Plume Wi-Fi Pods Could Boost Your Home Network

Plume Wi-Fi Pods Could Boost Your Home Network

So continues the slow march of Wi-Fi mesh networks into the home. We already have the Eero$199.00 at Amazon, the Luma, and soon Ubiquiti's Amplifi. Not to be outdone, the Plume is also up for pre-order now, and it promises a router-less mesh network that, in theory, should automate many of the annoying configuration complexities that come from linking together multiple access points in a single location.

The Plume—which sounds like a large, fuzzy feather—is actually a series of small plug-in pucks, sized almost like nightlights, that you deploy around your house to give you wireless coverage wherever you want it. Unlike a traditional Wi-Fi router/extender combination, the small pucks all work together to ensure that they're connecting to one another in the best possible way. That, presumably, means better speeds for your connected devices.

Instead of using a traditional Wi-Fi router, you just use the pucks. The one you plug into your DSL or cable modem (or fiber gateway, if you're fancy) serves as the primary "hub" for all of them.

"A single router can no longer meet the Wi-Fi demands of most homes today. While the latest generation of multi-router systems improve signal strength, they can choke the overall system capacity and speeds. These unnecessarily expensive products are based on decades-old technology that compounds the issue of a central router and cannot handle the complex variables and loads affecting a Wi-Fi network in a modern connected home," said Plume CEO and co-founder Fahri Diner in a statement.

"We approached the problem from a unique angle. Rather than introducing more routers, we decided to deconstruct the traditional router by leveraging inexpensive and scalable compute power from the cloud. The intent was to give people more Wi-Fi, in more places, on more devices, more of the time—all at a more affordable price point."

Plume does seem to be trying to distance itself from the notion of a "traditional" mesh network, in that the company says its devices all use different Wi-Fi bands to connect to one another to alleviate any performance issues that would come from the devices using the same Wi-Fi band. The Plume devices also allegedly "tune" your network to prioritize connections for devices that need it most, and Plume even learns your normal habits to ensure that you always have enough bandwidth to stream your Sunday night Game of Thrones.

"By actively monitoring the home network, as well as the devices connected to it, Plume detects interference and continuously makes decisions to improve signal, speed, and resiliency. For example, the system monitors the UHD TV box in the living room and boosts Wi-Fi capacity there so the 4K stream never loses resolution. Plume also directs mobile devices to seamlessly roam as they move around the home," reads Plume's description.

Each Plume device comes with a gigabit Ethernet port, supports AC1200 speeds, and costs $39 for a pre-order or $49 when the devices launch this fall.


source: www.pcmag.com