Mesh routers are becoming increasingly popular, and while we've seen them become more accessible in terms of price, there will always be premium offerings for those who can afford to pay a bit more. With products like the Netgear Orbi[1], the premium is justified, as the network coverage and performance that you get are unmatched by the more affordable mesh router systems that we've reviewed so far.
Linksys[2] is a well-known and trusted name in the world of networking and it recently forayed into the world of mesh routers. The tri-band Velop mesh Wi-Fi router system we are reviewing today is available in three different configurations — Rs. 49,999 for the router system with three nodes[3] (bearing model number AC6600/ WHW0303-AH), which has an advertised range of 6,000 sq. ft.; Rs. 34,999 for a pack of two nodes[4] (AC4400/ WHW0302-AH) which claims to have a range of 4,000 sq. ft.; and Rs. 19,999 for the lone AC2200/ WHW0301-AH[5] which, as you would've guessed, has a range of 2,000 sq. ft.
The naming system is a bit of a disaster, especially when you consider there's a more affordable dual-band Velop router system as well, which carries model numbers AC1300/ WHW0101[6], AC2600/ WHW0102[7], and AC3900/ WHW0103[8] Dual-Band for the one, two, and three pack kits respectively. For the sake of this review, all references to Velop correspond to the tri-band router system that we are reviewing, and not the more affordable alternative.
Let's take a closer look at the Velop mesh Wi-Fi router system in the hope that the engineers at Linksys have done a better job than the marketing department that came up...