Small Office Wi-Fi & Networking: What to Actually Buy

The math nobody tells you

One router handles ~15–20 active devices comfortably. A 25-person office with laptops, phones, printers, and a smart TV is 60+ devices — the router drowns, meetings stutter, and everyone reboots it on Fridays.

What to buy, by office size

• Up to 10 people, one room: one good Wi-Fi 7 router (ASUS RT-BE96U). Done.
• 10–30 people or multiple rooms: a 2–3 node mesh (eero Max 7 or Deco BE85). Place nodes in the middle of usage areas, not in a closet.
• 30+ people or security-sensitive: UniFi Dream Router + wired access points. Separate guest Wi-Fi, VLAN for printers, and you can see every device on the network.

The non-negotiables

• Guest network: visitors on a separate network — 10 minutes of setup, huge security win.
• Wired backhaul: if the office has ethernet ports, plug mesh nodes in. Wireless mesh halves speed at every hop.
• ISP reality: 200 Mbps is fine for 30 people for office work; spend the savings on better Wi-Fi instead. Check our mesh glossary if terms confused you.