Netgear、TP-Link、华硕(ASUS)、谷歌(Google)等无线设备制造商越来越多地推广网状Wi-Fi网络或全家Wi-Fi系统。网状Wi-Fi的概念听起来令人印象深刻，但它意味着什么？人们是否需要在家中或办公室使用网状(home or business office)Wi-Fi系统？全家庭Wi-Fi系统是(Wi-Fi)家庭网络(home networking)的未来吗？如果您需要任何人都可以理解的实际解释，请阅读这篇文章：
什么是网状 Wi-Fi 网络？
网状Wi-Fi网络由类似路由器的设备（节点）组成，它们协同工作以在给定区域内提供无线网络(wireless network)。所有节点相互通信以建立在连接到网络的不同客户端之间发送数据的最佳路径。您可以将其视为相互连接和互联网连接的Wi-Fi节点(Wi-Fi)的点对点(Peer-to-Peer)( P2P ) 网络。
什么是网状 Wi-Fi 系统？
网状 Wi-Fi 系统是一种类似路由器的设备（节点）系统，用于创建和操作网状 Wi-Fi 网络。一些家庭网络(home networking)设备制造商将其网状 Wi-Fi 系统命名为全家庭 Wi-Fi 系统，以便人们了解与传统无线路由器相比，此类系统为他们的家庭提供了更好的 Wi-Fi 覆盖范围。
网状 Wi-Fi 系统如何工作？
为了更好地了解网状 Wi-Fi 系统的工作原理，让我们看一下您在家中发现的传统无线网络。(wireless network)您有一个连接到 Internet的无线路由器。(wireless router)路由器的工作是发射无线信号并管理与其连接的所有无线客户端。
要访问互联网，笔记本电脑等设备需要连接到路由器广播的 Wi-Fi(Wi-Fi broadcast)并始终与路由器通信。路由器是笔记本电脑和互联网之间的中介。无线路由器可以在大小不一的空间中提供良好的 Wi-Fi 信号，具体取决于路由器的功能。但是，您离路由器越远，信号就越弱，并且在某些时候，您将无法连接到网络。这个问题在有许多墙壁将路由器与其无线客户端隔开的大家庭中更加严重。
在网状Wi-Fi 系统(Wi-Fi system)中，系统中只有一个节点可以直接访问互联网。该节点与构成网状Wi-Fi 系统(Wi-Fi system)的所有其他节点进行通信，它们共同为连接到网络的所有客户端提供 Internet 和 Wi-Fi 访问。
这样，您可以在传统路由器受发射功率限制的大空间和建筑物中获得良好(transmitting power)的 Wi-Fi 信号(Wi-Fi signal)。网状(Mesh)节点相互捎带以创建连续的无线链路(wireless link)，最大限度地减少死区的可能性，包括在具有许多可能吸收信号的墙壁的空间中。无论您向网状 Wi-Fi 系统添加多少个，所有网状节点都会发出具有相同名称、密码和特征的相同Wi-Fi 网络。(Wi-Fi network)
全家庭 Wi-Fi 系统的基本特征
今天，您可以在消费市场(consumer market)上找到许多网状 Wi-Fi 系统，而且它们的数量还在增长。它们在以下方面与传统无线网络不同：
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大多数基于消费者的网状 Wi-Fi 系统使用移动优先策略(Most consumer-based mesh Wi-Fi systems use a mobile-first strategy)。它们是在智能手机应用程序(smartphone app)的帮助下进行管理的。该应用程序通过Wi-Fi、蓝牙(Bluetooth)或两者与网格通信，具体取决于您使用的网格是谁制造的。
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他们使用 2.4 GHz 和 5 GHz 频率广播 Wi-Fi，但仅使用一个网络名称。(They broadcast the Wi-Fi using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies but using only one network name.)仅支持 Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) 标准的无线客户端自动连接到 2.4 GHz 频率(GHz frequency)，而支持 Wi-Fi 5 或 Wi-Fi 6 标准的双频客户端连接到 5 GHz 频率(GHz frequency)。
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消费者网状 Wi-Fi 系统通常具有两个或三个节点(Consumer mesh Wi-Fi systems typically have two or three nodes)，具体取决于其型号和制造商(model and manufacturer)。
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大多数网状 Wi-Fi 系统都与(Most mesh Wi-Fi systems are integrated with virtual assistants)Alexa 或 Google Assistant(Alexa or Google Assistant)等虚拟助手集成，使其比传统的无线路由器和中继器更易于使用。
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单独来看，构成网状 Wi-Fi 系统的节点不如标准无线路由器强大(When taken individually, the nodes that make up a mesh Wi-Fi system are less powerful than a standard wireless router)。但是，它们的强大之处在于您用于网状 Wi-Fi 系统的节点数量，并且它们一起可以提供比传统无线路由器更好(wireless router)的 Wi-Fi 覆盖范围(Wi-Fi coverage)。
