Networking

A newly announced AU$187 million five-year deal between Telstra and the Queensland government will see connectivity upgrades rolled out to 1,258 state schools over the next 18 months. “This investment will mean internet speeds across every single one of our 1,258 state schools will be 200 times faster as well as faster speeds for their communities,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “This will ensure teachers and students have access to the latest digital technologies and tools for their classrooms: everything they need for a world-class education.” Under the agreement, the average internet bandwidth speeds per student will increase from 25Kbps to 5Mbps by 2026. The pair added that around 40 schools will also be connected to fibre optic for the first time, while next generation satellites will be used to deliver faster internet where terrestrial options are less practical. “We know that digital inclusion for school kids is one of the most important drivers when it comes to positive education outcomes,” Telstra enterprise chief customer office John Ieraci said. “As a result of these upgrades, students from even the most remote parts of Queensland will have access to quality, high speed connectivity, and will get to enjoy all the opportunities that come with it.” This latest announcement follows similar contracts Telstra has signed with other states to upgrade bandwidth to schools, including New South Wales and Western Australia Elsewhere, Optus, together with Iota, ETS Electrical Services, and GreenBe, will work with the Toowoomba Regional Council over the next four years to deploy 68,000 new smart water metres to help improve water conservation, The deployment, according to Optus, will leverage its NB-IoT network, Iota’s devices and advanced metering infrastructure platform, and GreenBe’s user experience platform, while ETS Deployment Services will be responsible for bringing it all together. The metres are expected to deliver real-time water usage data, provide early leak detection warnings for residents in the Toowoomba region, as well as enable residents to identify which activities are causing high water consumption. “Essentially, this means that council will be able to operate the water network more efficiently and residents will be able to monitor their own water usage effectively which will provide cost savings to both the resident and to Council,” Toowoomba Regional Council Water and Waste Committee Chair Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff said. Roll out of the metres is scheduled to be completed before mid-year, following testing and fine-tuning by local community members in the second quarter of 2022.  Related Coverage More

Celona co-founders, from left, Ravi Mulam, Mehmet Yavuz, Rajeev Shah, Vinay Anneboina. “People inside any of the deep ecosystems like telecom or enterprise or cloud who truly appreciate how big a transformation is happening, were probably the ones most interested in being part of this journey,” said Shah, who is CEO. 
Celona 2022
The movement to use cellular frequencies as office broadband connections that behaves like wireless LANs is winning converts and money at a surprising clip.  Celona.io, the two-year-old enterprise 5G networking vendor profiled by ZDNet in November, on Monday announced it had received $60 million in venture funding in a Series C round, bringing its total funding to date to $100 million.   The new money comes with what appears to be momentum among some very large customers in the automotive and retail markets.  “We are getting some pretty specific validation points,” Celona’s CEO and co-founder, Rajeev Shah, told ZDNet regarding what he sees as his company’s leadership in the still-young enterprise 5G market, speaking in an interview by phone.  Those validation points include two of the largest retailers and a couple of the largest automotive companies in the world becoming customers, said Shah. He was not at liberty to disclose their names.  “We had set a goal to say, the most innovative enterprise customers, when they make their design choice for their private networks, we want to be that choice,” he said. The projects of those companies, said Shah, are “significant automation initiatives.” “In all of these scenarios, what’s really happening is they’re putting in big robotics and unmanned vehicle types of applications.” That includes using 5G for things in the back office, in particular, said Shah, because there are fewer dependencies to hold up the rollout. “But we’re starting to see it even in retails and venues, where the experiences for the actual consumer is being shaped by some of this.”  Also: Enterprise 5G is a software ‘revolution,’ says startup Celona One customer that runs venues is looking to 5G to cover an entire sports stadium “to affect how you check-in, how you do your ticketing, how you pay for things, the security covering the entire facility using cameras.” The technology is not being used as a replacement for Wi-Fi, said Shah. Rather, like the early days of Wi-Fi joining wired ethernet, for Celona’s customers, “it is almost like a shift left for them,” he said. A shift left is a term offered by Celona board member Matt Howard of Norwest Venture Partners, where a new technology is additive to what stays in place. “This is like 3.0,” explained Shah. “Think of the 1990s as driving LAN and desktop computing together, and Wi-Fi plus mobile was the next major trend; we see 5G LAN as AI-driven automation as the next wave.”Every time you have one of these things emerge from the right, everything shifts to the left.”

