And if the router you got from your ISP isn’t strong enough to cover your entire living space or office, you better not expect to get a better one if you want to avoid a bitter disappointment. If your current WiFi coverage leaves a lot to be desired, you need a good WiFi extender. With a WiFi extender, you can significantly improve your WiFi signal strength in a matter of minutes and extend your WiFi network almost anywhere you want.
A WiFi extender doesn’t replace your existing router, it works together with it, making the original signal stronger.
WiFi extenders work like stereo amplifiers used for driving hi-fi systems. They use electric power from a power supply to increase the strength of the original WiFi signal, transmitting the amplified signal in the air. To accomplish this feat of engineering, WiFi range extenders contain two WiFi antennas: one is used for signal capture and the other one for signal transmission.
A WiFi extender is often referred to as “booster”, “repeater”, or “WiFi extender”, but all these names mean the same thing: a device that captures a WiFi signal, amplifies it, and transmits it.
Most wireless range extenders plug into the standard electrical outlet. They can be then set up with the help of the WPS button or a dedicated smartphone app. WPS is a network security standard that allows WiFi-enabled devices to communicate without entering long passphrases.
With modern WiFi extenders, you get to enjoy the same robust encryption protocols as you get with your main WiFi router, so there’s no need to worry about your privacy. However, you should be prepared for some speed loss. Some of the best WiFi extenders on the market can rebroadcast WiFi signal with only a negligible speed loss, but most single-band extenders lose up to 50 percent of the original bandwidth.
To minimize the speed loss, it’s paramount to position the WiFi extender in the optimal spot, preferably with the help of a professional app for wireless site surveys, Wi-Fi analysis, and troubleshooting such as NetSpot.
WiFi range extenders come in all sizes, shapes, and price ranges. A purchase of a WiFi extender only makes sense if a purchase of a new WiFi router isn’t a cheaper way how to achieve the same result.
If you care at all about your security and privacy, avoid products from unknown manufacturers and companies with a poor reputation. With almost 400,000 new malware samples detected every day, WiFi security isn’t something to be taken lightly. In the day and age of targeted ransomware attacks, it often takes just a single determined attacker to bring down an entire company or ruin someone’s life.
You should also avoid WiFi range extenders that have suspiciously few positive online reviews because such extenders are likely to perform unreliably, or they may have hidden flaws that become apparent only after weeks and months of use. The only exception are newly released WiFi range extenders that haven’t been available long enough for users and professional reviewers to evaluate their features.
When selecting the best WiFi extender, you need to decide whether you want to buy a desktop or plug-in extender.
While some home users are technically savvy and don’t mind deciphering cryptic configuration options and reading lengthy manuals, most prefer the installation and configuration process to be as straightforward as possible.
The good news is that most WiFi range extenders — both desktop and plug-in — that are sold today take just a few minutes to install and another few minutes to configure. Almost all of the best WiFi extenders available are equipped with an LED status indicator that clearly informs you when you find the perfect place for your extender.
From there, you simply need to connect the extender to your existing WiFi network and pick a password for the new network. This can be done using a smartphone app or with a simple press of the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). WiFi range extenders that don’t have a simple setup process should be avoided because there are countless more convenient alternatives to choose from.
WiFi range extenders are tremendously useful devices that can instantly extend the reach of a weak WiFi network and eliminate places of signal weakness. However, they do have certain limitations, and you should keep them in mind when researching which WiFi extender is the best and deciding whether a new WiFi router wouldn’t be a better solution:
If these limitations of WiFi range extenders are not dealbreakers for you, go ahead and move on to the next chapter of this article to learn how to use NetSpot to plan your WiFi extender purchase.
To select the best WiFi range extender, you should check your current WiFi coverage to see where the weak spots are. In theory, you could take your smartphone or laptop and simply base your analysis on the WiFi strength indicator icon, but a professional wireless site surveillance app such as NetSpot will give you much more accurate results.
NetSpot comes with two survey modes: Discover and Survey. The former mode is great if you want to get a quick overview of all WiFi networks in your area, but the latter mode is what you need for a comprehensive WiFi survey.
Even though NetSpot satisfies the needs of professional network administrators, it’s accessible even to casual users. The polished, modern user interface removes all complexity from wireless network surveilling, allowing you to generate detailed signal heatmaps with a few clicks.
It all starts with a map of your local area. You can either upload an existing map or create a new map using NetSpot’s map-building tools. After that, it’s time to walk from room to room until you cover the entire area. NetSpot will then analyze the gathered data and present you with results.
For your convenience, we’ve selected top 10 best wireless extenders that you can buy in 2021, and here are our picks:
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D-Link’s WiFi extender supports dual-band 802.11ac alongside 802.11n/g/b/a for superb backward compatibility with older WiFi devices that can’t take advantage of the speed offered by 802.11ac. The extender has four gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed wired connections.
D-Link has designed their product to be very easy to set up, and the use of Multiple Antenna Technology provides superior wireless coverage compared to standard home routers.
