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Wi-Fi router vs. mesh system: I compared both - and here's what I'd choose

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Routers are cheaper, faster, and easier to set up. Mesh systems fix dead zones with wider coverage. Choose based on budget, home size, and connection needs. With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a me

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Wi-Fi Router Vs Mesh System: Which Is Best for You?

We all want a good, strong Wi-Fi signal throughout our homes, but figuring out how to achieve it without overspending can be tricky. Even once you’ve decided to replace the router from your internet service provider, do you get a new Wi-Fi router or invest in a mesh system? I covered this briefly in my router buying guide, but I’m going to dive a bit deeper here. I’ve been testing all sorts of home networking gear for years now, so I’ll break down your options, weigh up the pros and cons, and h

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If you’re upgrading wireless router, look for this brand new standard

If you’re planning to replace your wireless router with a new one and you have a smart home, there’s a new certification you’re going to want … When your home Wi-Fi router is more than a few years old, one of the best moves you can make when it comes to improving your connection and improving the reliability of your smart home products is to upgrade to a more modern model. For smart homes, you’ll want to check your planned purchase comes with a brand new certification: Wi-Fi for Matter. That’s

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New TP-Link zero-day surfaces as CISA warns other flaws are exploited

TP-Link has confirmed the existence of an unpatched zero-day vulnerability impacting multiple router models, as CISA warns that other router flaws have been exploited in attacks. The zero-day vulnerability was discovered by independent threat researcher Mehrun (ByteRay), who noted that he first reported it to TP-Link on May 11, 2024. The Chinese networking equipment giant confirmed to BleepingComputer that it is currently investigating the exploitability and exposure of the flaw. Though a pat

Channing Tatum Says His Gambit Will ‘Keep the Drama’ in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Colin Farrell “doesn’t see” returning to the Penguin’s “trough,” Doug Liman is “excited” to take Tom Cruise to outer space, and Clayface gets smushed. Until the USA network agrees to green light Night Spoilers, we are here with another Morning Spoilers! Avengers: Doomsday During a recent interview with Variety, Channing Tatum promised his portrayal of Gambit in Avengers: Doomsday will be more “serious” than last seen in Deadpool and Wolverine. I’m not gonna go full Cajun. [Directors Anthony a

The 71 best Labor Day deals you can still get

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

The 95 best Labor Day sales happening now

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

The 89 best Labor Day sales happening now

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

The best VPN routers of 2025

A virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best ways to encrypt your online communication, mask your IP address, circumvent censorship, and enhance your personal privacy. Many users simply download their chosen VPN's desktop or mobile software, install the app, sign in, choose a server, and go. However, you can also install your VPN on your router or purchase one with the service pre-installed. Setting up a VPN environment via your router provides blanket security and privacy coverage across

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The 91 best Labor Day deals we’ve found so far

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

I compared a standard Wi-Fi router with a mesh setup - here's which one I recommend

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single a

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

The 75 best Labor Day deals we’ve found so far

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

The 58 best Labor Day deals we’ve found so far

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

The 50 best Labor Day deals we’ve found so far

If you have a smaller space, a singlemay be sufficient, and you can pick one up for $74.99 ($15 off) — which is lower than its Prime Day price — at Amazon B&H Photo , and Best Buy . The router can create a network covering up to 1,500 square feet, connect to 75 devices at once, and deliver speeds of up to 900Mbps. If you move to a larger place, you can pick up an additional router (or two) to expand your network. A bundle that includes one router and two extenders is currently going for $159.99

Should you replace a traditional Wi-Fi router with mesh? I compared the two, and here's my verdict

Maria Diaz/ZDNET With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution.

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

Should you upgrade to mesh? I compared it with a traditional Wi-Fi router, and here's my advice

Maria Diaz/ZDNET With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution.

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

This three-pack of fast Wi-Fi 7 routers is under $200 for the first time

Having a solid set of Wi-Fi routers is essential, whether you’re working from home, playing online games , or streaming a movie. I’ve used this three-pack of TP-Link’s Deco BE26 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Routers for months without any issues, and I’m eager to recommend them, especially since it’s currently on sale for $188.89 ($90 off) at Amazon (with an on-page promo code) or $199.99 ($80 off) at Best Buy. TP-Link claims this array of routers can create a network that covers up to 6,600 square feet, with s

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Mesh routers vs. Wi-Fi routers: I tested both at home, and the winner is not so obvious

Maria Diaz/ZDNET With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution.

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

Mesh routers vs. Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office?

