If you’ve optimised router placement and part of your home still has weak or no signal, you need additional hardware.
There are three approaches. They are not equally good, and the cheapest is comfortably the worst.
First, make sure you actually need it
Extra hardware placed around a badly positioned router just spreads the problem. Work through improving your Wi-Fi signal first — many homes that think they need mesh simply need the router out of the cupboard.
Option 1: Mesh Wi-Fi (best for most homes)
A mesh system is two or three units that work together as one network. They share a single name and password, and your devices move between them automatically as you walk around the house.
- Seamless roaming. A video call continues uninterrupted as you walk from the lounge to the study.
- One network to manage. No confusing second network name, no manual switching.
- Self-organising. The units work out the best path between themselves automatically.
- Expandable. Add another node later if you extend the house.
- Downside: more expensive than a repeater, and nodes still need reasonable signal between them.
Each node should sit roughly halfway between the main router and the area you want covered — somewhere the signal is still good, not in the dead zone itself. Most mesh apps include a placement test; use it rather than guessing.
Option 2: Access points on cable (best performance)
A second access point connected back to the router with an Ethernet cable. Because the connection to the main router is wired, the access point delivers full speed rather than relaying wirelessly.
- The strongest option technically. No wireless relay, no speed penalty.
- Ideal for double-storey homes — one access point per floor, cabled.
- This is what we install in businesses, hotels, schools and offices.
- Downside: requires running a cable, which may mean some disruption.
If a cable can reasonably be run, this is the option worth paying for. We can survey and install it — request a quote.
Option 3: Repeaters and extenders (last resort)
A repeater receives your Wi-Fi and rebroadcasts it. It is the cheapest option and the least satisfactory.
- It typically halves your speed. The repeater uses the same radio to receive and retransmit, so throughput is roughly cut in half.
- It rebroadcasts whatever it receives. Put it where the signal is already poor and you get a strong signal carrying poor performance — full bars, slow internet.
- Often a separate network name, so devices don’t switch automatically and cling to the wrong one.
- If you must use one, place it halfway between the router and the dead zone, where signal is still strong.
Comparing the three
| Mesh | Cabled access point | Repeater | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed retained | Good | Excellent | Roughly halved |
| Ease of use | Excellent | Good | Poor |
| Seamless roaming | Yes | Yes, if configured | Usually not |
| Installation effort | Low | Cable required | Very low |
| Cost | Moderate | Moderate to high | Low |
| Our recommendation | Most homes | Best result where cabling is practical | Only if nothing else is possible |
A note on powerline adapters
Powerline adapters send network traffic through your electrical wiring. They can work well, but performance depends entirely on the age and layout of the wiring, and both adapters must be on the same circuit. Results vary from excellent to unusable with no way to predict which in advance. Worth trying only if they can be returned.
Let us survey it
We install mesh systems and cabled access points for homes and businesses across Eswatini — surveyed properly, configured correctly and tested before we leave. Ask us for a quote and we’ll recommend what your building needs, not the most expensive option available.