But for homes built with dense materials like brick, concrete, plaster, and metal, some level of signal degradation is almost a certainty. Range extenders come in various shapes, sizes, and speeds, but they do have their limitations they are typically half as fast as your primary router, and they create a separate extended network that makes seamless roaming difficult.ĭepending on the size and layout of your home, a mid-to-high-end router may provide all the Wi-Fi coverage you'll need. When paired with a budget-priced router, you can build a tandem system that gets coverage that can rival what you'd get from a single high-priced router or mesh system.

What makes range extenders so attractive compared with a bespoke mesh system is that they are easy to install and inexpensive. Our top-rated models are below, followed by a detailed guide to selecting the range extender that meets the needs of your home. Aptly named, range extenders pick up your router's Wi-Fi signal, amplify it, and rebroadcast the boosted signal. Chances are, a range extender will get the job done. Well, hang on before you do that, because for well under $100 in most cases you have another option. Most folks figure they need to upgrade their Wi-Fi in that situation, so they either buy a new Wi-Fi router or upgrade their internet service (or both). The same goes for many consumer-grade apps, especially video streaming services like Netflix, and certainly the latest games.

When they don't get it, that chat you're having with your boss on your company's voice over IP (VoIP) phone system suddenly sounds like one of you is underwater. And some of these require not only a good amount of bandwidth, but a steady amount of bandwidth. With so many of us working from home these days, we now have more apps than ever careening across our household Wi-Fi networks. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.

Router as wifi extender