A few months ago and after having pestered Free a bit, I finally got fiber at home... I thought my internet was finally going to send some heavy stuff... But I was wrong. With the exception of my NAS, all my devices are connected to my Freebox Revolution via WiFi. Unfortunately, having an old Freebox 6 model, it is not compatible with the latest WiFi standards and the speeds are therefore very limited given the frequency congestion in my neighborhood.
The bottleneck being the WiFi card of the box… it was necessary to get around the problem. That's when the Strong brand offered me to test one of its latest products: a pack WiFi Mesh HomeKit 1600.
What is WiFi Mesh?
Mesh WiFi or "mesh" WiFi is a WiFi system that aims to uniformly cover a large area or an area interspersed with thick walls preventing the proper propagation of the WiFi signal. This type of system works with a WiFi router that connects to your internet box and one or more satellites that communicate with the router, but also with each other to create a mesh of your house or apartment.
In the case of Strong's HomeKit 1600, the router and satellite supplied are identical.
As you will have understood, the advantage of such a system is that it is much more efficient than your internet box for broadcasting your WiFi to every nook and cranny... and in my case, the standards and frequencies used are much better than those native to my old Freebox!
Wifi Mesh HomeKit 1600
In this WiFi Mesh kit, Strong therefore includes 2 boxes which will allow you in theory to cover an area of 200m² with the possibility of installing up to 6 devices to extend the coverage to 800m² on several floors... so if your home is very very large... you will be able to benefit from your WiFi network everywhere.
The first thing you will notice is the care with which Strong has worked on its packaging. The 2 boxes are housed in a real case and all the accessories (cables and manuals) are delicately stored in a small drawer located below... Very beautiful packaging worthy of what the best can do!
Installation
While Strong can be criticized for being very, very light on the installation and troubleshooting manual (a double-sided leaflet), installing the kit is really very simple.
Simply connect the first box to the mains and then to your internet box via an Ethernet cable provided, then turn it on using the switch on the back.
Then carefully choose the location of the second box, plug it into a power outlet and press the switch to turn it on. If both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz network diodes light up green… It’s all good. Otherwise, you will have to replace the box a little closer to the router.
Once the hardware is installed, you will be able to connect to the network to configure it.
To do this, simply select the new network whose name looks like STRONG_Extender1600 and enter the password provided in the instructions. This is a unique password and that's a good thing... no more manufacturer passwords like "0000" or "123456" that made the installations of users who did not take the time to reconfigure their network vulnerable.
Once connected, you will be able to configure your new network by going to http://extender1600.local.
I won't go into detail about the available settings, but they allow you to do quite a few things, starting with changing the network name and password.
In terms of unusual options, Strong's Mesh WiFi offers the ability to program operating ranges for your network. For example, you can have your WiFi turned off at night. Programming can be done day by day or repeated every day!
And what's great about the WiFi Mesh system is that even with multiple boxes, you only have one single network, no need to connect to a "second" network when changing rooms!
HomeKit 1600 in practice
Once installed, this Strong device revolutionized my use of the internet at home.
Indeed, in corners where the WiFi of my Freebox struggled to get through to the point where it took an inhuman amount of time to load web pages on my iPhone, the new network allows me to achieve download and upload speeds around ten times faster than if I was next to my Freebox.
On some tests carried out with my PC connected to WiFi and located right next to the box and therefore the Mesh router, I achieved really excellent speeds:
- Freebox Wifi (802.11n standard): average download speed = 5MB / Upload = 35MB
- Wifi String (802.11ac standard): average download speed = 60MB / Upload = 60MB
And with my iPhone XS the improvement is very clear too!
So I found real browsing comfort again… and this, wherever I am at home!
Characteristics
- WiFi standards: IEEE 802.11ac/n/g/b/a, IEEE 802.11d, IEEE 802.11h, IEEE 802.11e, IEEE 802.11i
- Frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz simultaneously
- Debit : up to 1600 Mbit/s (5 GHz: Up to 1300 Mbit/s + 2.4 GHz: Up to 300 Mbit/s)
- Encryption: WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal
- Ports: 2 LAN ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 3.5mm audio port
- Dimensions: 41.5 x 108.5 x 100 mm
- Weight: 185 g
- Area covered by WiFi: 200 m² with the possibility of installing up to 6 devices to extend coverage to 800 m² on several floors
- Price: around 200 €
Conclusion
With its HomeKit 1600, Strong really offers a very nice product that is totally accessible from a technical point of view to the greatest number. If you have a large surface area, this WiFi Mesh is really a solution to consider to offer a uniform WiFi network throughout your home! Only small downside... a really very meager installation and user guide!
Article updated on January 7, 2025 by Byothe
300MB/s in both directions with the iPhone? There's probably a typo. The maximum theoretical speed should be around 2, so no more than 160MB/s in real life.
Hello Mathieu, maybe it is an error in interpreting the test, but here is what I have as flow:
http://byothe.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_6267-e1544523577964.png
yes, 1MB=1MB=8Mb. Bytes/bits. The limit of Gb ethernet is about 110MB/s so to have 300MB/s, you have to be in 5 or 10Gb, so a great installation that I wish you but still very expensive compared to Gb. a switch with 2 10Gb ports costs at least €250
ah… damn conversions… thanks for the info…. in any case it’s still a real revolution for my Wifi 😉
It would be interesting to do a test with and without the 2nd box, I think it changes the performances quite a bit! especially if the 2nd is only in wifi. otherwise the photo indicates geographic coordinates (paris 17) ... maybe blur them.
Otherwise, to provide a little information, I don't think I saw it in the article but the mesh allows above all to have 1 single visible network (1 SSID) despite having several "satellites". This allows you not to have to choose the most powerful network depending on the room you are in. It is done automatically
Thanks Mathieu, it's true that it's a big advantage that I didn't mention! You have to come and write articles for Byohte.fr 😉
With pleasure! You can contact me by email if you want.
Hello, when you tested the Kit, was the 5GHz light fixed or did it flash approximately every 5 seconds?
Goods.
Hello Cédric, I just checked and indeed the 5Ghz light makes very small flashes from time to time.
Hello, so it's normal, I have the same thing, but I found it weird. And otherwise in terms of wifi, you are with free, but in ADSL or fiber? Because, I am currently in ADSL, but I do not have the faster speed, but soon fiber (with the revolution box).
I'm with Free with Fiber (and the Revolution box)... but it's not great!
There is more change when you go from ADSL to fiber, the kit just serves as a repeater.