Best Wi-Fi Range Extenders of 2022

By spreading your Wi-Fi coverage across a wider region, the best Wi-Fi extenders may remove wireless dead spots in your house. You may increase the range of your home network without spending a fortune by transmitting a signal farther than your current router can.

These compact, inexpensive devices, often referred to as Wi-Fi repeaters, Wi-Fi boosters, or signal boosters may expand your Wi-Fi signal where it is needed while frequently costing a lot less than upgrading to one of the finest mesh routers.

We’ve extensively tested and assessed numerous standard Wi-Fi extenders, and this is how they compare to powerline adapters, from low-cost wall plugs that can be concealed under a sofa to desktop ones that put power above looks.

The Wi-Fi extender that most effectively increases the range of your Wi-Fi is the ideal choice for you, even though there are many features and functions to take into account (they can even boost network speed if placed in the right location). We tested each one, regardless of size, cost, or price, to provide you with the best guidance possible when looking for a Wi-Fi extender.

1. Devolo Mesh WiFi 2 Kit

Pros

• Excellent for houses with thick walls
• each with two ethernet ports
• Plug with passthrough
• Hybrid Powerline and Wi-Fi

Cons

• On the expensive side
• The app is not easy to use.

The next item on the list combines Powerline and conventional Wi-Fi connection. It’s noteworthy to note that while being touted as having three bands, the Wi-Fi is just dual-band, with Powerline being the third band. The Devolo Mesh Wi-Fi 2 is a complete hybrid system as a result.

Your actual performance may differ significantly depending on where in the house you are as this is a mesh system that uses Powerline.

Despite this, the advertised speed of 1,200Mbps is closer to 250Mbps at the 20-foot point and then drops to roughly 30-40Mbps at the 35-foot mark. However, if you distribute them evenly around the house, you shouldn’t be farther than 10-15 feet from any access point.

What about the speeds of Powerline? Your internet speeds are distributed using a powerline as a backhaul; whatever speed you experience on a wireless network represents the system’s overall speed. The good news is that provided your Wi-Fi is strong, connecting to the Ethernet ports will give you a strong signal. Powerline quality is highly dependent on the wiring in your home; therefore, using it if your wiring is outdated might be risky.

Aside from everything else, the kit’s somewhat complicated setup and operation is its sole significant drawback. Since the first setup necessitates having all three extenders in the same room and not having many plugs, you’ll need to look around for a power splitter. For the system to function, your router must also be Ethernet connected to at least one of the extenders.

Similarly, the program occasionally requires technical knowledge of MAC addresses for parental control, making it challenging to use. If you have the necessary expertise, the Develo Cockpit allows you more precise control, which is quite convenient.

Overall, even though the Devolo Wi-Fi 2 is pricey and challenging to install, it can be a big improvement for people who have thick walls that Wi-Fi has trouble passing through. Additionally, having a lot of Ethernet ports means that connecting your equipment won’t require you to deal with a network switch or move cables around.

2. NETGEAR Nighthawk EAX80

Pros

• 4 Ethernet ports
• Wi-Fi 6 is supported.
• Excellent performance and range
• A user-friendly app and cutting-edge online interface

Cons

• Extremely pricey
• Performance is dependent on the availability of Wi-Fi 6.
• A little heavy

Given the Netgear Nighthawk EAX80’s top-notch performance as a Wi-Fi range extender, we won’t hold it against you if you mistake it for the Monolith from 2001: Space Odyssey.

The EAX80’s specifications show 1,200Mbps for the 2.4GHz band and a truly astounding 4,500Mbps for the 5Ghz band, so the speed is not a concern. As a result, you probably won’t be shocked to learn that actual speeds are incredible, with 5Ghz at 75Mbps at 50 feet and 2.4Ghz at 30Mbps at 50 feet.

It’s vital to remember that these speeds depend on Wi-Fi 6, so if you want to use this extender, you should preferably have that.

As a result, you should use an Ethernet connection to connect to a game console or computer if you intend to play online. The EAX80 offers four Ethernet ports for this purpose. When your ping is already low, ping times over a wired connection can be as low as 30-35ms.No concerns if you don’t because it should be able to match whatever your router pings at.

In addition, MI-MUMO is supported, and you could theoretically connect up to 30 devices without too many issues. In that regard, the Netgear Nighthawk app makes setup very simple, and if you have any technical know-how, the online interface provides far more sophisticated settings and granularity.

That leads us to the EAX80’s main problem: the cost. Although some individuals would object to the $150 price tag for a single device, the reality is that premium performance is costly. Additionally, if you don’t have a router that supports Wi-Fi 6, you’re paying a lot of money on a feature that won’t be utilized to its best potential.

3. TP-Link 2.4GHz N300

Pros

• Honestly enormous range
• Weatherproof
• Relatively affordable
• Significant control

Cons

• Difficult to set up
• Can broadcast on a single frequency only

The TP-Link N300 CPE210 is a different animal from the Wi-Fi network extenders we’ve looked at so far, designed for use inside the home. In addition to being waterproof, outdoor extenders sometimes include massive antennas to achieve a long range.

Consider the CPE210, whose specification range is an astounding 5 kilometers.In return, you usually give up a little bit of speed; the Nighthawk EAX80 and even the inexpensive Wi-Fi range extender offer faster rates than the 300Mbps that are advertised.

Another thing to remember is that the CPE210 only operates at 2.4GHz, which is the frequency most devices typically use. Of course, you could prefer 5Ghz, in which case you should get the CPE510, which has a 15km range.

The CPE710 is the last option if you want both speed and range. In addition to having 3 times the advertised speed, it also offers an enhanced network range of 18 miles line-of-site. Remember that since this is a point-to-point Wi-Fi extender, you’ll also need another device at the end to disseminate the Wi-Fi in addition to the two of these.

