Mesh WiFi vs. access points: What’s the difference?

A WiFi access point (WAP) is a device that extends your WiFi network’s coverage by creating a wireless local area network (WLAN) within a specific part of your home. It connects to your main router, switch or hub using Ethernet cables, also called Ethernet backhaul. The access point then broadcasts the WiFi signals that devices connect to.

This setup is known as a wired access point installation, which provides strong, stable coverage with lower latency and minimal interference. While wireless setups, such as WiFi extenders, can also function as WiFi access points, they rely on a WiFi backhaul and repeat existing signals, which can introduce higher latency and packet loss.

You can configure access points to either share the same network name (SSID) as your primary router for a seamless roaming experience or use separate SSIDs to create distinct zones. Separate SSIDs can help reduce network congestion, improve network control and simplify managing guest WiFi access or prioritize specific devices.

While WiFi access points provide many benefits, including coverage expansion, supporting more devices and maintaining a stable connection, they also come with trade-offs. Let’s take a look.

• • Increased network coverage: Access points extend WiFi coverage to hard-to-reach areas, like upstairs, basements or outdoor spaces where the main router falls short.
  • Stable connections: Because access points connect to the main router via Ethernet cables, they deliver strong, reliable signals with minimal interference.
  • Improved device support: Access points support the latest WiFi standards and can handle multiple devices at once, including laptops, gaming consoles, smartphones and smart home devices.
  • Custom network control: You can configure WAP installations with separate SSIDs to create different networks for more security control and flexibility.

However, there are certain limitations to WiFi access points in terms of cost, setup and management.

• Setup complexity: Setting up access points is generally more complex, involving Ethernet wiring and configuring the network manually.
• Higher cost: The initial cost of setting up WiFi access points can be higher, especially if you want professional installation, wiring and configuration, making the upfront investment higher than plug-and-play options like mesh WiFi.
• Network management: WiFi access points require hands-on configuration and management, unlike mesh systems, which allow users to configure the network through a mobile app.
• Limited roaming: If each access point uses a unique SSID, devices won’t automatically switch between zones, causing connections to drop as you move around the house.

A mesh WiFi system is a home networking solution that uses multiple interconnected nodes to create a single seamless whole-home WiFi network.

Unlike standard routers, which broadcast from a single point, mesh systems distribute the signals through a network of devices working together. One node connects to the modem or primary router, while the other nodes communicate with it to broadcast the signals, maintain consistent speeds and expand coverage. This approach helps eliminate dead zones and ensure reliable whole-home coverage.

Mesh WiFi systems utilize multiple nodes to establish a wireless mesh architecture, where nodes dynamically share traffic using the most efficient path. All nodes share the same SSID, allowing for seamless roaming throughout the house.

The mesh system is a self-healing network, meaning that if a node fails, the network automatically reroutes traffic to the remaining nodes to maintain connectivity. You can also expand WiFi coverage by installing more mesh nodes throughout your home.

Mesh WiFi systems offer many benefits that improve connectivity across your home. These benefits include.

• Seamless whole-home coverage: Mesh nodes work together to provide a consistent WiFi connection across the house to eliminate dead zones.
• Easy setup and management: Mesh systems like eero make installation simple, with the intuitive eero mobile app guiding you through setup and day-to-day network management, even if you’re not tech-savvy.
• Minimal disruption: Devices automatically switch to the strongest available node, keeping you connected as you move from room to room.
• Scalable and flexible: You can add nodes as needed to increase coverage without having to reconfigure your network.
• Built-in security: eero mesh WiFi includes eero Secure and eero Plus, offering security features such as content filtering, threat protection and ad blocking to protect your home network.
• Smart home compatibility: Mesh systems are ideal for smart home mesh coverage, supporting multiple high-bandwidth smart home devices without compromising speed or stability.

Choosing the best home WiFi solution for your home depends on your home’s size, layout, number of users and devices and how you use the internet.

Mesh WiFi is ideal for a large home with multiple floors, thick walls and dead zones where signals from a single router cannot reach. By placing the mesh nodes throughout the house, you ensure coverage without signal drops, thanks to its self-healing nodes, seamless roaming and intelligent traffic routing.

For example, one Reddit user planning a WiFi setup for two homes debated between a mesh WiFi system and access points. Although planning to use a wired backhaul for either setup, they preferred mesh WiFi for its ease of setup, centralized control and seamless roaming, finally choosing it for the balance of reliability and convenience.

If you’re planning a home network upgrade, mesh WiFi is a future-proof, scalable solution that’s also easy to manage. As your needs grow, simply adding more nodes to the mesh network will improve network coverage without rewiring or reconfiguration.

Access points are ideal if you prefer a wired solution and want to set up dedicated zones within your home, like a home office, gaming room or outdoor space. Because they connect directly to your router using Ethernet backhaul, access points deliver fast, reliable performance in specific areas.

Additionally, access points are the better option if you desire more control over network management, like security settings, SSID configurations and device prioritization.

They’re also effective in smaller homes or apartments, where full-home coverage isn’t a challenge and running Ethernet cables isn’t an issue.

For modern households relying on high-bandwidth usage like 4k streaming, online gaming, smart home connectivity and remote work, Astound’s eero mesh WiFi system provides a seamless whole-home WiFi experience.

This solution combines the trusted performance of Astound’s fiber-powered internet with eero’s advanced mesh WiFi technology, providing reliable and seamless whole-home coverage backed by a reliable internet service provider.

And with eero mesh WiFi included at no extra cost when you subscribe to Astound’s Gig-speed internet plans, you’ll enjoy:

• Whole-home coverage with seamless roaming across your home.
• Support for multiple devices with automatic traffic routing and device prioritization.
• Blazing fast Gigabit speeds, with eero routers supporting up to 2 Gbps and up to 5 Gbps with the new eero Max 7.
• Built-in security through eero Secure and eero Plus, providing security features like parental controls, threat protection, VPN support and ad blocking.
• App-based network control via the eero mobile app to manage settings, diagnose issues and set up guest WiFi access from your phone.

Scalability and flexibility by adding more mesh nodes for better coverage as your household’s internet demands grow.

Additionally, bundling Astound’s mobile services (unlimited data) with Gig internet plans unlocks $30 in monthly savings, making it easier to upgrade to a faster, more secure WiFi network without stretching your budget.

While both technologies improve coverage and performance, choosing between the two comes down to your home’s layout, internet needs and how involved you want to be in managing your setup.

Mesh WiFi systems offer user-friendly setup, seamless roaming and whole-home coverage, making them ideal for larger homes that want fast, extensive and reliable connections without manually configuring and managing the network setup.

Access points, on the other hand, deliver fast and reliable speeds in specific areas and give users more hands-on network control. They are ideal for homes with an existing wired internet setup and users who need to prioritize performance in key areas like their home offices or entertainment rooms.

Ultimately, the right choice should align with your connection needs, technology preferences and preferred internet setup.