Another “validation point,” said Shah, is having the round of funding led by DigitalBridge Ventures, the venture capital unit of DigitalBridge Group, a Boca Raton, Florida-based real estate investment trust that has focused on tech-related property investments such as cell towers and data centers. “DigitalBridge is quite an innovative financial firm,” said Shah. “They went from being a traditional REIT and investment fund to becoming a digital infrastructure firm.” The fund sees everything from fiber to towers to co-lo as the infrastructure of 5G and edge and cloud, the “macro trends,” said Shah. “One of their observations, internally, was that while they had a lot of exposure to those growth vectors, they did not really benefit from what was going to be a correlated increase in software and hardware.” Investing in Celona, in other words, gives DigitalBridge a hand in that area of the payoff of 5G. Joining DigitalBridge are returning investors; Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, NTTVC, Qualcomm Ventures and Cervin Ventures. The mid-to late-stage growth market for startups was “very hot” in the fall, said Shah, leading to “very competitive terms” for the valuation and letting the company hit the high end of its valuation range in an oversubscribed round. He declined to disclose the post-money valuation. “People inside any of the deep ecosystems like telecom or enterprise or cloud who truly appreciate how big a transformation is happening were probably the ones most interested in being part of this journey,” said Shah. “The more run-of-the-mill SaaS investor is not the one we got the same resonance with,” he added. “There’s still a divide where the SaaS investor hasn’t fully caught on to how big a wave is coming.”   A somewhat surprising aspect of the announcement is Verizon as a customer. The company’s founders had experienced the intransigence of large carriers in the deployment of enterprise cellular in previous forms, a malaise they told ZDNet they would be careful to avoid.  But collaborating with big carriers is also important for going to market with large enterprise customers. And 5G is different enough from prior cellular efforts it can change the carriers, indicated Shah. “The traditional experience with operators all of us have had is that they’re very slow-moving,” said Shah. “But what has changed is the emergence of this new spectrum of CBRS,” he said, referring to Citizens Broadband Radio System, a part of the so-called S-Band of the spectrum below 6Ghtz that the FCC licenses for broad commercial use. CBRS is “neutral to any operator,” he said, meaning a shared resource among carriers rather than a fiefdom licensed to a single entity. The spectrum, therefore, “I think creates a dynamic where innovative customers and service providers are going to be rewarded for thinking more holistically.”  “I’m excited that someone like Verizon has really embraced that way of thinking,” said Shah. “I think their enterprise team is viewing this as an opportunity to really differentiate themselves,” he added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that triggers a chain-reaction” among fellow carriers.  Priories this year with the new funding are two-fold: to expand the company’s march to the markets in the U.S. and globally and to continue product development investment.  “This is still a technology area that is ripe for innovation, so we are not going to slow down,” said Shah. “We are going to continue to make wireless even more automated in its operations.”  No follow-on financing is planned at this point. “We have no shortage of interest in people wanting a piece of the pie,” said Shah of investment interest. “But we have no need to do anything for the next two to three years.” The talent market is certainly competitive, which will be a challenge for expanding the team. Celona was 85 people when ZDNet last interviewed them. He said that the company has “reached the three-digit mark” just recently. The plan is to “effectively double as soon as we can hire,” said Shah. “Hiring another hundred people within the next few weeks and months is honestly one of our great initiatives.” “I think it’s a good place to join, so I’m looking forward to the new team that gets expanded.” More

This week, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) company, is holding its Atmosphere user event. After being virtual-only for the past two years, the conference has an in-person component due to the pandemic. For Aruba customers, Atmosphere has always been an important event because it’s the place to learn about the innovation the vendor is bringing to the network, particularly in Wi-Fi, where Aruba has been a technology leader since its days as an independent company. One could argue that the 2022 Atmosphere is the most important one since HPE acquired Aruba in 2015, given that the companies are planning to return employees to the office. In addition, COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation initiatives, which mandates upgrades to networks. Almost all the technology building blocks of digital transformation – including cloud, mobility, IoT and security – are network-centric in nature. Businesses cannot become digital organizations with a legacy network.Aruba announces new functionality in ESP and Aruba Central Today at Atmosphere, Aruba announced new capabilities in its Edge Service Platform (ESP), along with new functionality in its Aruba Central management portal, to enable a higher level of network agility. Digital businesses need to change with speed, and that requires an agile IT foundation, but legacy networks tend to be rigid and brittle. The new Aruba Central NetConductor enables businesses to centralize the management of distributed networks. Legacy networks are typically managed on a node-by-node basis, which is why it often can take months to make even a simple networkwide change. Aruba goes cloud-native for new capabilities Central NetConductor is a service built on a cloud-native platform that brings the benefits of the cloud to the network. Nearly all facets of IT infrastructure have benefited by centralizing capabilities in the cloud. Computing and storage have been trending this way for more than a decade. Unified communications and contact centers are currently in this transition. The network, however, is not there yet. The centralization of configuration capabilities enables network administrators to make a change once and propagate it across the network in near real-time. This can be key for policies that dictate application performance but also for the enforcement of Zero Trust and SASE security policies. In its media advisory, Aruba highlighted three key principles of network modernization. They are: Automation. Just a few years ago, automation was a dirty word with network professionals because many viewed it as a threat to their jobs. Today, the opinion has changed because automation is the only way for IT to manage a hybrid workforce. Central NetConductor offers simplified, intent-based workflows with AI-enabled automation to remove much of the heavy lifting with which network engineers are tasked. Security. The rise of the cloud and personal devices have made security in the app or endpoint difficult to manage. In a world where everything is connected, infusing security into the network makes the most sense. NetConductor offers increased threat detection and protection with integrated identity-based access control and dynamic segmentation, which are important components of zero trust. Security has always been a key differentiator for Aruba. In fact, I have often referred to Aruba as a security vendor that delivers its value through the network. Agility. As mentioned earlier, network agility is critical to business agility. NetConductor uses standards-based protocols such as EVPN, VXLAN and BGP and operates as a virtual overlay to a physical underlay. This enables NetConductor to work with other vendors. Customers also have purchasing flexibility because they can procure the solution in a network as a service (NaaS) consumption model. Improved indoor location services coming to Aruba Wi-Fi Aruba also announced self-locating indoor access points (APs) with built-in GPS and Open Locate, an emerging standard, for improved indoor location services. AP installation is a manual process, which can lead to inaccurate location information. Aruba’s Wi-Fi 6 and 6E APs use a combination of traditional Wi-Fi location and GPS to improve indoor location services’ accuracy greatly. The new APs obviate the need for surveys or record location information as the entire process is automated. Historically, Wi-Fi triangulation was very inaccurate, but the new Aruba capabilities improve location services down to under a meter. This is critical for asset tracking, safety/compliance purposes, facility planning, retail apps, venue experiences or other location-based services. Many businesses I have interviewed have been interested in building indoor location-based apps, but the lack of accuracy has held them back. HPE has handled the Aruba acquisition very well, primarily by letting the group run autonomously. Since the purchase, HPE has expanded the portfolio of Aruba products from being primarily Wi-Fi to the campus and WAN. These new solutions can help businesses modernize the end-to-end network and prepare for the next era of work.

