Roger Fingas
A newly-introduced Wi-Fi standard, EasyMesh, could potentially simplify the growing mesh router market and let people mix and match satellite units from different makers.
EasyMesh-compatible routers will be able to monitor conditions and adapt as needed, providing a single seamless network, the Wi-Fi Alliance said on Monday. It added that owners will not only be able to use routers from multiple vendors, but match anything already EasyMesh-ready with future hardware.
The Alliance didn't immediately identify routers or manufacturers that would support the standard.
There are relatively few mesh options on the market. The forerunners are typically considered to be Eero, Linksys Velop, Netgear Orbi, Google WiFi, and Ubiquity AmpliFi HD.
Mesh routers provide better coverage than their counterparts by using one or more satellites. While similar in concept to extenders, mesh systems don't require the creation of multiple SSIDs, and will automatically shuttle devices between the best possible connection points. Some models may have dedicated backhaul bands to ensure maximum speeds.
Apple recently discontinued its AirPort line, and began selling the Velop as an alternative.
Malcolm Owen
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
9 Comments
Extenders don’t require a new ssid. You just need to make sure the passwords are the same. The hand off when you move around the house should be better with a setup designed for connecting you to the best access point.
To me only the Orbi makes sense for a mid size house. The Orbi is not really a mesh router though. All satellites talk to the base station via the dedicated backhaul channel. It is basically a range extender set up with easier setup.
I’m glad to see there’s a standard introduced. I hope this also includes a standard, expectable profile so that, say, I have an Eero setup that I decide to replace in 5 years with a Linksys setup and all I have to do to get most of the settings and configuration complete is to import the Eeros config file.
Maybe the software standard will help Netgear actually put out a product that works reliably, unlike the Orbi. Still waiting on firmware that delivers what the product is advertised to do.