Have you noticed that there are certain field in your home that your Wi - Fi web ca n’t quite get to ? Investing in a humble Wi - Fi extender should solve this problem .
As its name suggests , a Wi - Fi extender is a gadget used to boost the range of your Wi - Fi mesh within your family .
A Wi - Fi extender should be placed somewhere in - between your router and where the Wi - Fi does n’t progress to , as this placement enables the extender to receive the router ’s Wi - Fi signals and then re - channel them to extend the internet in your nursing home .
There are numerous Wi - Fi extenders to choose from , include tawdry wireless fashion model that are under £ 30 and pricy but much more brawny models that boast a stronger and quick Wi - Fi connection , with a wider range to boot .
Although it ’s good to have such a all-encompassing range of options to prefer from , it can be overwhelming to be intimate which extender is best for you . That ’s where we come in .
We ’ve tested numerous Wi - Fi extenders , from the budget - friendly to the radical powerful , and rigorously inspected their performance . We then take into circumstance each extender ’s price , ease of set - up and role . In this pathfinder you ’ll find five of the undecomposed extenders we ’ve tested .
or else , if you have a larger home that need more coverage or just seem to have more Wi - Fi blind spotlight than most then you may be good off with amesh systeminstead , which is designed to ameliorate Wi - Fi connexion across slap-up areas .
Not sure which you should go for ? see our dedicatedWi - Fi extender vs meshguide for a elaborated breakdown , or consider upgrade your old router to one of ourbest routersorbest gambling routersto ensure you ’re piddle the most of your broadband software system . at last , to enjoy the freedom of your new plug into abode , you might want to invest in thebest laptopfor portable , continuous entanglement browsing .
SQUIRREL_ANCHOR_LIST
How we test Wi-Fi extenders
Testing Wi - Fi extenders is all about seeing how they perform in a multifariousness of situation . For that reasonableness , we test them all with a Wi - Fi 6 router . First , we measure out throughput with our router , when connected in different room . Then we connect the Wi - Fi extender in different parts of our rest home , and retest connection speeds to see what improvement we can get .
When rating routers , we take into chronicle Leontyne Price and performance : if you just want to advance Wi - Fi to usable speed , a cheaper extender will do ; if you demand to meliorate the quality of your web for multiple devices that utilize a lot more bandwidth then a high - ending model will be required .
We try all extenders to see how soft they are to configure , and how easy they are to negociate , too .
TP-Link RE700X
Pros
Cons
Mercusys ME30
Devolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400
Netgear EAX12 Wi-Fi Range Extender
Asus RT-AX59U Extendable Router
Trusted Score
As far as Wi - Fi extenders go , theTP - tie RE700Xis one of the most expensive that you may grease one’s palms . There ’s a good cause for this : it ’s highly fast and well deserving the immediate payment if you want the best performance and range .
The downside of this simulation is that it ’s big and bulky , and could obstruct the second socket in a duple wall socket . There ’s also no passthrough .
This model is a Wi - Fi 6 repeater , using one of the latest versions of Wi - Fi . It will work with older Wi - Fi 5 routers , but if you pass to have a new Wi - Fi 6 model , you ’ll get the best out of this model . Its specs include a 2×2 2.4GHz 574Mbps web and a 2×2 5GHz 2402Mbps web .
This extender will work with any router , connecting manually or via WPS . However , if you have a TP - Link OneMesh compatible router , the RE700X will process in mesh mode , make it a neat ascent .
Performance is excellent . We rule that electronic connection throughputs in our living room doubled to 218Mbit / s using this extender . It was a similar floor around the house , bar in our public utility company room . Here , the RE700X could only come up 80Mbit / s , although that ’s an upgrade from the 12Mbit / s we were get .
Whether you want to upgrade a TP - Link router to a mesh system or just involve the best performance from a Wi - Fi extender , the TP - Link RE700X is the model to corrupt .
Shockingly low-cost , theMercusys ME30costs just under £ 30 . This would normally have warning signal bell sounding , with the low-toned cost cancel by pitiable carrying into action . While this extender wo n’t get ahead any throughput accolade , it ’s fast enough and adept enough for introductory use .
This model uses the old Wi - Fi 5 standard , rather than the newer Wi - Fi 6 banner . sacrifice that most ISP - provided routers are Wi - Fi 5 models , this is unconvincing to make much of a deviation to most hoi polloi .
This extender can be used in habitual criminal mode , although its Ethernet port also let it work as an access peak , hardwired to your router , which is handy if you want Wi - Fi in an outbuilding . In normal extender mode , we obtain the Mercusys ME30 easy to set up using its web - based direction page .
We saw serious focal ratio increases using this extender . The best of which came in the bedroom , with our router supply 41Mbit / sec and the Mercusys ME30 up this to 202Mbit / s. Even in the public utility company room , which normally give us 12Mbit / sec , we saw speeds increase to a more usable 50Mbit / s.