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Does your business need Real, with a capital R, internet? If that’s your company, you should check out the Comcast Business Gateway. This next-generation Advanced Gateway, when paired with Comcast’s Xfinity Gigabit Pro speeds of up to 3/3 Gigabits per second (Gbps) symmetrical broadband, can deliver Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) speeds of up to 2 Gbps.

This new Gateway boasts three Wi-Fi bands of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. Together, this reduces interference and increases overall bandwidth enormously to support up to 150 devices. “Connectivity is the backbone of business, and as the speed of business accelerates, our customers demand a high-performance technology that can be their workhorse – and their racehorse,” said Christian Nascimento, Comcast Business’s vice president, of Product Management & Strategy.Of course, to make the most from this new high-speed Wi-Fi, you need PCs, smartphones, and devices that support Wi-Fi 6. A network is only as fast as its slowest link. So, if your laptops are still running 802.11n gear, even if the last-mile connection to your office is 3Gbps, your laptops will still get, at most, 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) speeds. Besides sheer speed to numerous users, Comcast also claims that the combination of its fiber network and its Wi-Fi speeds can deliver ultra-low latency for response-sensitive applications such as videoconferencing. It also offers static Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. This will better enable companies to offer access to on-premise websites and internet services to clients and work-from-home employees. The gateway also comes with multiple voice-over IP (VoIP) ports, a built-in Ethernet switch with two multi-gig ports, an eight-hour battery backup for Comcast Business Voice service, and an industrial design that enables you to deploy it on walls, racks, or desktops.Comcast also offers a built-in security system on the device, SecurityEdge. This requires a SecurityEdge subscription. This service automatically blocks such threats as malware, ransomware, phishing, and botnet attacks at the gateway.The Comcast Business Gateway is now available to interested businesses wherever Comcast Business services are offered.Related Stories: More

Huawei Technologies has reported a 28.56% dip in its revenue last year, which saw a sharp decline in its smartphone business. Embattled amidst ongoing US trade sanctions, the Chinese technology vendor is “readjusting” its business portfolio to tap digitalisation and carbon neutrality opportunities.Its 2021 revenue came in at 636.8 billion yuan ($100.01 billion), down from 891.4 billion yuan in 2020. Its net profits, however, climbed 75.9% to 113.7 billion ($17.86 billion), Huawei said Monday. Cash flow from operating activities grew to 59.7 billion yuan ($9.38 billion).At a media briefing, rotating chairman Guo Ping said its carrier business was “stable” while the enterprise business was seeing “steady growth”. Its consumer business had moved into “new domains”, he said. 