网状Wi-Fi网络的优势
Mesh Wi-Fi网络与由路由器管理的传统无线网络相比具有一些显着优势：
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您可以根据需要添加任意数量的节点，以提高 Wi-Fi 网络的覆盖范围(You can add as many nodes as you need to improve the coverage of your Wi-Fi network)。您可以单独购买节点并根据需要添加它们，无需任何额外设置。
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Mesh Wi-Fi 网络对无线网络使用单一名称，可在 2.4 GHz 和 5GHz 频段运行(Mesh Wi-Fi networks use a single name for the wireless network, that works both in the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands)。支持Wi-Fi 4 标准(standard connect)的旧设备通过较慢的 2.4 GHz 频段(GHz band)连接，而支持 Wi-Fi 5 或 Wi-Fi 6 标准的新设备通过更快的 5GHz(faster 5GHz)频段连接。
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Mesh Wi-Fi 网络(Mesh Wi-Fi networks)提供动态重新路由，这意味着它们会自动为数据包选择最佳路径在设备之间进行通信以避免拥塞(automatically choose the best path for packets to communicate between devices to avoid congestion)。
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它们是自我发现和配置的(They are self-discovering and configuring)。每个新节点都会自动查找并复制网状Wi-Fi 网络(Wi-Fi network)使用的设置。此外，您可以删除节点，其余节点会自动调整以继续运行。
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(They perform better than wireless routers in areas where the wireless signal is intermittently blocked)在无线信号被墙壁和干扰源间歇性阻挡的区域，它们的性能优于无线路由器。
网状Wi-Fi(Wi-Fi)网络的缺点
不全是牛奶和蜂蜜(milk and honey)。还有一些重要的缺点需要考虑：
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网状网络遭受供应商锁定(Mesh networks suffer from vendor lock-in)。与无线路由器和中继器即使由不同制造商制造也能很好地协同工作不同，网状 Wi-Fi 系统仅适用于同一家族的设备。如果您选择ASUS、TP-Link、Google、Netgear、Linksys或其他制造商，当您需要扩展或改善 Wi-Fi 覆盖范围时，您会被它所困扰。因此，在购买一个或多个全屋 Wi-Fi 系统之前，明智地选择是很重要的。
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如果您需要覆盖中小区域，价格会更高(The price is higher if you need to cover small or medium areas)。Mesh Wi-Fi 网络适用于各种空间。但是，如果您没有大型公寓或至少有一层楼的房屋，则网状网络比使用路由器和中继器的传统无线网络更昂贵。对于大空间，网状 Wi-Fi 网络可能比传统方法更具成本效益。
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向网状 Wi-Fi 网络添加更多节点会增加延迟并降低带宽。(Adding more nodes to the mesh Wi-Fi network increases latency and decreases bandwidth.)因此，您不能无休止地将节点添加到网状Wi-Fi 网络(Wi-Fi network)。在某个时候，它会停止工作，你获得的Wi-Fi 速度(Wi-Fi speed)将太差而无法使用。
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一些网状 Wi-Fi 系统没有 USB 端口。(Some mesh Wi-Fi systems do not have USB ports.)高级用户将无法通过传统方式将打印机或外部硬盘连接到他们的网状 Wi-Fi 网络。
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某些网状 Wi-Fi 系统只能通过智能手机应用程序进行配置。(Some mesh Wi-Fi systems can only be configured from smartphone apps.)一些供应商，如谷歌(Google)，专注于只提供智能手机应用程序(smartphone apps)来管理网状Wi-Fi 系统(Wi-Fi system)。高级用户会发现这种限制，因为他们几乎无法自定义网状Wi-Fi 系统的(Wi-Fi system)工作方式。其他供应商，如华硕(ASUS)，继续提供基于 Web 的管理界面，允许高级用户配置有关其网状 Wi-Fi 网络的所有内容。
