Wi-Fi that works in the kitchen but not the bedroom is the most common home network complaint. The fix is usually more access points, linked to each other well. This guide explains the options in plain words. Products and brands are not named or recommended.
Why one router isn’t enough
- Distance and walls. Wi-Fi gets weaker with distance and with every wall and floor it passes through. The FCC advises putting the router in a central location, and says an extender or mesh routers can improve the signal through the house.
- The router is often in the wrong place. It usually sits where the internet line comes in: a garage, basement or corner office.
- The bands trade speed for reach. The FCC notes that 2.4 GHz generally covers a wider area but is slower, and that 5 GHz is faster but covers a shorter range. 2.4 GHz is also crowded by many household devices and neighbors’ networks.
- Many devices share the air. When many devices use the same Wi-Fi network, the FCC says performance can suffer and lag increases.
Mesh, extenders and wired access points
| Option | How it links back | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range extender | Radio, to the router | One dead spot, low cost | Speed drops beyond the extender |
| Mesh system | Radio between nodes, or a cable if you have one | Easy whole-house coverage without new wiring | Wireless links lose speed through walls and distance |
| Wired access points | Ethernet cable to a switch or router | The most consistent speed in every room | Needs cable to each access point |
- Mesh means several units managed as one network, with one name and password. Check whether a system supports Wi-Fi EasyMesh, a Wi-Fi Alliance standard meant to let access points from multiple vendors work together. If not, plan on staying with one brand.
- Wired access points are often mounted on ceilings, powered over the same Ethernet cable (Power over Ethernet, part of the IEEE 802.3 standard), and managed from one app or controller.
- The line between them is blurry. Many mesh units have Ethernet ports and can use a cable between nodes. That’s usually the biggest single upgrade for a mesh system.
Backhaul: how the access points talk to each other
“Backhaul” is the link from each access point back to the router. It decides how fast the far rooms can be.
- Ethernet. The most reliable. The FCC says a direct Ethernet connection gives the highest speeds and eases Wi-Fi congestion. Since 2016, the Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3bz) has included 2.5 and 5 Gb/s speeds over twisted-pair structured cabling, which suits newer multigigabit access points.
- MoCA (coax). MoCA sends network traffic over the TV coax already in many houses. The MoCA Alliance cites data rates up to 2.5 Gbps for MoCA Home 2.5, latency under 2.5 ms, and use of the 400 to 1675 MHz range (the Alliance’s figures). It needs a MoCA adapter at each end, and coax that actually reaches the rooms you need.
- Cable internet shares the coax. Cable internet (DOCSIS 3.1) and MoCA can share frequencies in the 1125 to 1675 MHz range. The industry practice for this calls for filters in the right place, partly so signals don’t leak to a neighbor’s home. Ask your installer or internet provider about a filter where the coax enters the house.
- Splitters in the coax path need to pass MoCA’s frequencies, up to 1675 MHz. Ask the installer to check them.
- One test, from a trade group. In 2017 the MoCA Alliance reported field tests in 11 U.S. homes where coax-backhauled Wi-Fi was faster than wireless mesh backhaul in every home. Treat it as indicative: the group promotes coax.
- Powerline. Powerline adapters send data over the house’s electrical wiring (IEEE 1901 is one standard for it). Results depend on the wiring. One maker’s setup guide says to plug them directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip, extension cord or surge protector; to keep them on the same electrical wiring system; and to avoid outlets near high-powered appliances. Treat powerline as a fallback when neither Ethernet nor coax is possible.
- Wireless (radio) backhaul. Simplest, with no cable. It works best when nodes are close, with few walls between them, because the far node can only be as fast as its link back.
Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 in plain words
| Generation | Bands | What it adds (Wi-Fi Alliance) |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 6 | 2.4 and 5 GHz | Sharing a channel among many devices more efficiently (OFDMA), 160 MHz channels |
| Wi-Fi 6E | Adds 6 GHz | Wi-Fi 6 features in the 6 GHz band; certification began 2021-01-07 |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz | 320 MHz channels in 6 GHz, multi-link operation across bands; introduced in 2024 |
- 6 GHz. In April 2020 the FCC opened 1,200 MHz of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, with low-power access points allowed indoors only. The Wi-Fi Alliance says 6 GHz and 5 GHz have “essentially identical propagation” at the power levels allowed. So 6 GHz doesn’t add range; it adds room for wider channels.
- Only new devices use it. A phone or laptop must support Wi-Fi 6E or 7 to use 6 GHz. Older devices keep using 2.4 and 5 GHz.
- Security. The Wi-Fi Alliance says WPA3 has been required in new certified devices since 2020, and is mandatory in the 6 GHz band.
- Your internet speed is a ceiling. Faster Wi-Fi doesn’t speed up a slow internet plan. It helps most with many devices, and with traffic inside the house, such as to a local video recorder.
Where to put access points
- Central and in the open. Not in a closet, cabinet or behind a TV.
- Up high. Ceilings and high walls see over furniture. Ceiling access points need cable and power at that spot.
- Near where people use devices, not where the internet line enters.
- Measure, don’t guess. Walls, floors and house size decide how many you need. An installer should measure coverage before and after.
- Outdoor coverage for a yard, shop or gate needs an access point rated for outdoor use. 6 GHz low-power access points are indoor-only under the FCC rules.
Cameras and smart home devices on their own network
Keeping smart devices and cameras apart from your computers and phones limits what a compromised device can reach.
- Use a guest or IoT network. CISA advises connecting smart home and IoT devices to the router’s guest Wi-Fi if internet access is all they need. It says devices there can’t discover other devices on your home network or reach the router’s settings.
- Plan the exceptions. A local hub, a video recorder (NVR) or a speaker system may need to reach devices on the other network. Wired access points and business-style routers can set up separate networks (VLANs) with rules between them; ask the installer to document them.
- Wired cameras. PoE cameras can sit on their own switch or network, which keeps their video off the main Wi-Fi. See Cameras without the cloud.
- Basic router settings, from CISA: use WPA3 Personal or WPA2 AES; turn off WPS, UPnP and remote management; and keep the router’s firmware updated.
When you need an installer, and the license
You don’t need a license to set up mesh units, plug-in access points or router settings yourself.
- Running cable in walls for pay (Ethernet, coax or cable to ceiling access points) is licensed electrical work in Washington. The specialties that cover it are telecommunications (09), limited energy (06), residential (02) and general (01). See Does my installer need a license? for what each one covers and how to look it up.
- No permit is needed for telecommunications installations inside the dwelling units of houses, duplexes and apartments (WAC 296-46B-901). Common areas of apartment buildings still need one.
- A new outlet for a rack, or any 120-volt work, needs an electrician with a general (01) or residential (02) license.
- Doing it yourself in your own home is allowed; the licensing guide explains the limits.
What to ask for in a quote
- A site survey. Will they measure coverage, and show you a map or readings before and after?
- Number and location of access points, and why.
- Backhaul for each one: Ethernet, MoCA, powerline or wireless.
- Cable. What type, how many runs, where they end (a closet, rack or patch panel), and whether runs are labeled and tested, with results you keep.
- Power. Which devices run on PoE, the switch’s power budget, and whether the router, switch and modem go on a UPS.
- Separate networks. A guest network, a network for cameras and smart devices, and which devices may cross between them.
- Admin access. Will you get the admin logins for the router, switch and access points, or does the company keep them? Is a cloud account or subscription needed to manage them?
- Updates and support. Who installs firmware updates, and what support costs after the job.
- License and permit. The company’s L&I license number and specialty, and confirmation that its own staff run the cable.
Find companies that install mesh Wi-Fi and access points and Ethernet and structured wiring in our home networking directory. Every listing shows the company’s L&I license, and listings show L&I’s public record for the last five years. See how we list.