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I Tested 4 Popular Mesh WiFi Systems - Here's What Actually Worked

So I moved into a three-story townhouse with concrete walls last September, and my trusty old Netgear router couldn't handle it. Dead zones everywhere - the upstairs bedrooms had basically no signal, and don't even get me started on the basement.

After weeks of research paralysis, I decided to just buy four different mesh systems and test them all. Returned the ones I didn't like. Here's what I found.

The House Layout (Context Matters)

Before we get into the systems, here's what I'm working with:

• 1950s townhouse, 2200 sq ft across 3 floors
• Concrete walls between units (shares walls with neighbors)
• Router has to go in basement where cable comes in (not ideal)
• 500 Mbps fiber internet
• Usually 15-20 devices connected

If you have a normal house with the router centrally located, your results will probably be better than mine. My setup was basically worst-case scenario.

The Systems I Tested

1. Google Nest WiFi Pro (WiFi 6E) - $400 for 3-pack

I'll be honest - I bought this one first because it looked nice and the app screenshots were pretty. That's terrible reasoning but here we are.

Speed Results:

• Basement (main unit): 485 Mbps
• First floor: 420 Mbps
• Second floor: 340 Mbps
• Third floor: 180 Mbps (not great)

The Google system worked okay, but for $400, I expected better third-floor coverage. The app is great though - definitely the most user-friendly of everything I tested.

2. TP-Link Deco XE75 (WiFi 6E) - $300 for 3-pack

This one surprised me. It's cheaper than the Google system but performed better in most areas.

Speed Results:

• Basement (main unit): 490 Mbps
• First floor: 450 Mbps
• Second floor: 390 Mbps
• Third floor: 280 Mbps (much better!)

This is the one I kept. The coverage was noticeably better than Google's system, especially on the third floor. Yeah, the app isn't as pretty, but I don't look at it that often anyway.

3. Amazon eero Pro 6E - $450 for 3-pack

The most expensive one I tested. Amazon really wants $450 for this?

Speed Results:

• Basement (main unit): 480 Mbps
• First floor: 430 Mbps
• Second floor: 370 Mbps
• Third floor: 240 Mbps

It's good, but not $450 good. The Alexa integration is nice if you're deep in the Amazon ecosystem, but otherwise I don't see why you'd pay the premium over the TP-Link system.

4. ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 (WiFi 6) - $350 for 2-pack

This one's different - only 2 units for $350, but they're more powerful than the others.

Speed Results:

• Basement (main unit): 475 Mbps
• First floor: 440 Mbps
• Second floor: 360 Mbps
• Third floor: needed a third unit

If you're a power user who wants to tweak everything, this is probably your system. But for me, it was overkill and the units were too big to place discretely.

Key Lessons Learned

1. Unit Placement Matters Way More Than I Thought

I initially just plugged units in wherever there was an outlet. Bad idea. After watching a bunch of YouTube videos, I learned you should place them:

• In open areas, not inside cabinets (seems obvious now)
• Roughly equidistant from each other
• At different heights on different floors
• Away from other electronics that cause interference

Just moving the units to better spots improved my speeds by like 50 Mbps on the third floor.

2. You Might Need More Units Than the Package Suggests

All these systems claim "covers up to 6000 sq ft!" Yeah, maybe if you live in an open loft with no walls. In a real house with doors and walls? Divide that number by 2.

For my 2200 sq ft place with challenging layout, three units was barely enough. I'm considering adding a fourth for the garage.

3. Wired Backhaul Makes a Huge Difference

If you can run ethernet cables between your mesh units (called "wired backhaul"), do it. I ran one cable from basement to second floor, and the speeds on that floor jumped from 340 Mbps to 460 Mbps.

Problem is, running cables through walls sucks. So I only did it for one unit.

4. The App Quality Actually Matters

I thought "meh, I'll set it up once and forget about it." Wrong. You end up opening the app way more than you'd expect - troubleshooting issues, checking which devices are connected, updating firmware, etc.

Google's app is the best, TP-Link's is functional but meh, ASUS's is powerful but confusing.

Which One Should You Buy?

Best Overall Value: TP-Link Deco XE75 ($300)

Best coverage, good price, WiFi 6E. The app isn't pretty but who cares - it works.

Best for Easy Setup: Google Nest WiFi Pro ($400)

If you value simplicity over everything else and don't mind paying extra.

Best for Power Users: ASUS ZenWiFi XT8 ($350)

If you want tons of customization and ethernet ports.

Skip: Amazon eero Pro 6E ($450)

It's good, but you're paying a premium for the Amazon brand. Not worth it unless you really want Alexa integration.

My Final Setup

I kept the TP-Link Deco XE75 system. After optimizing placement and adding wired backhaul to one unit, here's my current speeds throughout the house:

• Basement: 490 Mbps
• First floor: 465 Mbps
• Second floor: 470 Mbps (wired backhaul)
• Third floor: 310 Mbps

No more dead zones, and everyone's happy. Video calls don't drop, 4K streaming works everywhere, and gaming ping is stable.

Was it worth the hassle of testing four different systems? Honestly, probably not - the TP-Link and Google systems were pretty close in performance. But at least now you don't have to do the same thing.

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