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Mesh WiFi for gaming
Updated
For gaming, plug the console or PC into a mesh node with an Ethernet cable, and wire that node back to the main one if you can. Online games need little bandwidth. What they need is a steady, low-delay link, and every wireless hop adds delay.
Games need less speed than you think
The FCC's broadband speed guide lists the minimum download speed for common tasks. Games sit near the bottom. Downloads and 4K video are what eat a plan.
- Game console connecting3 Mbps
- Online multiplayer4 Mbps
- HD video (top of range)8 Mbps
- 4K video25 Mbps
The FCC notes these are rough guides and assume one activity at a time. The point stands: a mesh upgrade for gaming is about the path, not the plan.
The path from console to modem
- Console to node. Use a cable. Most nodes on our list have spare ports. Check before you buy: on a two port node, one port may already be used.
- Node to main node. This is the backhaul. TP-Link's backhaul guide says a wired link gives lower latency with no bandwidth loss from a wireless hop, and names gaming as a good use for it. NETGEAR's page on backhaul explains that budget systems share one band between backhaul and devices, which can reduce performance.
- Main node to modem. Already wired. Make sure the port matches your plan speed.
No cable possible? Then a tri-band kit with a band set aside for the node link is the next best thing. The game console should still plug into the node.
Traffic priority
TP-Link describes Quality of Service (QoS) as a way to give specific devices or apps priority, helping them run with lower latency. The Deco listings list QoS among the HomeShield features that cost nothing. It helps most when others in the house stream or download while you play.
Kits that fit
- TP-Link Deco X55: three Gigabit ports per node, so the console, a TV and a backhaul cable all fit. Caveat: no 6 GHz band.
- TP-Link Deco BE63: four 2.5G ports per node and wired plus wireless backhaul at once, per the listing. Caveat: most plans cannot use its full speed.
- TP-Link Deco XE75: when you cannot run a cable, its 6 GHz band carries node-to-node traffic by default. Caveat: 6 GHz is short range.