With the ever-increasing number of devices in use at any one time at home or in the office, many internet users may experience the frustration of sluggish internet. Slow downloads, glitching streams, and dropped video calls can all happen when your internet connection isn’t up to the challenge.
While fiber internet, such as the high-speed fiber broadband network delivered by NHTC, can make an enormous improvement in the quality, speed and reliability of your internet, there are other steps you can take to make your internet even better. And if you’ve already upgraded to NHTC’s fiber internet, you also owe it to yourself to make sure you’ve got the Wi-Fi hardware necessary to get the most out of our fiber in every corner of your home!
Keep reading to learn more about mesh networks, including NHTC’s Whole-Home Wi-Fi solution and how it can make your internet experience the best it can be.
What is a Whole-Home (Mesh) Network—and How Does it Work?
A mesh (or Whole-Home) network is simply a patchwork of internet devices setup across your home or business that are interconnected together to disperse internet throughout an area that may not be reached by a single router. Each device in the mesh network—the main router and smaller devices commonly called “pods” or “units”—is linked to one another, transmitting internet around their interconnected network.
To establish a mesh network in your home or business, you will need to invest in some hardware (i.e., the router and the units). After acquiring that equipment, the hardware must be strategically placed throughout your home or business and in any area you wish to access the internet.
Once set up, the mesh network will work seamlessly—as if they were just one single unit—communicating internet data far more quickly and reliably than ordinary range extenders.
What Equipment Is Needed for a Whole-Home (Mesh) Network?
The most important piece of equipment needed for a mesh network is an up-to-date router. Indeed, many internet customers are still using antiquated routers that fail to take advantage of all that NHTC’s high-speed fiber has to offer!
The latest Wi-Fi technology is called Wi-Fi 6. Also known as 802.11ax, Wi-Fi 6 is a substantial improvement over earlier forms of Wi-Fi and can handle fiber’s massive bandwidth and speed capabilities. Its dispersal prowess is also better, and it can communicate with other devices—especially mesh network units—more efficiently.
Next, you will need to set up mesh units throughout your home. These smaller units receive a signal from the Wi-Fi router, helping to form a nexus of internet connectivity in your home or business—as if they were one unit transmitting a signal together.
There’s an element of strategy necessary to this step to ensure your network eliminates all dead zones, but we’re available and happy to assist you with this process!
Do I Really Need a Whole-Home (Mesh) Network?
Some customers may be wondering if they need a mesh network. After all, they may already have range extenders in their home. Well, if any internet user has been experiencing lag or disruptions, it may very well be time for an upgrade to a mesh network.
The biggest difference between ordinary range extenders and a mesh network is that, unlike a range extender, a mesh network and its interconnected units are designed and engineered to work together as a single unit. That sort of connectivity and advanced technology just can’t be matched by ordinary range extenders.
Mesh networks really show off their value when you have many users (or even guests) at any one time. Too many devices streaming and chewing up bandwidth and internet at once creates a real strain on streaming—not to mention on family relationships!
Mesh networks and their sophisticated technology, however, can help alleviate this strain. And if you also utilize NHTC’s advanced fiber internet, which is the fastest, most reliable internet you can get, the combination of fiber and a mesh network at home will turbocharge your internet experience even further.
NHTC’s Whole-Home (Mesh) Network Plan
NHTC offers a Whole-Home (mesh) Wi-Fi solution that can be set up in your home or business. Our team of technicians and network professionals can help you assess the “dead zones” in your home, as well as the high-trafficked areas you’re most likely to need internet.
The number of units or “pods” needed will vary depending on the size of your home, and other factors like the number of walls or floors in the home. But with NHTC’s Whole-Home Wi-Fi and phenomenal high-speed fiber internet, your streaming will be considerably better, and more people can work on their devices simultaneously than ever before and without interruptions or slowdowns.
So, when you’re ready to take your internet to the next level, reach out to the friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives at NHTC. We can discuss your options and explain how Whole-Home Wi-Fi can make all the difference for your internet experience. And for additional tips to enhance the performance of NHTC’s high-speed fiber internet in your home or business, check out our social pages!