this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2023
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I try not to shit on articles too much because I understand that the vast majority of writers these days are given a prompt and talking points by their editors but...
Clearly setting up a home internet system is also not a skill this tech writer has.
This is a solved problem. It is a mesh network. Yes, you can spend insane amounts of money for a ubiquiti solution (and they are nice...). Or you can wait for a sale on a google/amazon solution. Or you can just look into stuff like the tp-link omada system where your access points are 30-40 bucks and can act as both repeaters and extenders, depending on your setup.
Don't get me wrong, ethernet is always better. But it really is not necessary in the vast majority of use cases. And considering the cost of building or renovating a house, I would not look into drywall alternatives in addition to adding ethernet drops.
Also, if they think THAT networking panel is a mess then... I very much question if they have ever touched an ethernet cable before. I have seen top of the line data/computing centers which were less neatly cabled than that picture.
Mesh networks are severely limited in terms of mbps/throughput. They also use their own throughput channel to communicate and sync with each other, further reducing available bandwidth.
They also can introduce a lot of latency and packet loss if you're into gaming that needs to be taken into consideration.
They have a purpose and a use, but if you want to get the benefits of modern internet speeds, you should set up a wired network and only use wireless protocols for small, difficult to wire, devices.
If there are Ethernet ports in every room (as the article describes) then the back haul happens over wire. No unusual packet loss or latency with a few plug and play pucks throughout the house.
Yeah. Have most just act in mesh mode for the wired internet so that your mobile devices (which are generally latency insensitive) have optimal coverage. If there is a spot that you just can't reach and that has no drops? That is when you turn on extender mode and start taking the hit.
Also, if there is meaningful packet loss then that is generally a sign that your access points are too far apart. If the signal barely reaches the access point then it can't really meaningfully extend the reach of the network.
Modern budget mesh hardware will happily pipe gigabit speeds over their backhaul. Plenty fast for most people today.
The article is speaking for the masses, not the technoelite. Modern mesh APs wireless backhauls are plenty fast for them. Even an eero setup would be a vast improvement over the router their ISP gave them.
This was true about older mesh systems, that's not an issue today, you'll see you're ping go up a couple of ms and your mbps go down by 10 less. Speaking from experience, in a house where a single router is leaving some deadzones, mesh networks are leaps and bounds better. You can easily game on them.