One Good Wi-Fi Router May Be Enough for Most Homes, Tests Show

A single good Wi-Fi 7 router may cover most homes just fine. CNET Labs spent two months testing 10 Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems against their single-router versions. A mesh system uses several units spread around a home. The extra units improved signal far less than the testers expected.

What the tests found

The lab space was about the size of three basketball courts, packed with walls and electronic interference. Signal was measured in dBm, a unit for signal power. The closer to zero, the stronger the signal.

A two-pack mesh system raised average signal by 0.9 dBm on the 2.4 GHz band, 2.0 dBm on 5 GHz and 3.6 dBm on 6 GHz. On 2.4 GHz, the average moved from -39.42 to -38.55 dBm. The CNET reviewer called that real but not dramatic.

Where extra units helped

The biggest gain came on 6 GHz at short range, under 25 feet and through one wall or fewer. There, a second router improved the average from -42.73 to -39.08 dBm. CNET says that could separate a laggy game from a smooth one in some conditions.

Extra units also fixed dead zones in troublesome rooms. In the lab, a second Netgear Orbi 770 spread signal more evenly across the middle and bottom-left corner. The far corners scored about the same either way.

One Orbi 770 carried a strong 2.4 GHz signal over about 3,000 square feet. Netgear claims 2,750 square feet.

What the tests did not measure

Signal strength is not the same as internet speed. Speed also depends on the Wi-Fi generation of your devices, network congestion and interference. Your plan matters too. A gig-speed plan will carry fast speeds farther than a 100Mbps plan.

What to do

CNET's advice for real homes:

• Choose a gig-plus internet plan if you can.
• Place the router away from dense obstacles like concrete or metal.
• Turn on advanced Wi-Fi 7 features.
• Use a multipack only if a room still has dead spots.

Lab Award winners included the TP-Link Deco BE5000 and Netgear Orbi 970. The testers say the results reflect how strong new Wi-Fi 7 routers are, not a flaw in mesh. CNET's March 2026 survey found 41% of Americans lose signal a few times a year, and 6% lose it daily.