If your WiFi signal isn’t strong enough to reach every corner of your home or office, you can fix this problem by installing a WiFi extender. But what is a WiFi extender, and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about WiFi extenders, and the best WiFi extenders you can buy now.
What is a WiFi Extender?
A WiFi extender (also known as a WiFi booster or a WiFi repeater) is a networking device that works in conjunction with your WiFi router to boost your WiFi signal and extend its network coverage. This way, you can get a WiFi signal in the “dead zones” in your home.
How Do WiFi Extenders Work?
A WiFi extender acts like a bridge between your WiFi router and the dead zones within your home. Dead zones refer to areas where the WiFi signal is weak. This way, you’ll be able to connect your devices to the internet wherever you are in your home.
The Best WiFi Extenders
When choosing a WiFi extender, you should make sure you choose one that matches the specifications of your current WiFi router. For example, if you have a dual-band Wi-Fi router of up to 750Mbps (AC750), you should get a Dual-band AC750 WiFi extender.
Netgear EX3700 – Best Budget WiFi Extender
If you’re looking for a budget WiFi extender, then the Netgear EX3700 is your best bet. This extender is very versatile and very easy to use. It comes with universal compatibility, which means you can use it with most wireless routers.
All you have to do is plug the WiFi extender into a wall outlet, and it will turn on. With the Netgear EX3700, you can easily find the best place to put the device within your home using Netgear’s Wi-Fi analyzer app. You can also use your phone or tablet to change the device’s settings, even when you’re away from home.
With the Netgear EX3700, you can extend your Wi-Fi signal to up to 1,000 square feet, supporting a Dual-band of up to 750Mbps. There’s also an ethernet port, which will help you get an even faster internet connection in a dead zone.
TP-Link RE305 – Best WiFi Extender for Smart Home Devices
If you want to extend your WiFi signal to your smart home devices, then the TP-Link RE305 is an ideal choice. This device is easy to set up, and you can use it to extend your WiFi to Echo and Alexa devices, including TP-Link smart plugs and bulbs.
With its small and sleek design, you can fit this extender anywhere, and it also works with any 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi routers or gateways on the market. It supports speeds of up to 1.2Gbps, making it ideal for online gaming and HD video streaming.
What’s more, the TP-Link RE305 comes with an intelligent signal light indicator, which can help you find the best location to place your extender for the strongest possible connection. The blue light means that your extender is just at the right place, while the red light means that it’s too far away from your router.
Netgear Nighthawk X6 – Best WiFi Extender for 4K Streaming
The Netgear Nighthawk X6 offers a fast and clear connection for video streaming. It can amplify your WiFi signal to up to 2,000 square feet, and it can connect to up to 40 devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, speakers, and other smart home devices. And it can also support speeds of up to 2,200Mbps.
The greatest thing about the Netgear Nighthawk X6 is that it uses the tri-band and patented FastLane3 technology, so you can stream and watch 4K Ultra HD videos with ease. The device is also ideal for multi-player gaming.
Amped Wireless Athena-EX – Best WiFi Extender for Large Homes
If you live in a two-story house, and you’re looking for a WiFi extender that can cover every room, then the Amped Wireless Athena-EX is definitely the best way to go. With its High Power Wi-Fi, four high-gain antennas, and 16 powerful amplifiers, this extender can amplify your WiFi signal up to 15,000 square feet. This means you can play games or watch 4K Ultra HD videos, and still not worry about buffering.
This WiFi extender can also push your Wi-Fi signal through walls and obstacles to areas where most extenders simply can’t. You can also connect multiple devices at once and still get a connection up to three times faster.
Google Nest WiFi – Best WiFi Extender for Google Users
If you’re considering replacing your existing WiFi router, then the best thing you can do is to get the Google Nest WiFi. The Google Nest WiFi is very flexible, and it is made up of a router and an access point. The router replaces your Wi-Fi router, while the access points act like extenders.
The best thing about the Google Nest WiFi is that you can extend the signal as far as you want by adding additional access points. Each device can extend the signal to up to 2,200 square feet. So, if you add two access points, you can extend your Wi-Fi range up to 4,400 square feet.
What’s more, each Google Nest WiFi point comes with a built-in smart speaker with the Google Assistant, so you can play music or control your other devices with voice commands.
If you want to know how strong your signal is, check out our guide on how to test your WiFi speed.
Click Here to take the speed test.
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