How WiFi Extenders Work

WiFi extenders typically connect to your existing wireless network, broadcast a new network name, and blindly relay traffic back to your wireless router. This usually means that you’ll see two network names: one network offered by your wireless router, and another network offered by the extender. Your devices will often stay on one until it’s completely out of range. This means you’ll still have slow Wi-Fi at multiple points in your house unless you manually switch back and forth between networks as you move around, which is a huge hassle.

Unlike an extender, which you can add to an existing Wi-Fi network, mesh wifi systems are typically complete replacements for your home Wi-Fi. They’re designed to replace your complicated router-and-extender setup with multiple identical units placed around your house that are used together.

Whole Home Mesh WiFi

Mesh WiFi or Whole Home WiFi systems consists of the main router that connects directly to your modem, and a series of satellite modules, or nodes, placed around your house for full WiFi coverage. They are all part of a single wireless network and share the same SSID and password, unlike traditional WiFi routers.

Home mesh systems like the Tenda Nova MW3 and MW6, use mesh ‘access points,’ which are all aware of each other, and can wirelessly forward traffic around the network as needed. They all broadcast the same network name, which enables your Wi-Fi devices like phones and laptops to roam between mesh access points as they choose. That makes the handoff much more seamless than extenders.

Looking to invest in a whole home mesh WiFi solution for your home? Get in touch with our WiFi technician who will help you come up with a solution for your home WiFi. Call 082 670 3622 or email [email protected]

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