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4. TP-Link AC1750

Pros

• Easy setup and installation
• Excellent range and fast performance
• Triple and dual-band antennas
• Port Ethernet

Cons

• Large for a plug extender
• Lack of Wi-Fi 6

The TP-Link RE450 is what engineers would create if they were gathered in a room to create a Wi-Fi range extender. Although it lacks several functionalities that other comparable smartphones have, it still manages to provide the essentials while keeping the price down.

For instance, installation is simple with the front-and-center Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which enables pairing with any other WPS router with the touch of the extender’s front. This is a really intelligent choice compared to other Wi-Fi extenders, which have the button buried on the side. Another clever design decision is to surround the button with an indication light so that users can see exactly when the connection is made and how steady it is.

You should expect to get rates of up to 1,300 Mbps on the 5Ghz band and 450 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, both of which are likely faster than your maximum speeds. In actuality, though, you can expect rates of about 45 Mbps at 50 feet for the 2.4 GHz band and about 85 Mbps at 50 feet for the 5 GHz band, both of which are respectable speeds in comparison to the competition.

You’ll be glad to hear that it has a single ethernet connector that you may use to connect a smart TV, laptop, or computer. You may always choose the environmentally friendly path of converting an outdated router into a network switch if you need to use many devices. It will enable you to recycle some outdated networking equipment while saving you money.

The one significant drawback of the RE450 is that it doesn’t have a throughput outlet. Since the RE450 is large, you’ll have to occupy the entire plug slot and perhaps many more. Additionally, it doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6, which isn’t ideal but isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker if your router doesn’t help it.

5. TP-Link AC750

Pros

• Good performance and range for the price
• Simple to set up and use
• Possibility of configuring a separate backhaul band
• Beautiful design

Cons

• Absence of MU-MIMO
• Not really impressive 5GHz performance
• Slower ethernet transfer rates

Another TP-Link device should not come as a surprise given the business’s ability to produce easily used consumer-grade equipment. Even better, they were able to keep the price of the TP-Link AC750 around $20, which is remarkable for a piece of contemporary networking hardware.

You’re looking at advertised speeds of 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 433Mbps on 5GHz, which are rather close to one another. This indicates that 5GHz has subpar performance, and in practice, you should expect to receive 45Mbps at a distance of 50 feet. Although not as much as it could, 5GHz still manages to outperform 2.4GHz’s performance of about 25Mbps at 50 feet.

Despite being able to connect up to 32 devices, the AC750 lacks MU-MIMO technology, which enables simultaneous beamforming and streaming. Although utilizing this extender to play games is generally not a good idea, other usages, like streaming, should be OK.

In addition, the AC750 has a convenient WPS connect button in the front and an ethernet connector below, providing generally strong connectivity. In contrast to other routers, which are large, black, and look like home in the Batcave, this one has a far more subtle and simple appearance.

In general, you won’t get the finest performance for under $20, but if you only need a little bit of more range to use your phone in the bathroom or stream Netflix in the living room, this little Wi-Fi extension is ideal.

6. TP-Link AX1500

Pros

• Overall performance was strong.
• Assistance with OneMesh
• Simple to use
• Reasonably priced Wi-Fi access 6

Cons

• Very large
• No passthrough for plugs
• 2.4GHz isn’t all that great.

One of the few Wi-Fi extenders is the TP-Link RE505X. supporting Wi-Fi 6, despite appearing to belong in a Transformers movie.

The 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands have theoretical maximum speeds of 300 Mbps and 1,200 Mbps, respectively. Unfortunately, the 2.4 GHz performs poorly in practice, perhaps only reaching 10 Mbps at a distance of 50 feet or less. However, 5Ghz performs far better, with a throughput of roughly 200Mbps at 50 feet, thus it is safe to assume that you will be utilizing it most of the time.

You’ll be glad to hear that the RE505X is compatible with all three standards if you presently use a Wi-Fi 4 or 5 router and want to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6. To provide more comprehensive coverage, it also supports OneMesh, which is wonderful if you have another compatible device you can couple it with. Of course, there is also a regular ethernet connector and a WPS button to make connecting simple.

As for drawbacks, most of them revolve on the unusually hefty design, which some people may find off-putting. The absence of an outlet passthrough makes this worse., which forces you to give up a whole wall outlet because it’s doubtful that you can connect anything next to it.

Complete Comparison of Standard Router and Mesh Router

Mesh Router engage two or more devices to distribute the internet connection across your home, which is the primary distinction between mesh router and standard router. On the other hand, Standard Router just uses one hub to provide internet access.

If your router is capable enough and is just not reaching where you want it to, a Wi-Fi extender is a great solution. A connectivity issue within your home or office that’s related to the router’s actual reach might be better resolved with one of the best Wi-Fi extenders because it’s more cost-effective than replacing your whole router.

In other words, if some of your devices are getting a good connection or the internet gets better the closer you are to the router, save some money and add an extender. Maybe you want your network to cover a couple of floors of a house or building, but some rooms are just not getting a signal.

The ideal answer is an extender since it will take the current signal, amplify it, and widen its coverage so you can access it or establish a better connection where you previously couldn’t.
Taking into account the cost is also essential. The most recent types of Wi-Fi extenders, particularly those that support Wi-Fi 6, may be rather expensive. But organizations like Netgear and TP-Link provide Wi-Fi extenders at incredibly low prices to help you improve coverage in whatever location you need it. The less expensive choices, although obviously lacking in bells and whistles, are nonetheless excellent for streaming entertainment and loading websites.