Two products solve the same problem — covering a large or multi-story home with consistent WiFi — from different engineering philosophies. Mesh systems optimize for installation convenience and seamless roaming. Multi-AP systems using wired backhaul optimize for raw performance and reliability. Which is better depends almost entirely on what your home’s infrastructure looks like and how much the installation process matters. The Single Router Problem A single router positioned in one location covers a sphere of radio energy that attenuates with distance and obstacle density.