D-Link Covr-C1023

VERDICT Simple and cheap, this mesh system doesnt have the performance to keep up with the best.

- David Ludlow

IT FEELS AS if you can’t move for wireless mesh systems at the moment, with every manufacturer under the sun joining in. The latest system is D-Link with the Covr-C1023, a slightly cheaper option that nets you three satellites for £210, only a little more than the older BT Whole Home Wi-Fi (Shopper 351).

As with BT’s system, the D-Link Covr is designed to upgrade your existing router’s Wi-Fi. The idea is that you hook up the first device to your router via Ethernet, and then disable your old wireless. The remaining two satellites then create a wireless mesh network, extending the network throughout your home and, hopefully, eliminating dead spots.

A PLUCKY CHOICE

Although it’s comparatively cheap, the Covr is nicely designed. Each identical satellite is triangular, looking like a guitar plectrum from above. With the copper finish to the top, the satellites look quite neat on display.

Each satellite has two Ethernet ports, which is handy, as it gives you a way of hooking up wired devices to your mesh network. In comparison, the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi system has just a single Ethernet port on each of its discs.

As with all the other mesh systems we’ve reviewed, the D-Link Covr is configured via a smartphone app. This talks you through setting up the first satellite and hooking it up to your router, before placing the other two satellites around your home.