If you have poor reception of the Wi-Fi network emitted by your Internet box in certain rooms of your house, buying a Wi-Fi extender can be an effective solution. No matter if you have installed the best Wi-Fi router, there is a possibility that some areas of your house might be deprived of the Wi-Fi signal. These small boxes plug into one of the power outlets in your home to extend the coverage of your wireless signal to areas previously poorly covered by your current installation. Relatively inexpensive and very simple to install, these devices have seen their sales increase significantly during confinement. So that you can buy your Wi-Fi extender with complete peace of mind, I have put together a list of consumer reports best WiFi Extender along with a comprehensive buying guide to help you buy the right product without breaking a sweat.
Reviews Of 5 Best Wi-Fi Extenders
1. TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender RE220
Get this highly efficient Wi-Fi extender that is capable of boosting the internet coverage up to 1200 sq. ft., and you can connect up to 20 devices with this extender. Having this device installed in your home or office will eliminate dead zones, thus giving you fast and consistent internet. It is compatible with several Wi-Fi routers. To set up this extender, your computer should at least have MS Windows 98SE and the latest Windows version it supports is Windows 11. It also supports Mac OS, Unix, Linux, and NetWare.
The extender is widely used to expand the Wi-Fi coverage for your smartphones, Alexa Echo, Fire Stick, Chromecast, Ring, web browsing, and more. Setting up this Wi-Fi extender is very easy, as you just need to tap on the extender twice and you are all set to connect it. The device features a smart indicator light that allows you to install the device in the best optimal location. The extender creates a OneMesh network for uninterrupted roaming when paired with the Archer A7 router for now. The Wi-Fi extender features RE220 which allows you to turn the wired internet connection into a wireless access point. So, it can also be used as a wireless adapter to connected wired devices such as smart TV, game console, and Blu-ray player.
2. NETGEAR Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6120
Netgear is a renowned brand when it comes to wireless networking devices, and this extender is a part of that incredible fleet. This extender can cover an area of up to 1500 sq. ft., and you can connect up to 25 devices with it, from laptops to tablets, speakers to IoT devices, and more.
The extender can deliver a Wi-Fi speed of up to 1200 Mbps, courtesy of dual-band and patented FastLane technology, which is ideal for playing games and streaming videos. The extender is capable of working with any cable or wireless modem or router. To get lightning-fast speed, you can connect the extender to streaming players, game consoles, or other wired devices in proximity that has an ethernet port. The extender supports WEP and WPA/WPA2 security protocols.
3. Linksys RE9000: AC3000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Extender
Linksys brings to you a highly efficient Wi-Fi extender, which is a tri-band network booster. The second band of the extender operates at 5GHz, which helps deliver speed 3 times as fast compared to dual-band Wi-Fi extenders. The extender offers full-strength Wi-Fi without any degradation of the signal.
As far as setting up the extender is concerned, then it is very easy, thanks to the push button connect and spot finder technology for the right placement of the device and efficient performance. The extender works with all Wi-Fi routers and multi-user MIMO routers. Installing this device in your house will eliminate all the Wi-Fi dead zones, including some parts on the outside of your house. The firmware upgrade in this Wi-Fi extender is carried out automatically which ensures that the system and security remain up to date at all times.
4. Aitour Ever WiFi Extender & Signal Booster
Ending my list with Aitour Ever Wi-Fi Extender, which boasts 4 high-gain external antenna that works to eliminate dead zones at your premises and enhance the reach of your current Wi-Fi coverage. Using this extender allows you to access the uninterrupted internet in hard-to-wire areas. The extender features dual-band technology that offers up to 300Mbps for 2.4GHz, and 867Mbps for 5GHz to minimize data loss. As far as the coverage is concerned, then the extender will cover up to 3000 sq. ft., of area, which more or less covers an entire average American home.
The extender comes with 3 working modes, which include a router, repeater, and wireless access point to meet your various network requirements. The device works perfectly with all routers, wireless networks, and Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including smartphones, smart home devices, laptops, Amazon Echo, Alexa, and more. This is a lightweight device that gets rid of the blind spot of the Wi-Fi signal and lets you enjoy HD video, sharing large digital files at a lightning-fast speed. It also has an intelligent signal indicator, where 3 lights mean a strong signal, 2 lights mean a general signal and 1 light means a weak signal, so make sure to find a suitable place to keep the extender to always get 3 lights on the extender.
5. HIJJPS WiFi Extenders Signal Booster For Home With Ethernet Port
Have a look at this Wi-Fi extender, which can cover an area of up to 3000 sq. ft. and up to 35 devices. With this extender, you can get a stable Wi-Fi signal in all the rooms of your house, even some parts of the outside of the house. Connecting this extender to your home or office network is very easy, as you just need to ensure that your router is connected to the network and if it is, then you need to press the WPS button of the Wi-Fi amplifier and wait for 60 seconds for the setup to complete. If your router doesn’t have a WPS function, then you will have to set up the extender using your computer or smartphone, which may take up to 3 minutes.
You can connect your router to the extender using an Ethernet cable to get a higher internet speed. There are 4 application modes in this extender, which include Router, Client, Bridge, and Repeater modes to fulfill your needs as per the environment. You can connect any smart TV or game console with the extender using the Ethernet port. The extender features cooling air vents that don’t allow it to heat up, thus ensuring maximum durability. It supports WPA/WPA2-PSK, which ensures protection against internet attacks. The company provides round-the-clock support for any issue befalling the extender.
