Getting a mesh router is a worthwhile home improvement project if you’ve got spots with wonky WiFi

And in recent years, new technology has come along that can slay dead zones and unstable connections, called mesh networks.

“What is a mesh WiFi network and do I need to upgrade my router?” asked reader Shawn Spaulding of Oakland, Calif., to our Help Desk inbox. He said he recently upgraded to ultrafast fiber Internet service at home and was skeptical about the router he got from his service provider.

Mesh systems are designed to spread sweet, sweet WiFi to places old-school routers just can’t reach, so you actually take advantage of that deluxe Internet service you’re paying for. But, yes, it means buying or renting new router equipment that could cost around $200 … or more.

Here’s how it works: Traditional WiFi routers operate as a single broadcast point, like a radio station beaming a signal out from a tall tower. But inside a house, those signals have to try to pass through things that block WiFi like walls, floors, pipes and fish tanks. (It’s true, WiFi can’t go through water.) The result is the signal becomes slower and less reliable the further you get from the router — and may not reach some parts of your house at all.

Mesh networks are different because they rely on a couple of smaller router boxes, or hubs, that all talk to each other to spread wireless Internet around your house. They work kind of like a relay race: One hub sends data wirelessly to the nearest hub, which can then pass that data on to other nearby devices or even another hub. Behind the scenes, there’s software running the whole system to make sure your devices connect to whichever hub is nearest or offers the best connection.

Mesh systems are more effective than older style “repeater devices,” which just try to amplify the signals coming from a single router like a megaphone. But unlike repeaters, mesh networks usually have to be all part of the same system — so you can’t just add an extra hub to whatever non-mesh router you’re using now.

Dust off your home WiFi router: It needs some upkeep to stay secure

How many mesh hubs you need to buy depends on your home and how much you’re willing to spend on each hub. A small two-story house might be covered with just two basic mesh hubs. But you could need three or even more for a large house or one that’s filled with WiFi obstructions. My house is a networking nightmare because it sits on the side of a hill, so I invested about $400 in five hubs to make sure all my gadgets get sweet, sweet Internet inside and outside in the yard. (That was probably overkill.)

Before you spend money on anything, it’s possible you could still get significantly better WiFi performance just by making some tweaks to your existing setup. Start with my guide to WiFi fixes that don’t cost a dime.

If you’re ready to make the mesh leap, you’ve got lots of good choices. One of the original innovators is a product called Eero. It is now owned by Amazon, but I used it long before it got acquired — and so far, Amazon hasn’t ruined it by inserting questionable features like its connection-sharing Sidewalk network. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, but I review all technology with the same critical eye.)

Setup isn’t too hard: You plug one Eero into your modem (the box that receives the signal from your ISP). Then an app guides you through setting it up — and then pairing it with additional Eero hubs you spread around the house. You can even add more hubs after the fact if you decide you still need more coverage. A basic Eero 6 router costs $89, or a three-pack with a router and two add-on hubs is $199. (There are more expensive options that are faster or contain more ports on the back.)

Other excellent mesh WiFi routers include Netgear’s Nighthawk Mesh MK63, sold in a pack of three for $299, and the Linksys Atlas Pro 6, sold for $449.99 for a pack of three. Google makes a product called Nest Home WiFi that includes its microphone-enabled smart speakers in the satellite hubs (called points) for $249 for a set of three.

Did your router come from your Internet service provider? Many ISPs are still just selling or renting single-point routers, but some including Comcast and Frontier now offer mesh options. If you’re going to stay in the same home for a while, you could probably save money in the long run by ditching the router from your ISP and instead buying your own mesh system. (While you’re at it, see if you can also buy your own modem.)

And if you want to take your mesh network to the max in terms of speed and performance, there was good news this week. Eero introduced a new product called the Eero Pro 6E with the very latest version of WiFi that can broadcast over a newly authorized wireless band called 6GHz. That band is like an extra traffic lane for your mesh network, meaning less congestion and potentially much faster downloads and latency (which is another way to say delay) compared with older WiFi tech. Eero says its new model is designed for people with fiber connections like the one Spaulding uses. The Eero 6E costs $299 for one and $699 for a set of three.

Other companies also offer 6E mesh routers, but to date they’ve been very expensive. The Netgear Orbi RBKE963 model costs $1499.99 for a pack of three, and the Linksys Atlas Max 6E costs $499.99 for one.