Linksys Velop
Fast, simple, home-wide wireless networking
From $199.99 (single node) From Linksys, linksys.com Features Tri-band radio, MU-MIMO support, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, seamless network roaming Mesh networking, whichever way you look at it, is the next step in home Wi-Fi — not because it’s much faster than traditional routers (it isn’t) but because it works where standard Wi-Fi doesn’t.
Linksys’ Velop package is endorsed and sold by Apple now that Apple’s own AirPort Extreme 802.11ac unit is looking a little long in the tooth, but doesn’t have it easy. It’s competing with the likes of Google, and mesh is not an easy sell to begin with, given the extra cost of multiple units. Plus, realistically, for many it’s overkill — if your existing router is centrally located in an apartment, there’s no way you’ll need it.
If you do have trouble spots or want to expand your wireless coverage, however, the Velop system is modular, expandable, and capable of outstanding performance. Drop a node where you need a boost, and it provides internet and communicates with other nodes in the network.
There are three independent radios on board every node, each of which operates its own network: a 2.4GHz radio, and a pair of 5GHz radios. Unlike in some mesh systems, there’s no dedicated backhaul radio for inter-node communication. The Velop nodes instead switch to a low-traffic channel away from your main communications, or you can use the Ethernet ports on each unit to string together a wired backhaul.
Each slimline Velop pillar sets up easily via an iOS app, which also offers parental controls, device prioritization, and deeper management functions; Velop can also be controlled, to a certain extent, via Alexa. Adding just a single child node covered the entirety of our three-floor house with signal; tacking the third node on at the front of the house flooded the facing street with Wi-Fi, too. (The two-node package costs $350, the three-node $500.)
The Velop nodes performed well under pressure, and demonstrated massive throughput when connected to a 2017 iMac — probably because the 3x3 Broadcom Wi-Fi radio inside Apple’s higher-end hardware links nicely with the MU-MIMO radios of the Velop. Speed doesn’t differ hugely between Ethernet and wireless backhauling, but testing the former does reveal a small downside: the limited number of ports becomes even more limited when they’re plugged up with interconnected wires, so an additional switch is essential if your home relies on plug-in hubs and other wired devices.
The bottom line. Fast, convenient, slick to set up and use, the Velop is a great alternative to Apple Wi-Fi.
Linksys Velop
Ultimate wireless range Flexible, expandable Not even slightly cheap Limited wired ports Excellent