WiFi Mesh systems

Dad joke included at no extra cost!

I've recently set up a WiFi Mesh system for a customer, and though it might be a good idea to quickly explain what they are, and how to set them up. This is a bit longer than the last post but stick with it, it's worth it!

Unless you've already got a Mesh you're probably connecting to the Wifi provided by the box that your internet provider sent you, (**jargon alert**) often called a 'hub', 'router', or 'modem'...we'll use hub for the rest of this article. A Mesh system is just a set of boxes (**jargon alert**), called nodes, that provide the Wifi instead.

One of the Mesh nodes is connected to your hub via a cable, this is your main node. All the other Mesh nodes connect to the main one...if one of them can't connect to the main node it will connect to one of the nodes it can see, and get to the main node that way.

The beauty of the Mesh system is that you don't know, see, or care which of the nodes your phone, (or whatever), is connected to. You just connect to WiFi as you did before, and the clever little Mesh automatically connects you to the node with the best signal as you move around your house. As you've now got multiple nodes to connect to instead of just one, you should see much better coverage and probably connection speeds.

So that's the why, what about the how?

Setting up a Mesh is not super complicated, though also not super easy, and there's usually a step by step guide included with the system you bought. You'll need to do the following, (high level, not detailed!), steps to get it up and running:

1. Download(1) the app the manufacturer provides to manage the Mesh system. They might let you connect directly with a cable into a node, but there's usually an app to manage your Mesh.
2. Plug a node into your hub...it can usually be any of them and there should be a cable provided for this.
3. Plug in the power to that node and switch it on...give it a minute or so to chat to your hub and sort itself out.
4. To do the next step (step 5) you may need to connect directly to the Mesh Wifi network...the default connection details will be on a label on the nodes or the instruction booklet.
5. Log into the app you downloaded in step 1, (you may need to set up an account), and it should show you the main node connected.
6. Place and switch on the other nodes in the set you got, following the advice from the manufacturer on where to place them.
7. Wait a bit and if all is well you should see all the other nodes show up in the app.
8. If you've got a Mesh system that can replace your internet hub and want to keep using the existing hub(2), you'll need to switch off all the extra bits on the Mesh. There's usually an option called something like 'Bridge mode', 'Access Point mode', or 'AP mode'.
9. If you want to use the Mesh system as your hub, (assuming it can do that), you'll need to switch off all the extra bits in the hub from your internet provider...there will be an option called something like 'modem mode'(3).
10. Back in the app you downloaded in step 1, change the default password on your shiny new Mesh Wifi, and note it down somewhere. You can then connect all your devices to your new Mesh(4).
11. Once you've got all your devices connected to your Mesh, you can switch off the WiFi on your internet hub to avoid it interfering with your Mesh. That's if you went with step 8 above...if you went with step 9 you'll have done this already.

The steps provided by the Mesh manufacturer might or might not mention those in 8 to 11 above, but they are important so please don't skip them. Make sure you read the notes below as well, they are important too!

Of course, if all this seems like far too much hassle, feel free to get in touch and we can help you get all set up with minimal fuss. We have one here and it makes all the difference...especially if you have a large space or a property with thick walls

Notes

1 - NEVER downloaded something unless it's directly from the manufacturer's website, or is from a website you absolutely trust!

2 - Some internet providers will insist that you use their hub and won't support you with issues unless you are using their hub, others are happy for you to use one you've bought yourself instead.

3 - If you do this, make sure you have all the connection details you need to put into your main Mesh node before you switch to 'modem mode' on your existing hub. Your internet provider can provide them if they are happy for use to use your own hub.

4 - This will show up as a completely new WiFi network on your phone and other  devices.