I removed a mesh node and my Wi-Fi got faster, not slower

Mesh networks are a popular way of extending and stabilizing your home's wireless network. Whenever a Wi-Fi signal has a lot of space to cover, there are fixed limits that govern how far that signal can travel. In some cases, one wireless router might not be enough. A mesh network uses a primary router and extra network nodes to cover a larger area. Adding nodes doesn't always improve network performance, though.

When I first bought my three-pack Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro mesh system, I had a large two-bedroom apartment to cover that was oddly shaped. There was a lot of interference and physical obstructions, and running two or three Nest Wi-Fi Pro nodes boosted speeds and increased stability. Then, I downsized to a smaller apartment with less interference and fewer obstructions, and realized the extra nodes were actually hurting my network.

Too many mesh Wi-Fi nodes make your network slower

For the fastest speeds, use as few mesh nodes as possible

Mesh networks sound simple and approachable to anyone wanting faster wireless speeds or better coverage. In a wireless backhaul setup, a primary router is hardwired to your modem with an Ethernet cable. The extra mesh nodes are placed throughout your home, and only need a power source to extend your wireless network. They connect to your primary router — and by extension, your modem — wirelessly. This is great for convenience, but it isn't always ideal for speed.

When mesh nodes connect to your primary router wirelessly, the signal degrades the further it gets away from the original source. For example, I have a 1-Gigabit network and a Nest Wi-Fi Pro system capable of handling it. The first Nest Wi-Fi Pro router connected to my modem with a cable gets the full 1Gbps speeds supported by my network. Each additional node connected wirelessly gets a slower signal, sometimes half the speed of the preceding node.

Consider this in the context of my Nest Wi-Fi Pro three-pack. The furthest node away from my primary router might struggle to deliver speeds above 250Mbps to connected devices. This is because my phone or laptop is connecting to the closest node, which is connecting to the intermediary node, which is connecting to the primary router. Every wireless link in the chain slashes the maximum speeds of devices far away from the original network signal.

Use more mesh Wi-Fi nodes than you need, and you'll be effectively cutting your network's speeds in certain areas of your home. Running direct Ethernet cables to each individual node eliminates the wireless signal degradation problem, but introduces new ones. Wireless interference holds back Wi-Fi networks, and extra mesh nodes send more signals that can cause interference into your home. Additionally, nodes with too much overlapping coverage can confuse your devices, because they can't figure out which signal to connect with.

This is precisely what happened when I set up a three-node mesh router system in too small of a space. Speeds slowed as my devices connected to router nodes with weakened signals. The wireless signals sent out by each node interfered with each other, reducing performance. My devices struggled to identify which node had the best signal, since they were all so close together. It was a disaster, and unplugging the extra mesh Wi-Fi nodes was the solution.

Trust your mesh system's placement recommendations

You can do more harm than good by going overboard

The way to achieve optimal mesh networking performance is simple: follow the recommendations of your system. If I looked at the placement tips for my Nest Wi-Fi Pro system before moving apartments, I would've quickly realized that using two or three nodes was overdoing it. In my case, each Nest Wi-Fi Pro router is rated for handling 2,200 square feet of space. That's more than enough for my new apartment.

When I unplugged the extra mesh nodes, my devices started connecting to the router hardwired to my 1Gbps network. I began seeing speeds above 900Mbps wirelessly. Before, I'd max out at speeds around 300Mbps, and it's easy to see why. My devices were connecting to wireless router nodes with weaker signals than the primary router, and they were close enough to cause interference and confusion among my devices.

Using as few mesh nodes as possible is one way to maximize your system, but there are other tips to keep in mind. If there's an area of your home that doesn't have a strong wireless signal, you shouldn't place a new mesh node in that spot. Instead, place the extra node in between that area and another mesh node (or your primary router). This will help relay the connection from the closest node to the dead zone in your space.

Additionally, try putting the nodes in a spot where they have a clear line of sight to another router or access point. These are tips for the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro, and although they should apply to most mesh networks, checking your specific system's recommendations is the way to be sure.

I learned the hard way that less is actually more

Unplugging a mesh node was the best thing I ever did

As a general rule, less is more. If your space only requires one router to send out a great wireless signal, you can stop there. If it needs a primary router and a secondary mesh node, don't add a third, thinking it will further improve performance and stability. Placing too many Wi-Fi nodes in a small space causes interference, dropped connections, and slower speeds — the exact things you're trying to avoid.