Linksys gets in on the mesh movement with Velop whole home Wi-Fi system

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 04 January 2017

Linksys is expanding its range of networking hardware with its first mesh router solution, Velop. Multiple Velop nodes work in tandem to provide a much larger wireless network. Each Velop unit supports Tri-Band Wi-Fi, MU-MIMO, and has two Ethernet ports.

The rectangular vertical design means that a Velop node's footprint is 88% smaller than an average router.

Mesh routers differ from traditional routers in that they're designed to be used as part of a group, rather than a standalone device. By using multiple routers in range of one another, they form what's referred to a "mesh" network that bolsters your Wi-Fi coverage. This is commonly referred to as "whole home Wi-Fi".

Other network hardware manufacturers including Netgear, Google, and Eero have all recently jumped on the mesh bandwagon, but Linksys claims that its system can outperform the competition. Linksy says Velop units don't suffer from any speed degradation when chained, right up until the very edge of the network.

We'll be able to test these claims in April, when Velop kits will be available locally as one-, two-, or three-pack. One Velop will set you back D$299.95, two go for $589.95, and three take the price to $749.95.

Velop units are just routers, so depending on how you connect to the internet, you'll still likely need a separate modem.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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