Best Range Extenders

[killacamilla]

Hi everyone! Long time LTT fan, first time forum member. I'm in the market for a range extender, I'm trying to set up smart plugs in my bedroom and the wifi signal just isn't strong enough. My house is aprrox. 1300 sqft. I would love to know what kind you all have or what you can recommend, I'd like to spend less than $200 but I don't necessarily need something super cheap. Thanks in advance! 

[Falcon1986]

40 minutes ago, killacamilla said:

I would love to know what kind you all have or what you can recommend...

None.

 

WiFi extenders require a decent-enough signal to extend in the first place. If you don't have one to begin with, it will just "extend" coverage of a weak signal.

 

WiFi extenders and range boosters are inferior to access points and mesh systems. Can't run ethernet cables to APs? Then go with mesh.

[Needfuldoer]

Where in the house is your current access point? Ideally it should be somewhere near the center of the house on the main floor if it's the only one, and positioned away from anything that puts out noise in the 2.4ghz range (like PCs) or solid metal objects (like appliances). The 2.4ghz band will penetrate walls better than 5ghz.

 

Running Ethernet to a second access point is the best solution. Powerline networking is also a viable option if you can't install new cable runs.

[jec6613]

  The only time range extension works well is when you have a paired main and remote unit designed to work with each other.  At 1300 sq ft, a single decent WAP or router should have no trouble with coverage, with one exception: large obstacles, such as fireplaces and appliances in between your access point and remote location.  To be honest, this is why I 99% of the time recommend a mesh network - the trouble is, the good ones cost real money, and I can't think of a solution that's $200 or less besides running an Ethernet cable and putting up a second WAP at a remote location - and even then, mixing models can be problematic without a controller.  Good WiFi costs good money.

 

Also, while it's true that you need a decent signal to extend in the first place, simply putting a repeater 20 feet away across the room often solves the coverage issue on modest sized homes, because, as mentioned, the range isn't the issue as much as obstacles.