Currently converting the cellar into an office but the WiFi reception is almost zero down there.

So, need to do something to address that situation.

My assumption is that with a mesh network, the “repeater” would need to be in a location that gets good coverage from the router, so putting one down in the cellar probably isn’t going to work.

So that leaves me with using a power line adapter or maybe somehow dropping an ethernet cable down there, but the hard wired solution really isn’t an option.

So my question is, is my understanding of how the WiFi mesh works correctly?

Cheers

*I think* with mesh the repeaters can daisychain of each other, so you could have one twixt router and cellar, with one in the cellar.
I might be talking bollox though.

Mesh works best where you need multiple repeaters across the house, if you just need wifi in the cellar, I’d use powerline with a wifi router at the end with a different SSID to the main one.

I’ve got a 2 node mesh system and it works just like Oldtennisshoes describes. You place them around your home to create an area. The difference to a normal hub/wifi extender is that it is all the same network rather than handing you over from one wifi area to the next so is seamless. So depending on the size of your home you’ll need two or three and that should cover your area. If not then you can link them via ethernet cable if you have problems with wifi penetrating thick walls or something, so have a node in your cellar and run a cable to another node the other side of the wall. but sounds like that isn’t an option for you anyway.

But no reason why power line wouldn’t work in your application either assuming the mains in the cellar works off the same ring main as your house and doesn’t have to come in via the consumer unit. I’ve got a power line too as my BT box isn’t wireless so needs a cable going into it so have used a power line just for that.

Cheers.

Pretty much what I thought. Annoyingly the WiFi is strong in the kitchen but with stone floors and heavy brick vaulting in the cellar the signal barely gets through. Will give the powerline option s try I think.

I have Google Wifi. It works well, with seamless connection to the base stations as I move through the house

But the range is poor. Two solid walls pretty much kills the signal. Our house is 1700sq foot and 3 base stations only just manages.

OP for your intended use I’d look at power line

Why not get a powerline system that has mesh Wi-Fi built in? Best of both worlds…

With power line, note that you need to have two units that will connect your router to your cellar. They will need to be on the same branch of your home wiring to get decent performance (or, worst case, any performance at all). If cellar wiring was done later to house ring main, and is on different connection on consumer unit, it may not work well.

They will need to be on the same branch of your home wiring to get decent performance

Unless you’ve got a spectacularly badly wired house this isn’t an issue. We’ve got our power line connection over 2 different ring mains. Both go into the same distribution box but on different fused circuits. Speed is fantastic.

deco for a powerline option, best of both worlds.
if you are going just for a mesh network it might be worth looking for a 3 channels systems, one of those is used for dedicated backhaul.