How to Improve WiFi Range with Extenders

Have you ever found yourself in the weirdest positions trying to get a few signal bars out of a Wifi network not capable of reaching certain areas of a place? Well, it is safe to say you probable have, as we all probably have. A weak Wifi signal can become very annoying and very frustrating really fast when you’re trying to get stuff done, so don’t let thick walls, big spaces or faraway placed LAN wires get the worst out of you when you can definitely solve this issues with the right Wifi Extender.

Okay but, what exactly is a Wifi Extender?

Think of a Wi-Fi extender, also known as a Wi-Fi booster, as a second router for your home, they connect to your router (either wirelessly or through a wired connection) and their purpose is to enhance the signal range of your WiFi network beyond the capabilities provided by your cable modem/router or wireless router in order to cover spaces that are currently Wi-Fi dead zones.

Here are some cases where a wireless extender may help:

• Extending WiFi signal between floors. Suppose you have a 3-story building, and your WiFi router is on floor 1. The signal is still strong on the 2nd floor but doesn't quite reach the 3rd. Placing a wireless extender on the 2nd floor can give the connection the extra boost required for the 3rd floor.
• Obstacles are Blocking the WiFi Signal. Physical objects can impede radio signals like WiFi. If there are physical obstructions between your client devices and the WiFi router, a strategically placed wireless extender may help. 
• Your client devices are too far from the router. Even if there aren't physical obstructions between your devices and the WiFi router, distance may be an issue. Adding an extender to the mix may help in this case as well.

Types of Wi-Fi Extenders:

Single-band / Dual-band WiFi Repeaters

Single-band WiFi repeaters are the most basic example of a wireless extender. They will either support 2.4 GHz or 5.0 bands. They generally must use the same WiFi frequency and channel to communicate with clients and routers. As a result, single-band repeaters can be very susceptible to the throughput reduction and network congestion issues we covered. They're generally low-cost so If you're looking for a low price point extender, a single-band WiFi repeater may do the trick. Just make sure the extender is compatible with your router's specifications.

Dual-band WiFi repeaters support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi frequencies. This can reduce some of the performance tradeoffs by dedicating one for backhaul traffic to the router and the other for clients. Just be sure to look for the wireless extender to call out "dedicated backhaul" or similar if that is a feature you want.

In most cases today, if you're going to invest in a wireless extender, you'll probably want to go dual-band. It gives you more flexibility and a broader range of support.

Powerline Adapters

Powerline adapters aren't WiFi extenders per se, but you will sometimes see them marketed as a comparable solution. A powerline adapter transmits network data over the existing electrical system in a building. Some powerline adapters support WiFi access in addition to wired connections. While there are some usage caveats, these adapters can prove useful in getting WiFi to otherwise hard to reach spots.

Mesh Networks

WiFi mesh systems have seen a recently rise in popularity. These systems work similarly to a WiFi router and wireless extenders. They are a network of access points that send a wireless signal back and forth between one another, to clients, and to the upstream router. The mesh system's upside is that all the mesh access points are designed to work together to provide optimal coverage in a given area.

Benefits of Wi-Fi Extenders

If you want every part of your home, even including your outdoor space, to offer Wi-Fi access, then a Wi-Fi extender is exactly what you need. A Wi-Fi extender is the most cost-efficient way to connect your entire home to Wi-Fi and allow a higher number of people to connect to the Wi-Fi without buffering issues. In addition to allowing more devices to connect to the Wi-Fi at a time and allowing people with larger homes to connect all rooms to the internet, a Wi-Fi extender can also help heavy internet users, such as those interested in live gaming, receive a more reliable connection.

Keep in mind that The efficiency of your Wi-Fi extender depends on the placement of your device and the reliability of your internet connection, so, the key is knowing when a WiFi extender makes sense and when it doesn't. Cost, performance, and your requirements will all come into play.