ZDNET With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office is set up, and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days, that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution. But if yo

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

Wi-Fi 8 Focuses on Reliability Over Speed to Handle Advanced AI Experiences

Only one in 50 homes in the US currently uses a Wi-Fi 7 router, but the next generation of wireless routers is already on the way. New details on Wi-Fi 8 were just released by Qualcomm, with the standard expected to be finalized in 2028. While Wi-Fi 7 is all about speed, increasing the maximum amount of data that could be transmitted from 2.4Gbps to 5.8Gbps, Wi-Fi 8 will focus on improving reliability. The initiative is being called Ultra High Reliability, and it states its goal as making conne

The Real Origin of Cisco Systems (1999)

The following account of the real origins of Cisco Systems, as opposed to the history often recounted in Cisco company literature, was written in 1999 by Tom Rindfleisch. Rindfleisch was Director of the SUMEX-AIM project (1973-1990), under which the software for a powerful Internet router system was developed and widely deployed at Stanford and elsewhere for research purposes. That code found its way, without approval from the original developers, to form the basis of the Cisco router. Tom Rindf

The Real Origin of Cisco Systems

The following account of the real origins of Cisco Systems, as opposed to the history often recounted in Cisco company literature, was written in 1999 by Tom Rindfleisch. Rindfleisch was Director of the SUMEX-AIM project (1973-1990), under which the software for a powerful Internet router system was developed and widely deployed at Stanford and elsewhere for research purposes. That code found its way, without approval from the original developers, to form the basis of the Cisco router. Tom Rindf

The Origin of Cisco Systems

The following account of the real origins of Cisco Systems, as opposed to the history often recounted in Cisco company literature, was written in 1999 by Tom Rindfleisch. Rindfleisch was Director of the SUMEX-AIM project (1973-1990), under which the software for a powerful Internet router system was developed and widely deployed at Stanford and elsewhere for research purposes. That code found its way, without approval from the original developers, to form the basis of the Cisco router. Tom Rindf

TP-Link’s new travel router delivers Wi-Fi 7 speeds

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Connecting to free airport or hotel Wi-Fi can often be a time-consuming and frustrating task that doesn’t seem worth the effort for a bag full of wireless devices. TP-Link has announced its first Wi-Fi 7 travel router, providing up to a total of 3.6 Gbps of b

14 Best Couches We've Tested That You Can Buy Online (2025)

It’s hard shopping for an outdoor couch. You need to consider the material so that it can weather the elements, potentially buy a storage box to store cushions, and consider the color, because who wants visible stains? That’s why I was so intrigued with Outer. The company’s couches come with OuterShell, a built-in cover that wraps around the couch cushions to keep them protected from bird droppings and rain. Just pull it over the cushions when you’re not using them, and affix the Velcro to the u

Netgear’s new Wi-Fi 7 mesh system is its most affordable yet

Netgear has launched the Orbi 370, the latest and most affordable addition to its Wi-Fi 7 mesh router portfolio. At $349.99 for a three-pack (which includes a router and two satellites), it costs a fraction of the price of Netgear’s other Wi-Fi 7 systems, like the high-end Orbi 870 and 970, or the $999.99 Orbi 770 series it released last year. A two-pack containing a router and a single satellite is available for $249.99 for those in smaller households, and additional Orbi 370 satellites can be

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Internet running slow? 3 things I always check first for faster Wi-Fi speeds at home

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET Nearly every part of modern life depends on our connection to the internet. When my provider experiences an outage, everything grinds to a halt -- working remotely via VPN, streaming music on Spotify, and even using smart home devices. It's a stark reminder of how much we rely on the invisible network that keeps us connected. Almost every aspect of modern life is affected by our connectivity to the Web. Also: Is your Roku TV spying on you? Probably, but here's how to put a

Claude Code Router

Claude Code Router 中文版 A powerful tool to route Claude Code requests to different models and customize any request. ✨ Features Model Routing : Route requests to different models based on your needs (e.g., background tasks, thinking, long context). : Route requests to different models based on your needs (e.g., background tasks, thinking, long context). Multi-Provider Support : Supports various model providers like OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Ollama, Gemini, Volcengine, and SiliconFlow. : Support

I Set Up a VPN on My Roku to Stream Geo-Restricted Shows and Movies. Here's How You Can Too

Watching movies and shows from your favorite streaming services is easy with a streaming device or smart TV. These devices can give you access to thousands of live and on-demand streaming options with the push of a button or even a voice command. If you set up a VPN on your smart TV or streaming device, you can unlock a world of streaming options far beyond what would normally be available in your location. With a VPN, streaming services can register your internet connection as originating in a

Creating an autonomous system for fun and profit (2017)

At its core, the Internet is an interconnected fabric of separate networks. Each network which makes up the Internet is operated independently and only interconnects with other networks in clearly defined places. For smaller networks like your home, the interaction between your network and the rest of the Internet is usually pretty simple: you buy an Internet service plan from an ISP (Internet Service Provider), they give you some kind of hand-off through something like a DSL or cable modem, an