This little router blankets your home in speedy WiFi - and gives Google a serious challenge

WiFi routers are in the midst of a sudden renaissance.

As more and more people welcome more and more internet-connected things into their lives, a growing number of networking companies have seen an opportunity to pounce. The result: a persistent stream of new "WiFi systems," multi-device setups that pair a base router with external extenders and range boosters.

The idea is to blanket your home in internet. You put a slick-looking router in one spot, and a handful of nodes where you normally have trouble staying online. All of these bits talk to each other in the background, creating a "mesh" network, which allows you to walk around your place without losing your connection.

Smaller startups like Eero and Luma kicked off this trend in earnest, but now big names like Netgear and even Google have jumped aboard.

One established name you may not know, however, is Ubiquiti. Led by billionaire Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera, it's carved a spot out in the enterprise world, but is taking advantage of this WiFi hype train to transition its tech to consumers.

And so we have the AmpliFi, which isn't totally a mesh system, but creates the same effect. I've been testing the highest-end AmpliFi HD model - a dual-band, 3x3, AC1750 router - for the past couple months. Here's what I've found.