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, speaking in an official event for the first time since her return from Canada, said at the briefing that the company was “more capable of dealing with uncertainty” on the back of growing profits and cash flows, despite a drop in its 2021 revenue. The announcement confirmed forecast warnings Guo alluded to last December in his new year message to employees. He had pointed to an unpredictable business environment, “politicisation of technology”, and growing deglobalisation as “serious challenges” the company faced. In an email interview with ZDNet, Huawei executives pointed to “a big decline” in its smartphone business as the key factor behind the drop in overall revenue. Huawei’s president of device business Richard Yu said US sanctions would not stop the Chinese vendor from seeking innovation. Noting that these challenging times eventually would pass, Yu said Huawei would continue to drive customer experience around five key areas including smart home, smart mobility, and entertainment. The company in the past year had looked to diversify its product portfolio, as part of efforts to buffer dwindling smartphone sales amidst ongoing US trade bans. Last June, it released an update of its mobile operating system, HarmonyOS 2, across 100 of its devices in China, including smartphones, smart watches, and tablets. Huawei previously tapped Android as the OS for its smartphones, but was forced to look for alternative platforms when US trade sanctions meant Google had to pull back Huawei’s access to its mobile apps and platform. Pulling aside the drop in smartphone sales, Huawei told ZDNet its “+8” device business–comprising connected products–clocked a sales growth of more than 30% last year. This unit encompassed devices such as wearables and smart screens. The company spokesperson added that it also continued to introduce smartphones last year, including its fourth foldable offering Huawei P50 Pocket. According to Huawei, sales outside of China dropped across the board. It noted that overseas sales accounted for more than half of its carrier business revenue last year. Its increase in net profits was fuelled by the sale of its Honor and server businesses, though, Huawei told ZDNet profits were in part driven by “improved product portfolios” and greater efficiencies from its operations. The vendor reportedly sold its x86 server business, also due to the US trade sanctions, to Henan Information Industry Investment last November.When asked, Huawei declined to provide details, including actual net profits, around the sale of its Honor and server businesses. The company spokesperson, however, noted that its 2021 net profits excluding sales proceeds from the two businesses still were higher than that of 2020. Elaborating on its “improved product offerings”, the Chinese tech giant said it had pumped more investment into its software business and established “domain-specific subsidiaries”, such as its digital power business. Internal teams, including in coal mining and transport, also were integrated to streamline management chains and speed up response to customers’ needs. Huawei further noted that its enterprise business grew last year, with new business segments that included cloud and digital power registering more than 30% growth. While asked, the vendor said it did not separate revenue figures for its cloud and digital power businesses.According to Huawei’s cloud CEO Zhang Pingan, its cloud unit had a network of more than 2.3 million developers, 14,000 consulting partners, and 6,000 technology partners. Collectively, they supported more than 4,500 cloud products. Huawei currently operates 61 availability zones across 27 regions, comprising 170 markets. Its digital power business currently runs 12 research centres in various sites in China, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Huawei’s rotating chairman Eric Xu said: “When we decided to expand new business domains, we had already fully assessed our ability to secure chip supplies. If we did not feel we could solve this problem, we wouldn’t have made such decisions in the first place.”Pivoting to move with carbon neutrality trendsThe company spokesperson told ZDNet that Huawei would continue to “readjust” its business portfolio in line with digitalisation and carbon neutrality developments, so it could meet customer requirements. “We will focus on connectivity, computing, devices, intelligent automotive components, cloud, and digital power, and work to create thriving OpenHarmony, openEuler, and MindSpore ecosystems,” he said, adding that it would work with partners to deliver these offerings to customers. The Chinese vendor also would invest in three key areas around system architecture optimisation, software performance improvement, and “theoretical exploration”. Specifically, it would seek out breakthroughs in technologies that it had difficulty accessing, the spokesperson said.Noting that it had been denied access to advanced process techniques due to the trade sanctions, Huawei said it would invest more heavily in refactoring basic scientific theory, architecture, and software. These included applying photonic and electronic synergy to communications systems, designing peer-to-peer architectures, and driving higher performance and scalability in software. Such new theories and technologies could include next-generation MIMO (multiple input/output) and wireless artificial intelligence (AI).In particular, it aimed to hit or exceed Shannon’s Limit, which referred to the highest rate of error-free data that could be theoretically transmitted over a communication channel, taking into consideration random transfer error and noise levels. Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei noted that it was investing in 6G research and targeting patents in the next-generation cellular technology. “We must not wait until 6G becomes viable, as waiting would impose constraints on us due to a lack of patents,” Ren said. The company runs 86 technology labs worldwide as well as 23 research and development (R&D) facilities in Europe. It declined to reveal how many R&D centres it had globally. It said its R&D and product reengineering investment climbed by 30% year-on-year. Huawei said it spent 142.7 billion yuan ($22.41 billion) on R&D last year, which accounted for 22.4% of its overall revenue and pushed its 10-year expenditure to 845 billion yuan.  RELATED COVERAGE More

Image: Domino’s
Online orders accounted for nearly 80% of Domino’s total global sales during the 2022 half-year financial results — and the company only expects this number to grow further. Domino’s, which operates in 10 markets globally, has signed a deal with Macquarie Telecom to roll out NBN, VoIP, and SD-WAN with 4G back-up services to more than 720 Domino’s stores across Australia to accommodate for the expected continued growth online. “We want a telco infrastructure solution that’s going to be capable not just for now, with a large percentage of online sales … [but] will grow to the future, that will be reliable for up and downstream for data, and also smarter stores be it technology in-store or out of store that needs to return to base,” Domino’s group chief digital and experience officer Michael Gillespie told ZDNet.The upgrade has been rolled out at 400 sites within five months, with the remaining 320 sites expected to be completed in the next four months. The decision by Domino’s to upgrade its network is also ahead of potential plans by the pizza delivery company to bring drone deliveries to Australia. “We’re not just investing for a telco solution now; we’re looking at the future. We obviously know with a clearer picture where we’re heading … and we’re validating that what we’re doing is allowing a more convenient store over time,” Gillespie said.This year, the company said it will be relaunching trials in New Zealand in partnership with SkyDrop, formerly known as Flirtey. The pair first teamed up in 2016 and completed what they claimed was a world-first pizza drone delivery. “Working with Flirtey, and now SkyDrop, we realised we practically could deliver [using drones] but the actual volume we could deliver in size of order, compared to what the consumers were ordering and moving to in New Zealand, there was a discrepancy,” Gillespie said.”So, we needed to go back and say, okay, how can we work with them on a drone that can carry more and have a few other advances to get a higher commercial volume.”We’ve let SkyDrop do what they do best and now they’ve returned with us to say we’re going to get back into trialling in New Zealand. That’s an exciting message and shows that what we’re doing in this space really is a focus, but we’re not going to do it without the opportunity of validating, ‘Can we get to scale?’.” Gillespie believes that using drone deliveries would complement the company’s existing delivery services. “Sometimes there is a volume of orders that just surpasses what we can even hire to do at the moment. Also, there’s a distance for some customers that we can’t [get to]; we’re all about getting hot, fresh pizza, so can we go further and reach locations which just don’t make sense for the driver to drive to or for the customer because it’ll be a diminished product that is not satisfactory, so robotic delivery comes into that,” he said. Improving the company’s digital connectivity is also expected to underpin the company’s plans to introduce more technologies in-store, and upcoming revamp of its online ordering system that Gillespie described will be “slicker and faster”, featuring service enhancements relating to features such as its e-commerce shopping basket.Related Coverage More

