A mesh network is a network in which nodes link to several neighbors and forward data for one another. Traffic finds a path through the mesh and can route around a failed node or link.
Why it matters
In home Wi-Fi, a mesh system uses a main router plus satellite nodes that share one network name, covering large or awkward buildings better than a single access point. Wired backhaul between nodes gives the best speed; wireless backhaul halves usable capacity at each hop because the same radio carries both directions. Mesh designs are also used in industrial, community and IoT networks.
Example
Internet -> Router (main node) ~~ Node 2 ~~ Node 3A laptop upstairs joins Node 3. If it sat directly at the router it might get 500 Mbps, but two wireless hops can reduce it to well under half of that, depending on the radio and interference.
Common mistakes
- Placing satellite nodes too far apart, so the backhaul link is weak.
- Chaining many wireless hops and expecting full speed at the far end.
- Running two independent routers as a mesh, which creates double NAT.
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