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一些网状 Wi-Fi 系统没有保留用于在网状站之间进行通信的主干连接(Some mesh Wi-Fi systems don't have a backbone connection reserved to communicate between mesh stations)。这意味着您不会获得比传统网络更快的网络，只有更大区域的Wi-Fi 覆盖和信号(Wi-Fi coverage and signal)。
我不能使用无线路由器(wireless router)和多个中继器/范围扩展器获得相同的结果吗？
如果您的目的是增加家中无线网络(wireless network)的覆盖范围，您可以在有问题的区域继续使用无线路由器(wireless router)和多个中继器/范围扩展器。但是，有一些缺点需要考虑：
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您需要单独管理每个发射无线信号的设备。(You need to separately manage each device that emits the wireless signal.)当您的 Wi-Fi 发射设备来自不同的制造商时，这尤其困难。如果您想要一个既安全又稳定的网络，您需要学习不同的用户界面，在不同的地方搜索固件升级并手动更新每个设备上的固件。使用网状Wi-Fi 网络(Wi-Fi network)，您可以在一个地方管理所有发射无线信号的设备，就像它们是一台设备一样，而不是多台设备。您的设置和固件升级会自动传播到整个网状Wi-Fi 系统(Wi-Fi system)，无需您对每个节点进行手动干预。
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如果您需要覆盖大面积和建筑物，带有路由器和中继器的传统网络会更加昂贵(If you need coverage in large areas and buildings, traditional networks with routers and repeaters are more expensive)。如果您需要覆盖大型住宅或办公楼(home or office building)，传统的无线网络可能会更昂贵。
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您没有专用频段用于发射无线信号的设备之间的通信。(You don't get a dedicated band for the communication between the devices that emit the wireless signal.)高级网状 Wi-Fi 系统具有专门用于为系统供电的站点之间的通信的频段。当您使用无线路由器(wireless router)和中继器时，它们之间没有专用频段，这意味着网状 Wi-Fi 系统会更快。
提示：(TIP:)如果您不相信网状 Wi-Fi 系统的好处，并且想购买传统的无线路由器，我们建议：购买(wireless router)无线路由器(wireless router)时要考虑的 8 件事（适合初学者）。
网状Wi-Fi网络是什么时候发明的？
第一个现实生活中的网状网络(real-life mesh network)实施是由美国军方(US military)于 1997 年实施的，然后是1999 年由位于亚特兰大的(Atlanta)乔治亚理工学院(Georgia Institute)的(Technology)一个团队实施的。截至 2004 年，该概念在商业领域的应用有所增加. 网状网络用于在农村地区、大规模商业(scale business)应用和军队中提供宽带互联网。
2016 年 12 月(December 2016)推出的第一个大规模面向家庭用户的网状 Wi-Fi 系统是Google Wi-Fi。
您(Are)要购买网状 Wi-Fi 系统吗？
既然您知道什么是网状 Wi-Fi 网络或全家 Wi-Fi 系统，请告诉我们您的意见。您对这项技术感兴趣吗？您是否正在考虑在家中或办公室(home or office)购买网状 Wi-Fi 系统？下方评论(Comment)，一起讨论。
What is a mesh Wi-Fi network? What is mesh Wi-Fi system?
Mesh Wi-Fi networks, or whole-home Wi-Fi sуstems, are increasingly promotеd by manufaсturers of wireless equipment likе Netgear, TP-Link, ASUS, Google, and othеrs. The concept of mesh Wi-Fi sounds impressive but what does it mean? Do people need a mesh Wi-Fi syѕtem in their home or bυsiness office? Are whole-home Wi-Fi systems the future of home networking? If you need down-to-earth explanations, that anyone can understand, read this article:
What is a mesh Wi-Fi network?
