[ebf6]

The difference between the two isn't in the UI. Wireless repeaters traditionally have a set receiving and transmission point. Let's assume that signal interference / reflection / amplification does no matter, for the sake of simplicity in this example. So if you have a chain of three repeaters A <--> B <--> C, and then you move access point C closer to A (closer than B is to A), then the topology does not change (do you see the issue here?). Worse, if you have a longer chain with a few alternatives, then a single point going down (call it X) would require nodes previously connected to X to be reconfigured.

Mesh networks automatically judge the path of least resistance to a destination, and distribute the state of all the access points on a network. If one access point goes down, all the access points previously connected to the faulty access point will find alternatives if there's anything else within signal range.

In this case, if those are meant to be portable access points, you can move them between different rooms without worrying about nodes choosing a suboptimal path.