What is a Wi-Fi Extender?
A Wi-Fi Extender is a device designed to increase the coverage of the wireless network generated by your Internet box. It picks up your router's Wi-Fi signal to reproduce it identically in areas where you have difficulty connecting to your wireless network.
So that they can pick up the signal from your Internet box, Wi-Fi extenders are equipped with antennas that can be internal or external (and adjustable) depending on the model. They then duplicate the signal received in the area covered by your box. Easy to install, these devices are very practical if you notice white areas in your home. Indeed, despite the promises of ISPs, it is not uncommon to find that it is sometimes impossible to connect to the wireless network when you are at home, in a room a little far from the router.
The thickness of the walls in your home, and the presence of floors or furniture made of particular materials can interfere with the propagation of the wireless signal in certain areas. If your internet connection is of good quality, it is stable and you do not experience untimely disconnections, the Wi-Fi extender is a particularly suitable solution. In a few minutes, you will be able to significantly increase the range of your wireless network so that you can connect to it without difficulty.
How To Choose The Best Wi-Fi Extender?
Wi-Fi Extender can be particularly effective in improving the coverage of your wireless Internet connection. However, if you are new to the subject, you may have some difficulty deciding. Indeed, the choice can be difficult in front of the sometimes-plethoric choice of references available online or in specialized shops. To choose the Wi-Fi extender that best suits your needs, we advise you to pay particular attention to the following criteria:
Speed
This is essential data. It can vary from approximately 300 Mbit/s to 3 Gbit/s depending on the model. You must opt for a model whose speed is consistent with that of the speed of your Internet box. As the Wi-Fi extender only picks up the signal from your router to reproduce it identically, without amplifying it, its speed must be roughly similar. There is no point in opting for a device offering a speed of 2 Gbit/s if your connection is around 1 Gbit/s. You won't gain any connection speed.
Coverage area
Depending on the size of your home, whether or not there are floors, the coverage area of your Wi-Fi extender should be taken into account. If the entry-level models cover an area of approximately 60-meter square, the most sophisticated boxes can extend the range of your wireless network to almost 200-meter square. Also, check the number of devices that can simultaneously connect to your range extender's wireless network. Depending on the performance of your device, this can range from 15 to 50 devices on average.
La MU-MIMO technologies
Present on the latest generation Wi-Fi extenders, this technology allows your box to simultaneously manage several connections to your wireless network. Older devices processed the different connections chronologically: the first device connected took precedence over the others, which could create long loading times.
Wi-Fi extenders with MU-MIMO technology are recommended if your household is made up of several people who use connected devices. Since requests are processed at the same time, latency is greatly reduced, which is perfect for online gaming or watching HD videos.
WPS function
Fitted to the majority of commercially available Wi-Fi extenders, WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is a device that facilitates the process of connecting your device to your Internet box. If you opt for this type of equipment, you must first ensure that your router has it as well. When installing your Wi-Fi extender, all you have to do is press the WPS button on your Internet box for a few seconds, then on the one on your box so that the devices can connect.
Presence of an RJ45 port
Very practical for being able to wire your connected TV, game console, or laptop to the Internet, Wi-Fi extenders with an RJ45 port have seen their sales jump in recent months. Thanks to their access point function, all you have to do is connect your equipment to your box using an Ethernet cable to instantly enjoy a perfectly secure high-speed connection.
Positioning of the device
For your Wi-Fi extender to significantly increase the range of the wireless signal emitted by your Internet box, it must be positioned correctly within your home. Indeed, be careful that it is connected to an area where the initial signal picked up by your device is of good quality. This is imperative for the reproduced signal to be equally so.
It should, however, be installed far enough away from your router so that you can extend the range of your signal as much as possible. To help you find the best location, some Wi-Fi extenders have indicator lights.
Compatibility with your Internet box
So that your Wi-Fi extender can connect to the wireless network generated by your Internet box, you must ensure compatibility between the two devices. The most recent models support the Wi-Fi standard 802.11 ac (Wi-Fi AC). Offering faster throughput and better data security than the previous Wi-Fi standard, Wi-Fi n, these extenders are the best-selling. Since the standards are backward compatible, they also work with routers transmitting in Wi-Fi n.
Frequencies used
If the Wi-Fi standard is to be taken into account, it is not the only technical specificity that should guide your choice. You must also ensure that the frequency bands used are identical. There are Wi-Fi extenders that use a single 2.4 GHz band. Their speed is generally quite low (between 300 Mbit/s and 400 Mbit/s approximately).
For broadband connections, it is recommended to favor dual-band boxes, which simultaneously use 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. If you opt for a Wi-Fi extender of this type, your Internet box or your router must also be dual-band.
An integrated power outlet
So that you can continue to use the power outlet to which the Wi-Fi extender is plugged, some models have an integrated AC socket. This feature is very practical if you are used to plugging in a lamp or your vacuum cleaner here. You won't have to change your habits and can continue to use it as a traditional wall outlet.
Summing Up
I hope that reading this file has given you all the information you need to choose your Wi-Fi extender. These devices, which do not require any particular knowledge of computers or electronics, are very practical for significantly extending the range of the wireless network sent by your router. So, you just need to pick a product from the consumer reports best WiFi extender and enhance the internet connectivity in your house or office.