities. Its dispersal prowess is also better, and it can communicate with other devices—especially mesh network nodes—more efficiently.
Next, you will need to set up mesh nodes throughout your home. These smaller nodes receive a signal from the Wi-Fi router, helping to form a nexus of internet connectivity in your home or business—as if they were one unit transmitting a signal together.
There’s an element of strategy necessary to this step to ensure your network eliminates all dead zones.
Do I really Need a Mesh Network?
Some customers may be wondering if they need a mesh network. After all, they may already have range extenders in their home. Well, if any internet user has been experiencing lag or disruptions, it may very well be time for an upgrade to a mesh network.
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The biggest difference between ordinary range extenders and a mesh network is that, unlike a range extender, a mesh network and its interconnected nodes are designed and engineered to work together as a single unit. That sort of connectivity and advanced technology just can’t be matched by ordinary range extenders.
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Mesh networks really show off their value when you have many users (or even guests) at any one time. Too many devices streaming and chewing up bandwidth and internet at once creates a real strain on streaming—not to mention on family relationships!
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Mesh networks and their sophisticated technology, however, can help alleviate this strain. And if you also utilize Greenlight Networks’ advanced fiber internet, which is the fastest, most reliable internet you can get, the combination of fiber and a mesh network at home will turbocharge your internet experience even further.