Bing speed testerPicture this scene. You’re out at your favorite coffee shop, and you suddenly need to be in a meeting. There’s Wi-Fi (or failing that, you can set up a hotspot on your phone), so you think you’re ready to rock.However, within seconds of starting the meeting, everyone starts to look like they’re made of Lego in the video. The frustration sets in, and things start to go downhill.Also: Best internet speed test: Test your connectionYeah, you might have had an internet connection, but you didn’t have a good internet connection.If you’d managed to test the connection in advance, you might have had time to move to a different spot or use a different network to get a better connection.If only you’d known.But there are some quick and easy ways to test your internet connection — no apps required, just your web browser.The quickest and simplest way I go about this is to type ‘speed test’ into Google (or Bing on a desktop or laptop). Here you’ll find internet speed testers built into the search engine’s web pages.A single click will give you an overview of your internet connection.

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You can use this information to determine if your bandwidth is up to the job or running Zoom or Teams.Also: Best internet service providers: Top expert picksIf you don’t want to rely on the internet speed checkers built into search engines, then another option is to download an app. My app of choice, which is available for a wide range of platforms, is Ookla SpeedTest. I find this service offers a fast, reliable, and accurate test.I use these tests regularly, both when out and about and when at home or the office. It offers a bit of an internet health check and lets me keep an eye out for possible problems with my network and internet connection.

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Demand for fast and reliable Wi-Fi is probably at an all-time high, as millions of people continue to work from home, relying on Zoom and other video conferencing apps to keep in touch with colleagues and clients. Many organizations are also finding that video calls reduce the need for business travel and client visits. That increased reliance on Wi-Fi can reveal problems, though — especially in larger offices or homes, where the Wi-Fi signal may struggle to reach more distant rooms on other floors. Instead of relying on a conventional Wi-Fi router and access points or range extenders, an alternative solution is to opt for a “mesh” networking system. Depending on the size of the building, mesh systems typically use a main router with a wired connection to a broadband modem, plus two or more wireless nodes that can be placed in different rooms or locations. The main router and the satellite nodes form their own “mesh” Wi-Fi network, covering a wider area and delivering greater speed and reliability than a conventional Wi-Fi router, even with extra access points or range extenders. Most mesh systems are aimed at home users and marketed as easily-configured solutions for “whole home Wi-Fi,” but some are particularly suitable for business users. These can include features such as multiple Ethernet ports, or the ability to create several networks with different passwords. The latest mesh systems are now adopting the new Wi-Fi 6 standard (aka IEEE 802.11ax), which is certainly worth considering for businesses wanting to maximize the performance and flexibility of their Wi-Fi setups.

Asus AiMesh AX6100 Wi-Fi System (RT-AX92U)

Two-piece tri-band Wi-Fi 6

Images: Asus

Wi-Fi – tri-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 1Gbps | Ports – RJ45 for Wan, 4 RJ45 for LAN, 2 USB | CPU – 1.8GHz, dual-core | Range – 5,500sq.ft | Price – $329.99Asus claims that the AX6100 Wi-Fi System is the “world’s first Wi-Fi 6 mesh system” — a claim that will doubtless be questioned by a few of its rivals. Nonetheless, the AiMesh AX6100 is an impressive mesh system that will be suitable for larger office buildings or public venues such as hotels or warehouses.You can buy a single RT-AX92U router for $229.99, which offers tri-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with a top speed of 6.1Gbps, as well as four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections. Or, for more extensive Wi-Fi coverage, there’s this twin-pack mesh system currently priced at $340.99. This covers areas of up to 5,500 square feet and uses one of the 5GHz bands as a 4.8Gbps “backhaul” that links the two routers in order to provide strong performance across the entire network. The price is similar to that of other high-end Wi-Fi 6 systems, but Asus also offers its ZenWifi range of mesh systems for smaller offices or working from home, including new Wi-Fi 6 models such as the affordable ZenWifi AX Mini ($229.99 for a three-pack system).Pros:Tri-band Wi-Fi 6Excellent wireless speeds2 PackCons:Older computers and devices not Wi-Fi 6 compatibleParental controls are clunky

