When it comes to improving the wireless coverage in your home, there’s a lot of jargon and technical terminology you probably don’t care about. You want WiFi everywhere so you can respond to your latest like, follow or follower on your social network of choice while streaming the latest TV shows on Netflix wherever you are in your house. The best option is moving your router to a more centralized location or running cable for wired access points, but not everyone can do that. Some people need a WiFi extender or repeater to truly bring their home into the wireless era.
Netgear N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender
Netgear is a household name for networking products, so it should come as no surprise that Amazon’s #1 Best-Seller in Repeaters has their name on it. The N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX2700) is a 2.4Ghz extender that’s easy to setup with a mobile device or the WPS button and only has to be plugged into an outlet in the wall. What’s more, the affordable device has an Ethernet port that can be used for consoles, printers or TV. Netgear even has a WiFi Analytics App that you can use to identify dead spots and weak signals throughout the house so you know exactly where to plug in the N300 to maximize coverage. $26
RUTH MSRM WiFi Range Extender
If you’re willing to break from the handful of big names in the space, relatively unheard of RUTH makes a great range extender in the MSRM. External 5dBi antennas help get your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi wherever it needs to go in the home or office and the sleek black package helps it blend in if you can’t hide it behind a desk. Like the Netgear option, this also includes an Ethernet port for connecting devices without wireless. $33
D-Link Wireless AC1200 Dual Band Wi-Fi Range Extender
The D-Link Wireless AC1200 WiFi Range Extender is the lowest cost version (on this list) of a very important technology: dual-band broadcasting. This D-Link WiFi Range Extender has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to give you both increased range and speed while allowing you to get off the highly congested bands everyone else is using. With multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB port you can also use this highly capable extender as an Access Point or even a Media Bridge. It doesn’t hurt that it will look perfect on a counter next to an Amazon Echo. $70
Linksys AC1200 MAX Wi-Fi Gigabit Range Extender
We’d make the case that you probably have better things to be do than scroll through Facebook while sitting poolside at your McMansion, but if you need WiFi out there you’re probably going to want an extender like the Linksys AC1200 MAX Wi-Fi Gigabit Range Extender. With two large dipole antennas and dual band operation, this WiFi range extender kills dead zones while still being easy to setup and connect to with all of your devices. It even has Crossband technology to improve signal consistency and an audio jack so you can wirelessly stream music to the extender from your devices. $89
TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE450)
Three external dual band antennas. 10,000 square feet coverage area. Simultaneous gaming and 4K HD streaming. Gigabit Ethernet port for wired devices. Simple plug-in outlet operation that won’t block the lower socket. Crazy throughput speeds with an AC1750 router. Built-in signal light indicator to find the best location. Full backwards compatibility for 802.11a/b/g/n setups. The TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE450) is a high performance range extender that’s easy to setup and backed by free lifetime support. $80
Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Desktop WiFi Range Extender
With the striking, angular lines, absurd power and more tech than you could ever hope to fully utilize, the Netgear Nighthawk line is the networking equivalent of the Nissan GT-R. Powered by a dual core 1GHz processor, 700 mW high-power amplifiers and a trio of 5dBi high-gain antennas, the dual band Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Desktop WiFi Range Extender can get you speeds up to 1.9Gbps using FastLane Technology across up to 10,000 sq. ft depending on the router you connect it to. This is the most high-tech range extender on the market. $109
Your Old Router
Plenty of manufacturers and big box salesman will tell you that old tech is completely worthless and is ultimately relegated to the electronics junk drawer that we all try to hide when company’s over. This simply isn’t the case. Whether you’re running cable to setup a new access point or configuring an old router with DD-WRT, you can repurpose that last gen router collecting dust to get that last ten to twenty feet. If you have anything like an old Linksys router, you can have that sweet, sweet Wi-Fi on the deck, in the attic or out in the garage. Lifehacker has a great tutorial on the process and you get to have a bit of a DIY project at home. Free(ish)