Featuring Cross Band Technology for maximum use of both bands at the same time for high-speed connection as well as Beamforming Technology for directional transmission of the WiFi signal to the connected devices, the Linksys RE7000 WiFi range extender has what it takes to cover up to 10,000 square feet with a strong WiFi signal.
You can find Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ WiFi Range Extender in any local electronic shop or buy it on Amazon right now.
The extender relies on a set of multiple-input and multiple-output technologies for wireless communication, known as MU-MIMO, to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously, allowing the entire family or office to enjoy high-bitrate multimedia content without buffering.
Delivering speeds up to 2.2 Gbps, the Netgear Nighthawk X4 is a high-end WiFi extender with modern features, sleek design, and simple setup.
Featuring three adjustable antennas that let you dial the extender for optimal coverage, the TP-Link AC1750 can cover up to 10,000 square feet, helping you eliminate dead zones and expand your WiFi network to places where it would otherwise be inaccessible.
The TP-Link AC1750 WiFi range extender has won numerous awards for its modern design and remarkable performance — both delivered at an affordable price.
The Linksys AC1200 differs from most WiFi range extenders because it looks like a traditional WiFi router. With the larger size comes fantastic performance and two adjustable, replaceable antennas. The extender also features excellent connectivity options, offering four Gigabit Ethernet ports.
The Linksys AC1200 comes with Linksys Spot Finder Technology, which makes it easier to find the best place for the extender.
The Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX3700 is an excellent budget-friendly WiFi range extender that can add WiFi range coverage up to 1000 square feet without breaking your budget. It has a single Ethernet port for your gaming console, desktop computer, or smart TV and delivers speeds of up to 750 Mbps.
It works flawlessly with any WiFi router, and you can connect it to your existing WiFi network with a simple press of the WPS button.
You can think of the NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX2800 as a more modern alternative to the Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX3700. Even though it doesn’t have any external antennas, it actually offers superior coverage (although its performance is identical).
We like that it doesn’t block adjacent wall outlets when plug in and appreciate its ability to connect up to 20 devices at the same time.
If you’re looking for the best WiFi extender for gaming, look no further because this tri-band extender from Netgear offers unmatched performance and speeds of up to 3,000 Mbps, which is enough for multiple users to stream 4K video and play demanding online games at the same time.
The Netgear Nighthawk X6S Tri-Band WiFi Mesh Extender (EX8000) features intuitive parental controls take make it easy to block inappropriate online content and set schedules for individual devices, making it one of the best Netgear WiFi extenders currently available.
The TP-Link AC1900 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE580D) is a smart WiFi router that you can use as a WiFi range extender. It supports the latest WiFi technology and comes with support for dual-band WiFi and MU-MIMO technology.
Its three external antennas provide the performance and connection stability needed for the most demanding tasks, and TP-Link’s Airtime Fairness feature prevents devices from hogging network bandwidth.
If you’re willing to spend over $100 on a WiFi range extender, you should consider this high-end model from TP-Link. Its four external antennas and support for MU-MIMO Wave 2 technology allow it to talk to multiple devices over a long range without sacrificing connection speed.
On the left side of the extender is a gigabit Ethernet port for wired devices, and the front side houses three LED indicator lights that help provide optimal placement.
Absolutely! WiFi extenders capture an existing WiFi signal using one WiFi antenna, amplify it, and transmit it using another WiFi antenna. The best WiFi range extenders are able to cover a wide area with a strong WiFi signal and effectively eliminate all dead zones and areas of signal weakness.
The strongest WiFi extender we’ve reviewed is the D-Link DAP-1650 WiFi Range Extender (AC1200), which supports dual-band 802.11ac and features four gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed wired connections. Just don’t expect the strongest WiFi extender available to be cheap.
There’s actually no difference at all. The terms WiFi booster and WiFi extender are used interchangeably by manufacturers to refer to devices that repeat wireless signals from your router to expand its coverage. Some manufacturers also use the term WiFi repeater.
After reviewing 10 different WiFi boosters, the D-Link DAP-1650 WiFi Range Extender (AC1200) emerged as the bets WiFi booster to buy right now, offering fantastic performance and excellent coverage. Its only downside is its steeper price, but that’s to be expected from any top-of-the-range electronic device.
WiFi extenders use electric power from a power outlet to increase the strength of a WiFi signal, transmitting the boosted signal further on. WiFi range extenders feature two antennas: one is used for receiving the signal and the other one for signal transmission.
Getting a WiFi extender is only reasonable if purchasing a newer modern router will be much more expensive or impossible for some reason. Before adding a chosen extender to your cart, make sure to read ratings and reviews. A known reliable brand is always better than an unknown manufacturer with poor reputation.
Here are the top 10 of the best WiFi extenders you can buy in 2021:
Just like you would try your new shoes on to ensure perfect fit, you have to make sure your new WiFi extender will satisfy your requirements. Test your new device with NetSpot. You can do a quick, local WiFi analysis with the Discover mode, but we recommend a complete site survey with the Survey mode.