Devolo Magic 2 Wi-Fi Next

PowerLine dual-band Wi-Fi 5 systems

Images: Devolo

Wi-Fi – dual-band Wi-Fi 5 | Speed – 2000 Mbps | Ports – 2 Ethernet, 120V plug | CPU – N/A | Range – 1,600sq.ft | Price – $299.99Mesh networking systems can be pretty expensive, and if you’re just having trouble with the Wi-Fi signal in one room then a range extender is an affordable option that can boost the Wi-Fi signal in just that specific location. Alternatively, you could use a PowerLine adapter to send a wired network connection over your home or office electrical wiring — an ingenious and somewhat magical solution.Several companies make range extenders and PowerLine adapters, but Devolo specializes in this area with its extensive Magic range of devices. Devolo’s latest Magic 2 adapters combine a Wi-Fi range extender with PowerLine wired connectivity, and are compatible with existing routers from other manufacturers. Unlike conventional range extenders, Devolo’s Magic adapters also include a “mesh” option that allows you to link two or more devices in different rooms in order to create a more extensive Wi-Fi network.Devolo offers the Magic 2 Wi-Fi Next starter kit with two adapters (a Magic 2 LAN adapter that plugs into your broadband modem, and a Magic 2 Wi-Fi Next adapter) priced at £141.67 (ex. VAT; £169.99 inc. VAT) or $236. This supports dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi at up to 2400Mbps, and will boost Wi-Fi coverage in a room or floor, covering an area up to 120 square meters. Additional Wi-Fi Next adapters cost £91.67 (ex. VAT; £109.99 inc. VAT) or $152; there’s also a three-piece Wi-Fi Next Whole Home Kit, which costs £224.99 (ex. VAT; £269.99 inc. VAT).Pros:3-packIntegrated 120V plug2 Ethernet ports per unitCons:Not Wi-Fi 6Shorter range than other mesh systemsSlower Wi-Fi speeds

Google/Nest Wifi

Two-piece 802.11s system

Images: Google/Nest

Wi-Fi – dual-band Wi-Fi 5 | Speed – 2200 Mbps | Ports – 4 Ethernet ports | CPU – N/A | Range – 4,400sq.ft | Price – $229The original Google Wifi mesh system got very good reviews when it was first launched in 2016, and it helped to introduce mesh technology to a mainstream audience. The original Google Wi-Fi product has since been discontinued, but its successor emerged at the end of 2019 as part of the Google-owned Nest range of smart home devices.The two-piece Nest Wi-Fi system shown here consists of a primary Nest Wi-Fi router (110mm diameter, 380g) which plugs into your broadband modem and a secondary Nest Wi-Fi point (102.2mm diameter, 350g). This system, which costs $229, provides dual-band 802.11s Wi-Fi (a mesh-oriented variation of standard 802.11ac) with the main router running at 2200Mbps. The Wi-Fi point runs at a more modest 1200Mbps, but that should still be more than adequate for streaming video, music, or Zoom calls with colleagues.The Wi-Fi point also includes a speaker and microphone that support the voice-controlled Google Assistant. The two-piece system should be able to cover homes of up to 4,400 square feet (353 square meters), Google says, and you can purchase additional Wi-Fi points for $149 if required, each of which can cover an additional 1,600 square feet (149 square meters).Pros:Dual band Wi-FiDecent coverage rangeVoice-enabledCons:Not Wi-Fi 6

Linksys Atlas Max 6E

Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E

Images: Linksys

Wi-Fi – tri-band Wi-Fi 6E | Speed – 5Gbps | Ports – 5Gbps WAN, 4 LAN, USB | CPU – 2.2GHz quad-core | Range – 9,000sq.ft | Price – $999.99This is another “first,” with Linksys claiming to be the first company to ship a mesh system that supports the new Wi-Fi 6E standard, which can use the 6GHz frequency band in addition to existing 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands.The tall, white plastic design looks very similar to Linksys’s popular Velop mesh systems, and houses no less than 12 internal antennae, powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core processor. However, Linksys has clearly decided that this new Wi-Fi 6E system deserves a powerful new name befitting its high-performance credentials — hence the Linksys Atlas Max 6E.Prices start at $499.99 for a single Atlas router, which provides tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with a top speed of 8.4Gbps (referred to as AXE8400). To match its high-end wireless speed, the Atlas also includes a 5-Gigabit Ethernet port for your internet connection, along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports for devices that require a wired connection. There’s also a USB 3.0 port for connecting USB storage devices that can be shared on the network.One Atlas router can cover an area of up to 3,000 square feet, but there’s a two-pack mesh system available for $899.99, or a three-pack for $999.99, with professional installation also available for business users. And, of course, the existing Velop range continues to be available for smaller offices or working from home.Pros:Excellent coverage rangeTri-band Wi-FiExcellent wireless speedsCons:Very expensive

Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 (AX6000)

Two-piece tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system

Images: Netgear

Wi-Fi – tri-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 6Gbps | Ports – 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN each | CPU – 2.2GHz quad-core | Range – 5,000sq.ft | Price – $636.99Netgear’s Orbi range of mesh systems includes a variety of different designs and price points — including the Orbi Voice with a built-in smart-speaker that supports Amazon Alexa. The Orbi Wi-Fi 6, as the name suggests, employs the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology (aka 802.11ax).The Orbi Wi-Fi 6 System AX6000 is very much a top-of-the-range mesh system, starting at $636.99 for a two-piece system comprised of a primary router and a secondary satellite. It offers impressive performance, though, with tri-band Wi-Fi capable of a combined top speed of 6Gbps — twice that of even the fastest Orbi systems based on Wi-Fi 5/802.11ac.It’s fast when it comes to wired connections too, with the primary router including a 2.5Gbps WAN port for a high-speed internet connection for office networks, along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports on both router and satellite for wired connections. The two-piece system is designed to cover buildings of up to 5,000 square feet. There’s also a three-piece system that covers up to 7,500 square feet, but it won’t leave you much change from £1,000/$1,400.Pros:Great coverage rangeTri-band Wi-Fi 6Great wireless speedsCons:

