What is wireless mesh?

Wireless mesh may also be known as wireless repeaters. Your access points can seamlessly connect to one another over wireless, and then rebroadcast that wireless connection again to extend coverage. This feature creates a wireless bridge between access points and works as a great fallback in case a cable cannot be run.

Performance concerns

In nearly all mesh situations, each "hop" (the wireless jump from one AP to the next) will have a performance reduction. Historically, this would be half at each hop (i.e. 1gbps at the wired AP, 500mbps at the first hop, 250mbps at the 2nd hop, and so on). However, through technological advances, we can reduce this reduction. You should expect a 10-30% reduction of speed at each hop.

Please note that you can daisy chain APs through mesh beyond 2 hops, but it is not recommended. More wired APs should be installed to extend coverage.

Enabling mesh

Mesh is enabled by default, so you can expect this feature to work out of the box. The only prerequisite is to first hardwire the AP on the network to perform the initial setup. Once this is complete, you may plug its PoE into a disconnected network switch or PoE injector. It will automatically mesh with a nearby AP that has an active route to the internet.

When an AP is connected by mesh, you'll see the WiFi icon next to its IP address. Hover over it to see a tooltip that contains more details, such as the parent AP.

You may disable this for any individual access point by navigating to the Network tab and then clicking its icon in the far left column. In the configuration card, click the Settings tab and then toggle the Mesh switch.

Potential issues

Mesh is not intended to be the primary method for carrying critical data. There are a few common pitfalls that may impact your network when mesh is active.

Interference

Interference is harder to overcome because the child and parent APs must share the same wireless channel. This could result in much slower than expected speeds, or cause a mesh child AP to select a new parent unexpectedly when too much interference is detected.

Check for interference from the access point's Info tab. See here for more details on reading the results.

Self-Interference

Because the parent and the child APs must share the same wireless channel, it is recommended for the APs to be installed where they can receive each others' signals at -60 to -70.  Please use the above method to plan accordingly.

No connection

Access points may not be able to wirelessly mesh in some configurations, depending on regulatory domain. Be sure to choose a legal channel for the band, width, and environment in your region, particularly when mixing outdoor APs with indoor.