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Dual and tri-band routers cost a dime, but you need to make sure you’re buying the best Wi-Fi broadcaster for your home. If you live in a multi-story home that’s full of internet-connected technology, we wouldn’t be surprised to learn that you often experience slow network performance. When you’re working with a larger footprint, even the best tri-band routers can struggle to provide the bandwidth your devices demand. To this end, we recommend opting for a mesh Wi-Fi system instead of relying on a single unit to broadcast your Wi-Fi.
Brands like Netgear and TP-Link are a few companies that specialize in mesh gear, but according to Consumer Reports (CR), the best mesh combo on the market is actually the $580 Asus ZenWiFi BT8 (2-pack). CR’s lab testing pushed the BT8 to its limits, and the publication praised the system for its range, quick setup, and intuitive controls via the Asus Router app (for iOS and Android devices). The app is also what you’ll use to integrate your BT8 equipment, and the software offers a number of network monitoring/security tools and settings.
Designed to provide sufficient Wi-Fi coverage for a 5,900 square foot home, the BT8 (2-pack) supports WiFi 7 and each node contains the following: 1 x 2.5G LAN, 1 x 2.5G WAN, 2 x Gigabit LAN and 1 x USB-A. Both nodes also support 4G LTE and 5G mobile tethering.
Mesh Wi-Fi is hard to beat and might be one of your only reliable options for a large home.
We know how frustrating it can be when your network starts to slow down. Fortunately, the Asus ZenWiFi BT8 can be configured to run “bypass” networks to help eliminate some of your bandwidth bottlenecks. You can configure dedicated SSIDs for specific device classes (e.g. an IoT network for smart home gadgets, a kids network for a parent-controlled experience) and use the Asus Router app to monitor them all.
On Amazon, the ZenWiFi BT8 has a 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on over 110 reviews. Most people were happy with the overall performance of the mesh system and its simple setup, but a few users reported that one or both nodes could fail unexpectedly. That said, another user said that a firmware update seemed to resolve this issue, so mileage may vary. Asus also sells single- and three-node versions of the ZenWiFi BT8, and the latter is claimed to provide enough coverage for an 8,850 square foot home.
Investing in a mesh Wi-Fi system is a great way to improve the performance of anything Wi-Fi related, including your current network. Asus is also a long-standing, reliable manufacturer of computer and networking technology, which bodes well for those of us who don’t want to trust an emerging brand.