Netgear Orbi Pro Wi-Fi 6 (AX6000)

Two-piece tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system

Images: Netgear

Wi-Fi – tri-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 6Gbps | Ports – 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN each | CPU – 2.2GHz quad-core | Range – 6,000sq.ft | Price – $549.99Last year, Netgear’s Orbi Pro was one of the few mesh systems specifically designed for business users, and stood out by allowing business users to set up three separate networks for IT staff, employees, and guests who may be visiting offices or retail locations. The original Orbi Pro model, using 802.11ac (now known as Wi-Fi 5), is still available but, as the name suggests, the new AX6000 Tri-Band Orbi Pro Wi-Fi 6 ups the ante in terms of both Wi-Fi performance and features. Orbi Pro mesh systems consist of a primary router with either one, two, or three additional satellites that help to extend the range of your new mesh network. Prices start at $549.99 for a two-piece mesh system with one router and one satellite. That system supports tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with a maximum speed of 6Gbps, and the ability to cover areas of up to 6,000 square feet. Both router and satellite also include four Gigabit Ethernet ports and one 2.5Gbps — although the router will need to use the latter for your main internet connection. For larger premises, there are systems available with two or three satellites, with the top-end bundle bringing the price to a hefty $1,049.99. This latest model also adds a fourth network (SSID) option, which could be reserved for Zoom calls or managing smart IoT devices.Pros:Great coverage rangeGreat wireless speedsVPN subscription availableCons:ExpensiveNot best option for home use

Netgear Orbi Pro Wi-Fi 6 Mini (AX1800)

Two-piece dual-band Wi-Fi 6 system

Images: Netgear

Wi-Fi – dual-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 6Gbps | Ports – 1 Gigabit Ethernet WAN, 3 Gigabit Ethernet LAN on Router, 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN on satellite | CPU – N/A | Range – 4,000sq.ft | Price – $169.99The tri-band Orbi Pro provides impressive Wi-Fi 6 performance, and is well-suited for organizations that need to manage multiple networks with different groups of users. It’s pretty expensive, though, so Netgear recently introduced the more affordable dual-band Orbi Pro Wi-Fi 6 Mini for small businesses and remote workers. Like other Orbi systems, the Mini consists of a primary router, with either one or two additional satellites that are used to extend the range of the mesh network. Prices start at $299.99 for a system consisting of a router and one satellite. Both devices provide dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) running at 1.8Gbps, which isn’t going to win any awards, but is still perfectly adequate for Zoom calls and some after-hours Netflix video or gaming action. Each device has four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections, although the primary router will need to use one of those ports for your internet connection. Customers in the UK can also opt for a three-pack system that consists of a router and two satellites for £324.67 (ex. VAT, or £389.60 inc. VAT). The three-pack is currently priced at $239.99. The Orbi Pro Mini is still relatively expensive for a dual-band system, but like other Orbi Pro models, the Mini stands out with additional features that cater specifically to business users. The key feature here is the ability to create four separate networks, each with its own password, which allows you to provide different levels of network access for admin and IT staff, guests who may be visiting your office or other public venues. And, when working from home, you can reserve one network to ensure that your Zoom calls aren’t affected by family members bingeing on Netflix or the kids’ gaming console.Pros:Great coverage and wireless speedsPlenty of Ethernet portsSupports up to 40 simultaneous devicesCons:VPN costs extraNo USB ports

TP-Link Deco X60

Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 systems

Images: TP-Link

Wi-Fi – dual-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 1Gbps | Ports – 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN each | CPU – N/A | Range – 5,000sq.ft | Price – $219.99TP-Link’s Deco range can be a little confusing at times, with many different models that all share the same distinctive cylindrical design (there’s even a model with a built-in microphone for Alexa voice controls), so it’s important to pay close attention to the model numbers when buying. The Deco M4 that we reviewed last year is still available and provides a very affordable mesh system for home users and small businesses that only need modest 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) performance. But, of course, the latest Deco models offer Wi-Fi 6 (a.k.a. 802.11ax), with the new Deco X60 offering a good mid-range option at a competitive price. Customers in the US get the best deal, as a two-piece X60 system covering up to 5,000 square feet currently costs just $219.99, compared to £270.99 (inc. VAT) in the UK. However, UK customers get an additional option that doesn’t currently seem to be available in the US (on Amazon, at least), with a three-piece system covering 7,000 square feet for £374.45 (inc. VAT). Both options provide dual-band Wi-Fi 6 running at 3Gbps, which should be able to cope with Zoom calls and other bandwidth-hungry tasks with no trouble at all. The only sign of cost-cutting is the modest pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports provided by each unit. And, since one router will need to use one of those ports for your internet connection, the Deco X60 might not be the best option for users who need additional wired connections for laptops and other devices.Pros:Good coverage and wireless speedsParental controls and anti-virus includedData encryptionCons:Expensive for a dual-band systemOnly twin packs for American customers

Asus ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4)

