In this guide
Both approaches put several access points around a house. The difference that matters is how each one gets its data back to the network, and in a large home that difference compounds.
Backhaul is the whole question
A wired access point has its own cable to the switch. Whatever it serves, it has dedicated capacity back to the network.
A mesh node without a cable relays through another node over the air. That relay uses the same radio capacity it is also using to serve devices, so throughput drops with each hop. In a small home with one hop, this is often invisible. In a large home with several hops, it is the reason the far end of the house is slow despite showing full signal.
Full bars and slow speeds usually means hops, not coverage.
Side by side
| Mesh (wireless backhaul) | Wired access points | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | No cabling needed | A cable to each location |
| Throughput at distance | Falls with each hop | Consistent |
| Handling many devices | Degrades as density rises | Scales better |
| Roaming between points | Varies by system | Generally better controlled |
| Best fit | Smaller homes, retrofits with no cable route | Large homes, high device counts, anywhere cable is possible |
What actually determines coverage
Square footage is a poor predictor. Construction matters more.
- Plaster with wire lath, common in older homes, is close to a shield.
- Concrete and stone, including a basement theater, heavily attenuate signal.
- Radiant floor heating can affect propagation between levels.
- Multiple floors are harder than a single large floor.
- Metal ductwork and appliances create shadows that do not appear on a plan.
This is why coverage is established by survey rather than calculated from area.
Placement rules that matter more than the hardware
Access points are designed to radiate downward and outward. Ceiling mounting in the centre of the area beats a shelf in a corner.
An access point inside a metal rack in a basement serves the rack.
Enough overlap that devices hand off before they drop, not so much that they interfere.
Patios and yards need their own thinking rather than hoping indoor coverage reaches.
The honest recommendation
If cable can reach the right locations, wired access points are the better answer in a large home, and it is not particularly close.
If cable genuinely cannot reach, a good mesh system with as few hops as possible is a legitimate solution rather than a compromise to apologise for. Even then, cabling the one or two nodes that can be reached improves the whole system.
Get the coverage surveyed
A site survey measures what a floor plan cannot. We will show you where the access points belong.
Request a network assessment