A mesh Wi-Fi network is made of router-like devices (nodes) that work together to provide a wireless network in a given area. All the nodes communicate with each other to establish the best path to send the data between the different clients that are connected to the network. You can think of it as a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network of Wi-Fi nodes that are connected with each other and the internet.
What is a mesh Wi-Fi system?
A mesh Wi-Fi system is a system of router-like devices (nodes) that is used to create and operate a mesh Wi-Fi network. Some manufacturers of home networking devices name their mesh Wi-Fi systems as whole-home Wi-Fi systems, so that people understand that such systems offer improved Wi-Fi coverage for their homes, when compared to traditional wireless routers.
How does a mesh Wi-Fi system work?
To better understand how mesh Wi-Fi systems work, let's take a look at a traditional wireless network that you find in a home. You have a wireless router that is connected to the internet. It is the job of the router to emit the wireless signal and manage all the wireless clients that are connected to it.
To get access to the internet, a device like a laptop needs to connect to the Wi-Fi broadcast by the router and always communicate with the router. The router is an intermediary between the laptop and the internet. Wireless routers can provide a good Wi-Fi signal in spaces which vary in size, depending on how powerful the router is. However, the further away you get from the router, the weaker the signal is and, at some point, you won't be able to connect to the network. This problem is exacerbated in large homes with many walls separating the router from its wireless clients.
In a mesh Wi-Fi system, only one of the nodes in the system has direct access to the internet. That node communicates with all the others making up the mesh Wi-Fi system, and together they provide internet and Wi-Fi access to all the clients connected to the network.
This way, you can get good Wi-Fi signal in large spaces and buildings, where traditional routers are limited by their transmitting power. Mesh nodes piggyback on one another to create a continuous wireless link, minimizing the possibility of dead zones, including in spaces with many walls that might absorb the signal. All the mesh nodes emit the same Wi-Fi network with the same name, password, and characteristics, no matter how many you add to the mesh Wi-Fi system.
Essential characteristics of whole-home Wi-Fi systems
Today you can find many mesh Wi-Fi systems on the consumer market, and their number is growing. They are different from traditional wireless networks in the following ways:
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Most consumer-based mesh Wi-Fi systems use a mobile-first strategy. They are administered with the help of a smartphone app. The app communicates with the mesh through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both, depending on who manufactured the mesh that you are using.
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They broadcast the Wi-Fi using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies but using only one network name. Wireless clients that support only the Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) standard are automatically connected on the 2.4 GHz frequency, while dual-band clients that support the Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 standards are connected to the 5 GHz frequency.
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Consumer mesh Wi-Fi systems typically have two or three nodes, depending on their model and manufacturer.
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Most mesh Wi-Fi systems are integrated with virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant, making them more friendly to use than traditional wireless routers and repeaters.
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When taken individually, the nodes that make up a mesh Wi-Fi system are less powerful than a standard wireless router. However, their power is in the number of nodes that you use for your mesh Wi-Fi system, and together can provide better Wi-Fi coverage than a traditional wireless router.
The advantages of mesh Wi-Fi networks
Mesh Wi-Fi networks have some significant advantages over traditional wireless networks that are managed by a router:
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You can add as many nodes as you need to improve the coverage of your Wi-Fi network. You can purchase nodes separately and add them as needed, without any additional setup.
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Mesh Wi-Fi networks use a single name for the wireless network, that works both in the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands. Older devices that support the Wi-Fi 4 standard connect through the slower 2.4 GHz band, while newer devices that support the Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 standards connect through the faster 5GHz band.
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Mesh Wi-Fi networks offer dynamic rerouting, meaning they automatically choose the best path for packets to communicate between devices to avoid congestion.
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They are self-discovering and configuring. Each new node automatically finds and replicates the settings used by the mesh Wi-Fi network. Also, you can remove nodes, and the remaining ones automatically adjust to continue their operation.
