Wi-Fi repeater or mesh: what makes sense for your home?

What the message looks like

Im Keller oder Dachgeschoss gibt es kaum WLAN: Repeater kaufen oder ein Mesh-System?

Common causes

• The router sits at one end of the house and the signal does not reach distant rooms.
• Thick walls, floors and reinforced concrete weaken the signal a lot.
• A repeater is too far from the router and only gets a weak signal itself, which it then passes on.
• A repeater connects to the router by radio and shares the airtime. Speed behind it often drops as a result.
• Several networks with different names make devices stick to the weak one for too long.
• A mesh setup lacks compatibility or the setup was not completed.

Check

1. Check reception at the planned spot for the repeater (Windows)
   netsh wlan show interfacesCopy
2. Test reachability of the router from there (Windows; on macOS/Linux use -c 20 instead of -n 20)
   ping -n 20 192.168.178.1Copy
3. See which access point the device is connected to (BSSID, router or repeater)
   netsh wlan show interfacesCopy
4. Show all receivable networks and signal strengths
   netsh wlan show networks mode=bssidCopy
5. Check which address is used as gateway
   ipconfig /allCopy

Fix

• First measure reception at the spot where a repeater or node should go. It should still get good reception from the router, about halfway and not inside the dead spot itself.
• A repeater is a cheap, simple fix for a single dead spot. A mesh system of several units suits larger homes or several floors and is managed as a whole.
• If possible, connect the extra node to the router with a network cable. This is usually the most stable option and can improve performance a lot.
• Avoid chaining more devices than needed. Every radio hop costs performance.
• Set the devices up following the manufacturer's guide. Menu names and steps differ by product and firmware.
• After setup, check in different rooms which access point the device connects to.

FAQ

What is better: repeater or mesh?

In general: a repeater often suffices for one dead spot, a mesh system suits larger areas and offers unified management. Both work best with good placement.

Does a powerline adapter or cable help?

A network cable is usually the most reliable link. Powerline can be an alternative but depends on the house wiring.