There aren’t many things more annoying than slow Internet and WiFi “dead zones” in your home … It takes forever to load a single website, the video buffer takes so long that you don’t even want to watch more and ‘drop’ video calls -in ‘constant leads to endless frustration instead of happiness … Most solutions that can fix these problems, like moving the router, switching to a different Wi-Fi channel or using a wired connection, are not just inconveniences , but also complicated or even impossible for some.
These situations occur because the signal from most router boxes today is generally too weak to meet the needs of modern homes. Not only is it not enough to use with more than one device, but it usually doesn’t even go through tougher walls, multiple floors or other obstacles … Fortunately, there is a solution that many people don’t know about: reach WiFi extenders. These compact yet powerful devices allow you to increase the speed and range of your WiFi by “capturing” a signal from your router and amplifying it to reach the farthest corners of your home. To help you solve this frustrating problem forever, we’ve tested and compiled a list of the top 10 WiFi range extenders under $ 4,000 that do their job perfectly, while remaining totally inexpensive.
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10 Best Wifi Range Extenders Review
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What is a Wi-Fi booster?
A Wi-Fi booster is basically any device that extends the range of your wireless network. “Booster” is kind of a catch-all term for a few types of devices that use different technologies, but the end result for all of them is better Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi boosters are great for stretching your Wi-Fi networks into distant corners of your home, basement, or backyard.
How do Wi-Fi boosters work?
A Wi-Fi booster works by connecting to an established network, capturing the internet signals, and extending them into a new area. There are a few different nuances for different types of boosters—for example, some boosters amplify existing signals while others rebroadcast the signals—but that’s the basic rundown.
How do you set up a Wi-Fi booster?
Each device is a little different, but in general you first need to connect your Wi-Fi booster to your home Wi-Fi network. Many boosters use Wi-Fi Protected Setup or WPS to make this step easy. Once it’s connected, you can move it to a space about halfway between your Wi-Fi router and your dead zone to boost your coverage.
Every house layout is different, so you may need to try a few different placements to get the best balance of Wi-Fi signal strength and coverage. You want to place your extender in an area that gets a good Wi-Fi signal—not at the very edge of your coverage if you can help it.
Wi-Fi boosters work with the signals that are available to them, so if you place your booster too far away from your router, you’re just going to boost weak signals.
How do Wi-Fi boosters affect internet speeds?
Wi-Fi boosters often don’t reach the same top speeds as the main Wi-Fi network, especially top speeds close to the router. You may see your speeds cut in half by a Wi-Fi booster. But, all things considered, half-speed Wi-Fi in an area of your home that previously didn’t have Wi-Fi at all is still a marked improvement.
Booster placement can affect your boosted Wi-Fi speeds. Placing your booster closer to your router will give it a better signal to redistribute. On the other hand, placing your booster at the very edge of your Wi-Fi network can result in slower speeds since the booster has less signal to work with.
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Types of Extenders
If you have little interest in delving into the world of decoding technical jargon and analyzing each number and what they mean when setting up Wi-Fi extenders, we’ve got you covered.
While most of the options on our best Wi-Fi extenders list are perfect for an outdoor Wi-Fi connection and expanding this needed signal to your yard or office, here are some general things to understand about each type and what they’re good for:
Repeaters
Repeaters can get a bad rep. For some brands, the more repeaters used, the more the Wi-Fi connection is spread out until it becomes weak and nearly useless. Some choose to pay for cheaper repeaters and more expensive Wi-Fi so they can ensure broad coverage being reflected over their entire home and property.
Repeaters don’t usually strengthen the Wi-Fi or internet connection, but they’re not made to dilute your precious Wi-Fi, either. They’re made for simply expanding the Wi-Fi coverage a bit here or there. You could think of repeaters as pulling the Wi-Fi in a certain direction to a spot where you actually need it.
Antenna
Antenna extenders are reliable for Wi-Fi and can be large or small. Some of them are built into boxes, have antennas sticking out of the boxes, or come in large satellite-looking systems that need a little bit more work to install at the get-go. These can be wireless or wired, and they usually offer a more steady connection and a little more needed tech-savviness.
Wired
Some Wi-Fi extenders work well when they are wired to an Ethernet port or directly to your Wi-Fi router. This may be a viable option, or it may not be. If you’re trying to extend Wi-Fi coverage outside and your router and all available ethernet cables are on your second floor, it’s probably better to go for a wireless extender. Wired ones are less susceptible to crashing.
Boosters
These are typically a little pricier and offer the great advantage of building up your overall Wi-Fi strength and length, usually with a type of access point or antenna. The boosters are more of a way to push Wi-Fi connection to better areas and some are better or worse at actually improving Wi-Fi quality, but they are also usually stronger than repeaters.