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They perform better than wireless routers in areas where the wireless signal is intermittently blocked by walls and sources of interference.
The disadvantages of mesh Wi-Fi networks
It's not all milk and honey. There are also some important downsides to consider:
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Mesh networks suffer from vendor lock-in. Unlike wireless routers and repeaters, which work well together even if they are made by different manufacturers, mesh Wi-Fi systems are made to work only with devices from the same family. If you choose ASUS, TP-Link, Google, Netgear, Linksys or some other manufacturer, you are stuck with it when you need to extend or improve your Wi-Fi coverage. Therefore it is important to choose wisely before purchasing one whole-home Wi-Fi system or another.
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The price is higher if you need to cover small or medium areas. Mesh Wi-Fi networks work in all kinds of spaces. However, if you do not have a large apartment or a home with at least one floor, mesh networks are more expensive than traditional wireless networks that use routers and repeaters. For large spaces, mesh Wi-Fi networks can be more cost effective than traditional approaches.
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Adding more nodes to the mesh Wi-Fi network increases latency and decreases bandwidth. Therefore, you cannot endlessly add nodes to the mesh Wi-Fi network. At some point, it is going to stop working, and the Wi-Fi speed you get is going to be too poor to be usable.
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Some mesh Wi-Fi systems do not have USB ports. Power users won't be able to connect printers or external hard disks to their mesh Wi-Fi network through traditional means.
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Some mesh Wi-Fi systems can only be configured from smartphone apps. Some vendors, like Google, focus on offering only smartphone apps for administering the mesh Wi-Fi system. Power users are going to find this limiting, because they can customize very little about how the mesh Wi-Fi system works. Other vendors, like ASUS, continue to offer web-based administration interfaces which allow power users to configure everything about their mesh Wi-Fi network.
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Some mesh Wi-Fi systems don't have a backbone connection reserved to communicate between mesh stations. This means that you don't get a faster network than in the case of a traditional network, only Wi-Fi coverage and signal in a larger area.
Can't I get the same results with a wireless router and several repeaters/range extenders?
If your purpose is to increase the coverage of the wireless network in your home, you can continue to use a wireless router and several repeaters/range extenders in the areas that are problematic. However, there are some downsides to consider:
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You need to separately manage each device that emits the wireless signal. This is especially difficult when your Wi-Fi emitting devices are from different manufacturers. You need to learn different user interfaces, search in different places for firmware upgrades and manually update the firmware on each device, if you want a network that's both secure and stable. With a mesh Wi-Fi network, you administer all the devices that emit the wireless signal in one place, as if they were one device, not many. Your settings and firmware upgrades are automatically propagated through the entire mesh Wi-Fi system, without your manual intervention on each node.
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If you need coverage in large areas and buildings, traditional networks with routers and repeaters are more expensive. If you need to cover a large home or office building, conventional wireless networks can be more expensive.
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You don't get a dedicated band for the communication between the devices that emit the wireless signal. Premium mesh Wi-Fi systems have a band that is dedicated exclusively to the communication between the stations that power up the system. When you use a wireless router and a repeater, there is no dedicated band between them, meaning that a mesh Wi-Fi system is going to be faster.
TIP: If you are not convinced about the benefits of mesh Wi-Fi systems, and you want to buy a traditional wireless router, we recommend: 8 things to consider when buying a wireless router (for beginners).
When were mesh Wi-Fi networks invented?
The first real-life mesh network implementations were made by the US military in 1997 and then by a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, in 1999. As of 2004, the concept had seen an increase in adoption in the commercial sector. Mesh networks are used to offer broadband internet in rural areas, for large scale business applications, and in the military.
The first mesh Wi-Fi system to be made available on a larger scale for home users is Google Wi-Fi, which was launched in December 2016.
Are you going to buy a mesh Wi-Fi system?
Now that you know what a mesh Wi-Fi network is, or a whole-home Wi-Fi system, let us know your opinion. Is this technology of interest to you? Are you considering buying a mesh Wi-Fi system in your home or office? Comment below, and let's discuss.