If you need to tie a lot of devices to an extender , then something else on this list will do ; if you desire a cheap path to boost a signal to a tedious part of your sign of the zodiac , this is a great blue - price choice .
Most Wi - Fi extenders are built to a price , but theDevolo WiFi 6 Repeater 5400is built to be fast and reliable . To that end , it uses a unlike plan to most other extenders . Rather than being an all - in - one twist that sits in a plug socket , this model is a square router - like boxful that needs to sit down on a mesa .
That can be useful , as Wi - Fi devices work best when they ’re out in the open , rather than being shroud behind furniture or posture on the floor .
This mannikin has two Gigabit Ethernet port , which makes it a majuscule choice if you ’ve got multiple wired devices that you want to plug away in . One port wine can also be used to hardwire the extender into a router , which is ready to hand if you need to put Wi - Fi into an area a long fashion from your router , such as an office construction .
From the toll , you’re able to believably venture that this is a Wi - Fi 6 extender . It ’s top - close Wi - Fi 6 , too , promising maximal focal ratio of 4800Mbit / sec throughput . actual living speeding are n’t that good , but they are impressive . In our kitchen , we saw throughput jump from 44Mbit / sec to a whopping 279Mbit / sec – the degraded speed that we ’ve seen from an extender .
If you desire the extra Ethernet interface and the best overall speed , this is the Wi - Fi extender to bribe .
There are crummy Wi - Fi extenders , and there are faster , more expensive manikin , but theNetgear EAX12 Wi - Fi Range Extenderdelivers great speeding at a more palatable monetary value , which makes it a good choice for a passel of people .
This model practice Wi - Fi 6 , although its throughput top out at 1200Mbit / sec , rather than the industriousness - run 4800Mbit / sec . In practice , this model is degenerate enough for most uses : in our kitchen , we realize velocity more than doubled from 44Mbit / sec to 112Mbit / sec , while our utility room leap from 12Mbit / sec to 49Mbit / sec . In other word , we saw speeds increase to the percentage point where we could watch 4 K video in any room .
A dewy-eyed plug that you connect to a power socket , the Netgear EAX12 Wi - Fi Range Extender is small and easy to connect . It also has a Gigabit Ethernet port , for either a wired machine or for hardwiring it to a router .
Netgear ’s setup software is slick and gentle to apply , and includes some supernumerary that not all extenders provide , such as a guest web . Overall , for features , toll and performance , the Netgear EAX12 Wi - Fi Range Extender address all the bases you ’ll likely need .
We ’re cheating a little here , as theAsus RT - AX59U Extendable Routeris actually a router , and so can be used as a standalone gadget rather than an impart - on for an existing wireless setup . But we ’ve still included it , as Asus has added in the functionality for this router to be used as a wireless extender too , albeit only with Asus routers with the AiMesh feature .
This makes the Asus RT - AX59U Extendable a great choice as an entry - level router , as you ’ll later on be able-bodied to use it as a wireless extender in a mesh system once you ’re ready to flourish your Wi - Fi insurance coverage . It ’s also a great back - up alternative to have , just in lawsuit your independent router weaken down .
During our review , we were impressed with the design . It ’s humble and sparse , so should n’t prove noticeable , and can even be mounted to the wall . functioning is excellent too .
But it ’s crucial to call up that the Asus RT - AX59U Extendable Router can only be used as an extender for Asus routers with the AiMesh feature . And even if you do own an Asus router , you may well be better off with a cheaper Wi - Fi Extender if you do n’t really need a back - up router .
FAQs
Traditional extenders give you a new wireless web , then connect wirelessly to your router . They ’re well-fixed to set up , but you ’ll have two electronic internet to manage . A mesh extender works with your existing net , using the same name . They ’re more expensive , but a more elegant answer .
Having wired Ethernet port on your extender lets you plug in devices that do n’t have Wi - Fi built - in , or give a more static association when you have a gimmick that has slightly flaky wireless dimension .
A Powerline - base Wi - Fi extender works by prevail data over your home ’s mains king , rather than using a wireless connexion . Performance can vary hugely between home plate , but these devices can solve in houses that have thick wall or hurt from a set of hindrance .
Wi - Fi 5 ( also acknowledge as 802.11ac ) is a good , well - support criterion , with intersection usable at a decent cost . This will likely suit most people , particularly those with older routers . Wi - Fi 6E is the latest measure and can help you raise your web in preparation for newfangled wireless devices , but you ’ll pay a little more for these devices .
We ’ve listed the speeds that manufacturers list , although they ’re not indicative of the speed you ’ll really get , as it ’s the connection to your router that govern the overall speed . The newer ( and quicker ) your main router is , the faster the extender that it will take , so practice your router ’s long time as a rough guide .
Test Data
Full Specs
