A home office doesn't need enterprise gear, but it does need a WiFi setup that won't drop a call halfway through a meeting. Most of the frustration people blame on their ISP is actually a router placement or hardware problem.
Start with placement, not hardware
The single biggest factor in home WiFi performance is where the router sits, not its price tag. Walls, floors, and even large appliances absorb signal. A router in a back-room cupboard will underperform a cheaper one placed centrally and off the floor.
If your desk is far from the router or on a different floor, that's a placement problem first — try moving the router before buying new hardware.
When to consider a mesh system
A single router struggles to cover homes larger than about 1,200 sq ft, or homes with multiple floors and thick walls. Mesh systems use multiple nodes to extend coverage without the signal drop-off of WiFi extenders.
If you regularly lose connection walking between rooms, mesh is usually a better fix than a stronger single router.
How much bandwidth do video calls actually need
A standard HD video call uses roughly 1.5–3 Mbps per participant, each way. That sounds small, but it adds up fast with multiple people on calls in the same house, plus background streaming or uploads.
If calls freeze during peak hours, the fix is often more headroom on your plan, not a faster router.
A quick checklist
Router placed centrally, elevated, away from metal and large appliances. WiFi channel set to avoid neighboring network interference (most modern routers do this automatically). A wired ethernet connection for your main work device if it's stationary — it's still the most reliable option for video calls.
Need This Sorted For You?
Talk to our team about your specific setup — we'll point you to the right plan or service.
Get In Touch