The pros and cons of using mesh Wi-Fi

Mesh covers more ground, but a standalone router may be all you need.

By Roger Fingas Nov. 9, 2026 6:00 pm EST CoinUp/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Google Discover

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Diving into Wi-Fi routers for the first time can be baffling. There are a lot of concepts to understand, and not just the differences between Wi-Fi 6 and 7. Speeds and features vary between models using the same specification, and it may not be clear which of your devices can (or should) connect to which frequency bands.