A Wi-Fi extender, also called a repeater, is a device that picks up a router's wireless signal and retransmits it, so that dead spots further away can get coverage. It connects to the router wirelessly and acts as a relay.
Why it matters
Extenders are inexpensive and need no cabling, which makes them a common first fix for weak signal. The trade-off is that a single-radio extender must receive and transmit on the same channel, so each packet is sent twice over the air and speed to connected devices can fall by roughly half. Dual-band models can use one band to talk to the router and the other to serve clients, which helps. A better option, where possible, is an access point linked by cable, or a mesh network.
Example
A router in the living room gives -45 dBm at the sofa but -85 dBm in the bedroom. Placing an extender about halfway, where it still sees a strong signal of around -60 dBm, gives the bedroom a usable connection. Putting it in the bedroom itself would only rebroadcast a poor signal.
Common mistakes
- Placing the extender at the edge of coverage instead of midway.
- Expecting full router speed through a single-radio repeater.
- Stacking several extenders in a chain, which compounds delay and slowdown.
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