Let me preface this piece with my experience so far regarding my Internet connection.
Growing up as a young boy, I didn’t have direct Internet access, resulting in frequent visits to a nearby computer cafe whenever my homework needed research. I remember setting up a small presentation for my parents to defend my argument that the future was going to center around the Internet—which eventually became the case. I started with a pocket WiFi connection that gave me a fluctuating 5 Mbps download and upload speed.
Fast forward to today and a ton of upgrades later, I became somewhat the go-to person for tech consultation within the family; choosing which Internet plan was needed for both our house in the province and apartment in the city of Manila. I was honestly happy with our choice of PLDT Home Fiber plan that came with a common router but shortly after, I experienced lag spikes and random disconnections for work and gaming sessions–frustrating the hell out of me.
From Sherlock Holmes Games Official GIPHY
Was it my computer? Was this because of the Internet line? Or was this because of my router? I found the answer when I opted for another PLDT Home Fiber plan upgrade with two WiFi Mesh units of TP-Link Deco E4. At first, I was skeptical that it would change anything, but I proceeded to have everything set up shortly. I had a speed test of 50 Mbps with my previous WiFi router, but with the new mesh unit, it jumped to 100 Mbps for upload and download speeds.
From TP-Link Official Website
The TP-Link Deco E4 is currently placed in my home office and the living room next to our Internet line. To briefly explain, a mesh unit is a device that acts as a string of nodes that share the Internet connection. You would typically have one main node connected to your main Internet line and have the others act as a satellite that sends and receives multiple sources of WiFi signals. A mesh device's main benefit is seamless connectivity, allowing users to remain connected throughout the range of these meshes. Gone are the days when I had to switch to different networks of extenders so that I could access the Internet. This also benefits me because I can directly connect an ethernet cable from my laptop to a mesh unit.
Six months into using these mesh devices, I honestly have no problems with them. I currently have three floors in my provincial home but have exactly zero dead spots. Before using WiFi meshes, I averaged around 20-30ms in League of Legends, but now I have 5-10ms–still hard-stuck Gold, though. The simplest of upgrades can sometimes make your life ten times easier, especially when living in an Internet-centric society.
I am happy with my simple upgrade. So if you are keen on upgrading, check out the PLDT Home Fiber Plus Plans that now come with either the TP-Link Deco M4 or Tenda MW6!
EDITOR'S NOTE
This article is part of our social experiment on nextupgrade.ph. We call it: "So I Tried It" (stylized via hashtag as #SoITriedIt).
#SoITriedIt is a special series featuring the personal experiences of the Next Upgrade Editorial Team as we embrace the smart home lifestyle ourselves. As we take that first step to do things better and smarter, we hope we will inspire all of you to jumpstart your smart home journey.