Great for homes with thicker walls

ASUS

Wi-Fi – dual-band Wi-Fi 6, with PowerLine AV | Speed – 1800Mbps | Ports – 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN, 2x Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 1x USB 3.2 | CPU – 1.2GHz, quad-core | Range – 5,500sq.ft | Price – $329.99Even the fastest mesh wi-fi systems can – quite literally – run into a brick wall, or other obstacles that block your wi-fi signal. However, Asus’ ZenWiFi AX Hybrid provides a useful solution to that problem by combining wide-ranging mesh wi-fi with wired PowerLine connectivity. The wi-fi side of things is fairly straightforward, with the AX Hybrid providing dual-band Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 1800Mbps. It’s currently only available as a kit with two routers, costing $329.99/£270, but that should cover areas of up to 5,500sq.ft, which should be more than adequate for most medium-size homes or offices. That’s a relatively modest speed, but the AX Hybrid also uses PowerLine connectivity to provide a wired ‘backhaul’ that connects its two routers by using the mains electrical wiring in your home or office. This allows the two routers to communicate even when the wi-fi signal is blocked by thick walls, or ceilings between floors, ensuring that you maintain a fast, reliable network at all times. Other features include two Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired connections for an office network (or a games console…) and a USB port that allows network users to share connected USB storage devices. And, for Mac users, the AX Hybrid also supports Apple’s Time Machine for automatic backups onto connected storage devices. Pros:Mesh Wi-Fi with PowerLine connectivitySupports Wi-Fi 62x Ethernet ports for wired connectionsUSB ports for network storageCons:Modest wireless speedsNo tri-band option

TP-Link Deco X68

An affordable upgrade to existing mesh networks

TP-Link

Wi-Fi – tri-band Wi-Fi 6 | Speed – 3600Mbps | Ports – 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN, 1x Gigabit Ethernet LAN | CPU – 1.5GHz, quad-core | Range – 5,500sq.ft | Price – $279.99TP-Link has an extensive range of mesh systems in its popular Deco range, including a number of highly affordable models that still support the older – but perfectly reliable – Wi-Fi 5 standard (aka 802.11ac).But, if you prefer to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6, then its Deco X68 is a good, affordable option for larger homes or businesses. The X68 costs $279.99 for a kit that provides two mesh routers – although, oddly, the UK price is much higher at £385.60. It provides tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with a good, mid-range speed of 3.6GBps, which should be more than adequate for most homes and offices, and is designed to cover areas of up to 5,500sq.ft, and handle simultaneous connections to as many as 150 devices. The TP-Link web site also indicates that a pack with three routers is also available for larger premises, although pricing for that option hasn’t been announced at the time of writing. The TP-Link app is also well-designed and easy to use, making it easy to quickly set up the new mesh network, and providing useful features such as a guest network for visitors, and the ability to prioritise individual devices that need maximum performance. Pros:Tri-band Wi-Fi 63.6Gbps top speedEasy-to-use appCons:Only one Ethernet LAN portNo USB ports

How did we choose these mesh Wi-Fi systems?

We’ve focused on two key areas, starting with affordable systems that simply provide greater range and reliability than a single, conventional Wi-Fi router. However, we’ve also included a number of high-end mesh systems — primarily using the new Wi-Fi 6 standard (802.11ax) — that provide greater performance than older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) routers. As well as being suitable for homes and offices, these high-end systems also offer greater range and reliability for buildings such as warehouses and public venues such as restaurants and hotels.

Which is the right mesh system for you?

As mentioned, the size of your home or office building is the key factor in choosing a mesh system. The good news here is that even less-expensive mesh systems that still use older Wi-Fi 5 networking are fast enough to cope with Zoom calls, music, video, and gaming. However, more expensive Wi-Fi 6 systems can offer increased speed, and are also more efficient at streaming data to multiple connected devices all at the same time. So, as well as providing greater speed, Wi-Fi 6 systems are the best option for homes or offices that have lots of computers, mobile devices, and IoT devices that are in use all day long.

ProductPriceRange (in square feet)SpeedAsus AiMexh AX6100$229.9955001GbpsDevolo Magic 2 Wi-Fi Next$299.9916002,000MbpsGoogle Nest Wi-Fi$22944002,200MbpsLinksys Atlas Max 6E$999.9990005GbpsNetgear Orbi AX6000$636.9950006GbpsNetgear Orbi Pro AX6000$549.9960006GbpsNetgear Orbi Pro Mini AX1800$169.9940006GbpsTP-Link Deco X60$219.9950001GbpsAsus ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4)$329.9955001800MbpsTP-Link Deco X68$279.9955003600Mbps

How many mesh devices do I need?

A two-piece mesh should be able to cover homes or offices up to 4,000 – 5,000 square feet (check the manufacturer’s specifications to see what they recommend). Buildings or outdoor venues larger than 5,000 square feet may need another satellite device.

Why should you buy a mesh system?

A single, standalone router is generally adequate for smaller offices, or single-story homes with one or two bedrooms. But if you have rooms on other floors, or thick walls that can block your Wi-Fi signal, then you may experience “dead zones” that have weak Wi-Fi. A mesh system uses several devices — usually a main router and one or more satellite nodes — in different locations to extend the Wi-Fi signal beyond the range of a single router.

What about range extenders?

If you just have one or two rooms where the Wi-Fi is weak, then a low-cost “range extender” may be able to boost the Wi-Fi signal just in those rooms, with prices starting as low as £50 ($69). However, multi-device mesh Wi-Fi systems are designed to provide a more extensive Wi-Fi network that covers your entire home or office.

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