4th August 2025
If you’ve ever looked into how to improve your wi-fi signal at home or in the office, you may have come across the term ‘mesh network’. Broadband jargon can be confusing for those without existing knowledge, so this article is designed to break down the concept of a mesh wi-fi network into simple terms by our broadband experts, ensuring strong wi-fi coverage is accessible to everyone.
Whether you’re a casual internet user or someone managing a smart home full of connected devices, understanding mesh networks could be the key to a smoother, more reliable online experience throughout your home.
what is a mesh wi-fi extender?
A mesh wi-fi extender acts to extend your wi-fi coverage across your home. These extenders connect together as a system known as a mesh network to deliver a single, seamless broadband connection.
wi-fi booster vs wi-fi extender: what’s the difference?
Wi-fi booster is an umbrella term which can be used to mean a wi-fi extender, wi-fi repeater or amplifier. A wi-fi repeater for example picks up the wi-fi signal from your main router and rebroadcasts this into areas with weak or no coverage, however this often affects the speed that is rebroadcasted around your home.
In comparison, a wi-fi extender acts to extend your existing wi-fi coverage without loss of speed or creating an extension of your current network.
what is the difference between a traditional wi-fi extender and a mesh wi-fi extender?
The main difference between a wi-fi extender and a mesh wi-fi extender is the way they integrate with your wi-fi network.
A traditional extender will typically repeat your existing wi-fi signal to extend your coverage but will often create a separate network name e.g. YourWi-fiName_EXT.
In comparison, a mesh wi-fi extender creates a unified wi-fi network that extends the range of your wi-fi network throughout your home without creating separate networks. This means devices automatically connect to the strongest node without interrupting your network connection as you move around your house.
how does a mesh wi-fi system work?
Mesh wi-fi connects to your original wi-fi router. By spacing your additional mesh wi-fi extenders around your home that communicated with the original router and each other, you create one mesh network that extends your wi-fi signal.
It will take some testing to find the perfect location for each of your wi-fi extenders, a mesh wi-fi system such as complete wi-fi from toob, comes with support from an app that can help you to find the best location for each device to ensure a seamless connection as you move through your home.
why you might need a mesh network?
A mesh network is beneficial for a range of homes, including:
- large homes that struggle to receive a strong wi-fi connection the further away from the router they go, including house extensions and loft conversions
- those that rely on smart devices spread across the home
- homes with thick or concrete walls
- families who are trying to avoid the “who’s stealing my wi-fi” arguments
- house shares
- home workers
benefits of mesh wi-fi compared to other solutions
The benefits of mesh networks greatly outweigh other solutions such as simple wi-fi repeaters, including:
- automatically switches for you between each router for seamless roaming
- consistent speeds throughout your home which means no more buffering or dropouts
- one network name and password so you don’t have to connect a device to multiple wi-fi networks every time you buy a new one
- mesh networks often come with a user-friendly app that makes setup easy and future management simple
- it’s scalable, meaning you’re able to expand your coverage as needed, whether that’s to adjust to your new loft conversion or your growing family requires a reliable network
- if you have multiple extenders in your home and one fails, the system reroutes traffic through other extenders meaning you’ll always have a seamless connection around your home
is a mesh network better than a wi-fi booster?
Simply, yes! A mesh network is better than a wi-fi booster due to creating a seamless internet connection throughout the home. In comparison, a wi-fi booster won’t provide a seamless connection in the same way, potentially causing dropouts as your device switches from one router or booster to another as you move around.
mesh wi-fi and smart homes
Opting for a mesh network could be really beneficial for your home if you use a lot of smart devices. If your smart devices are far away from your original router, your smart home network might not work the way you want it to, as they rely on wi-fi to activate each of your programmed actions.
A mesh wi-fi network can ensures that there is a seamless connection across the entire home, meaning your smart devices will always be in reach and connected to the internet, ready for use.
check if a mesh extender can help you
Sometimes there are easy ways to fix an internet range issue in your home without having to resort to additional mesh extender devices or costs.
At toob, we recommend our customers get in touch with us to run through some simple troubleshooting and improvement tips to ensure you’re getting the best from your toob broadband service before recommending complete wi-fi – the mesh wi-fi system from toob.
so, is mesh wi-fi worth it?
Utilising a mesh wi-fi network is worth it for busy households and those struggling to get the most value from their broadband. Sometimes your broadband needs a little helping hand, and a mesh network is the best solution for reliability and seamless.
If you choose to create your own mesh network, you might find the research and set up frustrating, however there are a number of ISPs who offer a mesh network solution, like toob’s complete wi-fi, that are simple to set-up. These solutions often come with an app for easy set-up, plenty of supporting documentation available and friendly customer service options for those needing advice.
These solutions mean you can enjoy all the benefits of mesh wi-fi with simple set-up.
toob was founded in 2017 from a simple idea – ultrafast internet should be available and affordable for all.
We believe access to reliable, fast broadband – regardless of income, technical knowledge, or age – will benefit the communities in which toob operates. From humble beginnings with big ambitions, our objective has always been to transform the internet experience for customers while serving over a million premises in the next ten years.
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