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Fix Wi-Fi Troubles With the Samsung Connect Home

The new Samsung Connect Home Wi-Fi mesh system is available for pre-order on June 2. It also functions as a hub for connected home devices that use the SmartThings protocol.

 & Tom Brant Managing Editor

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Those who suffer from weak signals and crawling Wi-Fi speeds will soon have a new Wi-Fi mesh system to consider: the Samsung Connect Home is available for pre-orders starting June 4.

As with other mesh network systems, you can buy several Samsung Connect Home modules to spread around your house in hopes of eliminating dead zones. A single module costs $170, while a three-pack will set you back $380 and should be sufficient to cover homes up to 4,500 square feet, according to Samsung. If you've got a mansion, you can add up two more Connect Home modules, for a maximum limit of five.

There's also a Connect Home Pro module, which offers the same range but twice the speed: up to 1.7Gbps compared to the 866Mbps that the regular Connect Home offers on the 5Gz band. Speeds are greatly reduced on the 2.4Ghz band, with the Pro offering 800Mbps and the regular version clocking in at 400Mpbs.

The Connect Home modules are compatible with Samsung's SmartThings home automation protocol, so a single smartphone app can troubleshoot Wi-Fi issues as well as control lights, thermostats, and security systems, among other smart home devices from manufacturers like Bose and Philips. The modules also have no exterior antennas and are designed to blend in with your decor, so there's no need to sacrifice range by placing them inside a cabinet.

The Samsung Connect Home is a bit more expensive than the $300 asking price for the Google Wifi three-pack, although it's cheaper than the PCMag Editors' Choice award-winning Linksys Veloop. Pre-orders are available exclusively at BestBuy.com, with shipments and in-store sales starting on July 2.

About Our Expert

Tom Brant

Tom Brant

Managing Editor

I’m a managing editor at PCMag.com focused on PC hardware. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of Wi-Fi routers, printers, laptops, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I've covered most major consumer tech events, including CES, Computex, Google I/O, and IFA. I've also appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rainforests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

The Technology I Use

While most people buy a phone or laptop and stick with it for years, I’m lucky enough to use devices based on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows daily as part of my job. As a result, I cycle through lots of tech in addition to my IT-issue work laptop. (Yes, that's a ThinkPad.) Personally, I’ve also owned a lot of tech products both cutting-edge and cringeworthy, from the Nintendo GameCube and the original MacBook to the Palm m105 and the CueCat.

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