Up until recently, most extenders and Powerline kits only went as far as the Wi-Fi 5 standard, but we’re seeing a growing number that go faster with Wi-Fi 6 support. If you only have a Wi-Fi 5 router, you can save some cash by partnering it with a Wi-Fi 5 extender, but the newer models may give you a faster connection between the extender and devices that support Wi-Fi 6. What’s more, there’s an argument that buying one of these makes more sense if you plan to upgrade your network in the future. What’s the difference between a repeater and a powerline extender? However, if you mean boosting the speed of your WiFi, there might not be a lot you can do. Manually changing your WiFi channel or paying for a better tariff from your ISP might help. Different parts of the country get different WiFi speeds and that’s usually just down to infrastructure and whether they’ve got round to installing fibre optic cabling in the area. How far do wireless extenders reach? Network: A group of computing devices which are linked together to share data. This can be via wired media such as cables or via wireless media such as WiFi. Speaking of smart homes. One of the bonus features of the new Nest WiFi is that each of them have a microphone and speaker built in, so you’ve got a Google Nest smart speaker and a WiFi extender all in one. They can play music really quite well and answer any questions you might have about who is playing Wendy Torrance in The Shining or how much pasta you need to feed a group of four. Plus, you can even say “Hey Google, what’s my internet speed?” to learn immediately.

Read more: The best laptops for students and best external hard drives Frequently asked questions about WiFi extenders Do wireless extenders work? While fairly easy to configure, range extenders have their limitations. They often use a separate network SSID that you have to log into as you move through the house, and Wi-Fi speeds are typically half of what you get from your main router. Most dual-band extenders use both radio bands to transmit data to and from the router, which means devices connecting to the extender are competing for bandwidth with the router. To help alleviate network congestion, some manufacturers let you dedicate a band for router-to-extender communications. Netgear's Fastlane technology and Amped Wireless' BoostBand technology are good examples. The cheapest of the mesh WiFi devices on this list and frankly, it shows. The nodes themselves are white plastic cubes with a textured top. They look and feel cheaply made. The Halo H80X is a fantastic debut from TP-Link’s value-oriented Mercusys brand – a full-featured Wi-Fi 6 mesh system for an irresistible price.

Normally, we have 3 connection status: Disconnected/Connecting/Connected. When it says Disconnected, proceed with Part 4; Connecting, Part 5; Connected, Part 6. To test network performance, we use a laptop equipped with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 network card supporting 2×2 MIMO. We connect this laptop to the extended network, then take it to various areas of the home and copy a standard set of files to and from a NAS appliance, connected by Ethernet to the main router. By measuring the average read and write speeds, and comparing them to those achieved when connecting directly to the router, we can measure how each extender helps Wi-Fi range and performance. Note: Before proceeding with the solutions in this article, ensure that your Internet connection is active by plugging the Internet cable, which may come from your modem, directly into your computer. The system acts as a wireless extender system for your existing router, connecting via a simple Gigabit Ethernet cable. This means it doesn’t mess with your network settings, and there’s very little to configure – although the system does offer a guest network facility and simple group-based parental controls. The nodes look a bit odd, standing upright like mini-satellite dishes, but their small footprint means it’s easy to find suitable places for them around the home.

Most mesh systems are designed to replace your existing router. If you’re currently using a combined modem router, you can normally set this into modem mode, allowing the mesh system to handle router duties.What really sets the Tenda Nova MW6 apart is its low price. True, the BT Whole Home kit costs a similar amount, but it only functions as an extender, whereas the MW6 is a fully standalone system. That makes it a terrifically cost-effective option if you’re looking to replace an underperforming router and extend your Wi-Fi coverage at the same time. Key specs – Nodes (as reviewed): 2; Claimed coverage: 372m²; Maximum nodes supported: Not stated; 2.4GHz speed: 600Mbits/sec; 5GHz speed: 1,200Mbits/sec; MIMO channels: 2×2; Ethernet ports: 3 x GbE (router), 2 x GbE (satellite); Guest network: Yes; Parental controls: No; Works with Alexa: Yes; IPv6: Not stated; Custom IP range: Not stated; Client IP reservation: Not stated; Port forwarding: Not stated; 2.4GHz/5GHz band splitting: No; Warranty: 1yr Whole Home WiFi sits between Google and TP Link in terms of functionality. It can do everything that its competitors can do, minus Google’s home control elements. Considering it is the cheapest of the three, you may not miss any of that. The same goes for the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E technologies, the current fastest flavors of Wi-Fi. If you recently bought a new router that supports these standards, you'll certainly want to make sure any range extenders support them as well.

The bigger brother of the lovable RE505X is another compact, plug-in Wi-Fi 6 extender, but with the speeds boosted to meet the AX3000 spec. Similar to its cheaper sibling, this model is easy to set up and configure using TP-Link’s Tether app, and it supports OneMesh technology for seamless roaming around the house. If you have a compatible TP-Link router, it can even set up the RE700X while in this mode.If the extender has advanced features, we’ll also factor these into our review; we’ll thoroughly explore the configuration portal to see how responsive and user-friendly it is, and, if the unit has an Ethernet port, we may test network performance over a wired connection.

i. For dual band router like N60, you should select Network first, then select WAN Port, and then point to MAC Clone. One of the reasons why I liked the Deco best was because of these extra controls. TP Link have found the right balance between offering a wide range of content and making it simple enough to find everything you need. The app is easy to use and never cluttered. TP-Link’s RE300 is basic, but it’s incredibly easy to set up via the TP-Link Tether app and it comes with a couple of extra modes to help you make the most of your current wireless network. We found it worked best in default mode, where speeds averaged 11.3MB/sec in testing. If you’re a tinkerer, however, you can also set it up so it uses the faster 5GHz band as a dedicated link to your existing network and the 2.4GHz band for your devices. I also noticed that the connection between the nodes very occasionally flagged when I was walking from one part of the house to another. It only took a second to connect from one node to the next, but it wasn’t something I noted with any of the other devices. BT’s Whole Home WiFi is a really solid product which would have been higher on this list had it not been for a few strange choices BT has made.Powerline systems are often more expensive than repeaters but they’re a fuss-free way to extend a network connection into places that are otherwise hard to reach and can be simpler to set up. Might I be better off with a mesh Wi-Fi system? Wi-Fi mesh systems are ideal for users with little or no technical knowledge. They can be installed in minutes and typically come with a user-friendly mobile app that walks you through the installation process with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions. And their prices are coming down, too.