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meridianbet logo AdvertisementKnown as Linksys Aware, the new feature is slowly being rolled out on the company鈥檚 Velop tri-band AC2200 routers through firmware and smartphone app updates, and I tested it using the company鈥檚 Velop AC6600 mesh wifi system, which includes three nodes.Boring and non-descript: exactly the kind of design for mesh wifi nodes you want hidden away.Photo: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)Each node includes a pair of ethernet ports, which are used for connecting the system to an internet modem, giving wire-only devices (like printers) access to your network, or for setting up a dedicated backhaul channel.Photo: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)A small LED atop each node serves as a status indicator, flashing or changing color to indicate when things are working or when they鈥檙e not.Photo: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo) 1 / 3AdvertisementAdvertisementAs hardware design goes, the Linksys Velop products are boring with a capital B鈥攂ut that鈥檚 a good thing. Each one looks like a stark white obelisk standing about a foot tall with a design that says 鈥榙on鈥檛 worry, I鈥檓 not going to attract any attention.鈥 One of the biggest benefits of a mesh wifi system is that you don鈥檛 need a clunky oversized router with antennas sticking out of every direction for excellent wifi coverage throughout your home. Multiple smaller nodes all work together to ensure reliable wifi reaches every last device.The Best Smart Home GadgetsSmart home gadgets have become much better in recent years due to better wifi connectivity, energy鈥?/p>Read moreAdvertisement setTimeout(() => const adSlot = document.querySelector(.apscustom); const adFallback = document.querySelector(.ars-fallback); if (adSlot) if has been read, but theres no ad, then show the fallback if (adFallback && adSlot.offsetHeight Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)Most wireless mesh systems are now set up and configured using mobile apps, and Linksys鈥 app makes the process relatively painless鈥攁lthough there are times where you鈥檒l find yourself staring at a progress bar that takes five or six minutes to slowly creep across the screen. But my biggest complaint, and this is something I鈥檝e experienced before when setting up Linksys Velop systems for family members, is the limited distance you can place nodes from each other.AdvertisementAfter connecting one of the nodes to the cable modem in my family room, I tried to place a node, with a nearly unobstructed view, about 40 feet away in my living room. But the app indicated the signal between the two nodes wasn鈥檛 great at that distance, and suggested I should move it closer. Unfortunately, precisely positioning the nodes is a trial and error process that could potentially add quite a bit of time as you might need to keep running test after test to ensure all the nodes are well connected. That being said, with the three nodes I successfully set up in my home鈥攖wo on the main floor and one upstairs鈥擨 had rock-solid wifi coverage throughout my entire house, including the basement.The Linksys mobile app provides access to all of your network鈥檚 settings, including speed tests and the ability to prioritize up to three different devices.Screenshot: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)AdvertisementAs far as features go the Linksys Velop mesh wifi system has just about everything the average consumer could need, including internet speed tests built right into the app, the ability to set up a guest network, parental controls, a detailed breakdown of all the devices connected to the wireless network, and the option to prioritize up to three of those devices to ensure that, for example, a media player will have enough bandwidth to handle a 4K stream, or that online gaming on a console experiences minimal slowdowns.A sped up version of the animated graph that shows Linksys Aware鈥檚 motion detection in real time.Gif: Andrew Liszewski (Gizmodo)AdvertisementWhat sets Linksys鈥 tri-band Velop system apart from the competition right now is the aforementioned Linksys Aware feature. Taking advantage of the fact that the nodes are constantly beaming radio waves back and forth between each other (a minimum of two nodes are required for the feature to work) Linksys Aware can detect the changes in intensity of those waves over time as they鈥檙e partially and intermittently obstructed by the presence of an object moving through the network鈥檚 coverage area.It鈥檚 an incredibly clever trick, and in the Linksys mobile app you can actually see the wireless network detecting movement in real-time on a simple scrolling graph. The highest peaks represent whenever I was walking around, while the shorter ones reveal times when I tried to stand perfectly still, but my subtle movements were still recognized. The graph only fell nearly completely flat once I left the house entirely.AdvertisementBut it鈥檚 also a feature that comes with quite a few caveats. You can turn on notifications for when motions are detected, but you鈥檒l want to also immediately set up a schedule so the app only harasses you when there鈥檚 (supposed to be) nobody home. You鈥檒l also need to fine-tune the Linksys Aware鈥檚 sensitivity settings, which can alert you to the movements of something as small as a mouse, or strictly objects as large as a human being. What the feature can鈥檛 do, at least yet, is tell you where in the house the motion has been detected, which floor it happened on, or even which node it was closest to. And because it works through walls, if you live somewhere with neighbors on the other side of a wall who can see your wireless network, there鈥檚 the chance that Linksys Aware will detect motions happening next door as well.The technology is fascinating, and given it only took roughly six years to go from the lab to a consumer-ready product, there鈥檚 the potential for Linksys Aware to radically change the smart home of the future. It could potentially eliminate motion sensors, improve security, keep a watch on everyone in a home, and even improve the performance of a wireless network. If you鈥檙e on the hunt for a wifi mesh system it could be a solid reason to go with Linksys鈥 Velop hardware as the feature will undoubtedly be improved and enhanced over time through software updates.AdvertisementBut is it a reason to switch over to Linksys right now? I don鈥檛 think so. The motion detection is rudimentary at best. Most home security systems (although often requiring a complicated installation) will at least tell you where motion has been detected in your home, which I鈥檝e found to be a must-have feature. And if you鈥檝e already got Linksys Velop hardware at home that鈥檚 eligible for the Linksys Aware upgrades, I鈥檓 not even sure if the required /month or /year subscription fee for the feature is worth it at this point. I would maybe hold off and keep an eye on how this technology develops and evolves, because eventually I do think it鈥檚 going to be a game-changer.READMEA solid mesh networking solution that鈥檚 priced comparatively to products like Google Nest Wifi, but still includes gigabit ethernet ports on each node.Watching a wireless network detect motions, even subtle movements, with no additional hardware is a fascinating use of wifi technology and a potential game-changer for smart homes. But the technology is currently very limited, and not quite yet a must-have feature.Instead of a dedicated backhaul channel the Linksys Velop system automatically chooses which of its three bands the nodes should communicate on for the best performance. Although a dedicated backhaul channel can be set up using ethernet cables.Using Linksys Aware requires a /month or /year subscription which is a little pricey given this technology鈥檚 current limitations.The setup process using the mobile app is easy to follow, but can be time-consuming as the placement of the nodes to ensure they have a strong signal requires some trial and error testing, and their overall connectivity range seems to be limited.