Mesh Wi-Fi or an extender?
An extender patches one weak room. A mesh system covers a whole home. Most homes with more than one problem room need mesh.
What's usually going on
An extender repeats your router's signal, often under a separate network name, and devices cling to whichever they joined first. Mesh uses several matching units that work together under one network name, handing devices between them as you move. Wired access points, where cables are possible, are better still.
Worth trying first
Count the problem rooms.
One weak room near the router might be fixed by moving the router or adding a single extender. Several rooms, or another floor, points to mesh.
Check for cables in the walls.
Network sockets in rooms let mesh units or access points connect by cable, which is much faster and more reliable than relaying through the air.
Place units halfway.
Each mesh unit should sit where the signal is still good, roughly halfway between the router and the weak area, not in the weak area itself.
Use one brand throughout.
Mixing systems recreates the extender problem. Buy units from the same range, and retire old extenders.
Mind your provider's router.
A mesh system usually replaces the router's Wi-Fi. Leaving both running can cause two networks to fight.
When to hand it over
If you'd like the right system chosen and placed properly the first time, with one network name throughout. We can plan it remotely, and in New York City we can install it.
Your own technologist, on call.
Tell us a little about your setup. We'll take it from there.