Enlarge (credit: Mark Walton)

The Linksys Velop is the latest in a rapidly growing line of mesh, or “whole home” Wi-Fi systems from the likes of Google, Netgear, and Ubiquiti. Like its competitors, Velop is designed to help remove the dreaded dead spots that plague a home wireless network, ensuring that you’ve got complete coverage whether you’re sat right next to the router, or you’ve retreated to the garden shed for a spot of well-deserved me time. All you have to do is stick an extra Velop router (or “node” in Linksys speak) in the room with poor coverage, and hey presto, you’ve got faster Wi-Fi.

Where the Velop differs, aside from in its monolithic stature, is in its technical chops. Velop is the only consumer-focused mesh Wi-Fi system to offer tri-band connectivity—which provides a dedicated wireless link between each router in addition to the two required for devices to connect to it—alongside the option for a Ethernet-based wired backhaul and dynamic channel selection, the latter minimising interference from neighbouring Wi-Fi networks.

Such tech doesn’t come cheap. Velop starts at £199 for a single router, which is around £50 more than comparable standalone routers, and £199 more than the free router typically bundled in with home broadband packages. The price rises to £349 for the all-but-mandatory twin pack, and to an eye-watering £499 for a triple pack. Other mesh systems sell for similar prices, although, Velop’s swankier tech and (mostly) user-friendly setup process makes it the more appealing option.