CPEs/Access Points
“CPEs” stand for Customer Premises Equipments, and these are used to provide service as well. Your internet service provider might suggest that you install a CPE or access point directly on your property, or they might leave it up to you. Some people have both regular modems/routers and also CPEs installed and connected. There is no benefit to having one installed in this day and age. It’s all up to you and the company you choose to do business with.
General Extenders
Wi-Fi extenders come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, connections, colors, price ranges, and usabilities. For some of us, keeping things simple is key, and for others, making sure our small business practices run smoothly in our small office outside the house is imperative.
There is a Wi-Fi extender out there for everyone. Outdoor Wi-Fi extenders typically need to be more weather-resistant and kept away from animals, bugs, kids, and dirt, and they also need checked on more regularly than those left in the protection of our homes.
Where to Plug in a Wi-Fi Extender
Some places to leave your new best Wi-Fi extender so that it can reach the outdoors include the following:
- In the garage
- By the backdoor
- On the roof (for certain antenna types)
- Connected to the router/modem
- In the kitchen
- In areas of the house where Wi-Fi lags
- Outside in a secure location (for weather-resistant options)
- In a weatherproof box for outside electronics
- In your outdoor office
- Upstairs/downstairs, as close to the outside area where you will be
Before plugging in or installing your Wi-Fi extender (for in-home or outdoor use), be sure to read all instructions carefully and make sure it is fully assembled. Some extenders do better once they have been reset, and this may be the first step you need to take before getting it set up. If you are having issues setting up the Wi-Fi extender, refer to the instructions, reset the extender, and possibly restart your modem/router/CPE.
Best Wifi Extender Brands in India
A lot of companies are producing WiFi Extenders in Indian markets. This makes the customers a little bit confused about which one to buy. Let’s check on the best Brands that manufactures the best WiFi Extenders in India.
We have already seen that Netgear & TP-Link are the popular brands in the Routers field during the review of Best Dual Band Wifi Router India and Best Wifi Router For Act Fibernet. They are also the major producers of WiFi Extenders too.
Let’s make a list of the top Extender producing brands in India.
- Netgear
- TP-Link
- D-Link
These are some of the basic factors to consider while selecting the best WiFi Range Extender for yourself:
Frequency
You all must have noticed that these Wi-Fi Extenders come with a particular frequency range. Some are available with 2.4GHz that’s considered as single band frequency, while on the other hand, we can get 5GHz, which is dual-band frequency. These frequencies will help you take advantage of higher speed from your Wi-Fi connection.
If you select a WiFi Range extender with 2.4GHz frequency, you would be able to get the max speed up to 300Mbps. Moreover, with the support of a 5GHz frequency, this max speed can go up to 1200Mbps.
In case if you have a lower budget, then a single-band frequency WiFi range extender will work for you.
Design
Under the design segment, you must have noticed various things such as desktop or plug based WiFi range extender. Not only that, you can even select in between options such as no antenna, single antenna, double antenna or more, with a higher number of antennas, but you would also be able to take advantage of stronger range strength. Hence with a stronger strength, you will not face any connection loss issues.
Moreover, these antennas also increase the range distance. Generally, if you are selecting the best WiFi range extender for your home or small business, then an extender with a WiFi range support of 50 to 75 meters would be an excellent option for you. In case you are trying to find a range extender for a higher range, then also you would be able to find such an option easily.
You can even have a look at the shape and size of the WiFi range extender, and if you are trying to find a compact option, then you would be able to get one for yourself as these extenders come in various shapes and sizes.
Security
Safety is one of the major factors to consider while selecting a WiFi range extender for yourself, one of the safest features you can get with your range extender supports WPA2-PSK security protocol. With such an option, you would be able to take advantage of the highest level of security efficiently. Moreover, we suggest that before finalizing the best WiFi range extender for yourself, you should look at the security features provided to you along with it.
With the best possible security integrations, no one else would be able to connect themselves to your range extender without your consent.
Manufacturing company
Here we have the last factor in the list, and that is the manufacturing company of WiFi range extender. If you could select a high-end manufacturing company, you can take advantage of better reliability and great features.
This was all about some of the most important factors to consider while buying a WiFi Range extender for yourself.
Conclusion
Here we have come to the end of this post in which we have a look at some of the best WiFi range extenders with the help of which you can fill out dead Wi-Fi zones in your home, workplace, or anywhere easily. Along with that, we have discussed some of the significant factors to consider while buying and finalizing a WiFi range extender for yourself.
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