It pains me when friends or family tell me about their internet issues, and I discover they’re still using the generic router/modem box their internet provider gave them—usually at a monthly rental cost and with no mesh networking capabilities.
If you live in a small, one-floor home, you might not need a fancy wifi setup, especially if you always have a strong signal. But if you have more than one floor, a garage that is far from your router, or you just get spotty wifi in certain areas, a mesh system (like this Google Nest Wifi router, plus a few extra wifi nodes) can solve that for you. Right now, the router is discounted to $39 on Amazon (originally $169), its lowest price ever according to price-checking tools.
The Google Nest Wifi came out in 2019, and doesn’t offer wifi 6 compatability. But wifi 6 is overkill for most people, if they even have the compatible router necessary to use it. The Google Nest Wifi router needs to connect to your existing internet provider’s modem with an ethernet cable, and it will expand your coverage to 2,200 square feet. It can handle up to 200 connected devices and reach a maximum data rate of 400Mbps on a 2.4GHz band and 1,733Mbps on a 5GHz band, according to PCMag's "excellent" review.
The magic of a mesh network comes when you add nodes (or points, as Google calls them). As opposed to regular wifi extenders, nodes don't merely amplify the signal from your router (cutting speed in half in the bargain); they are essentially their own independent router emitting the full bandwidth of the primary router. Right now, you can also get a much better deal buying the router along with two points for $151.99 (down from originally $349) rather than buying the router and points separately.