Best and Worst WiFi Extenders
WiFi extenders from companies like Netgear and TP-Link can help eliminate pesky dead spots
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If you’re trying to boost the WiFi signal in one specific area of your home, like an office, a WiFi extender can be a great tool. The device works by repeating, or extending, the WiFi connection created by your router. This extended network can then eliminate dead spots.
WiFi extenders aren’t a foolproof solution, though. To start, they cut the speed of your WiFi in half. So, for example, if you usually get 200 megabits per second, the extended network will top out at around 100 megabits per second. Depending upon your goals, however, that may be sufficient.
Best WiFi Extenders
Right now, these are the best WiFi extenders you can buy. They share many similarities, but most importantly, they should do a good job of eliminating any WiFi dead spots you may have.
Worst WiFi Extenders
While the models above should do a good job for you, these two score quite poorly. And even though one is inexpensive enough that you might think it’s worth a look, our testing indicates otherwise.
How CR Tests WiFi Extenders
Every year, Consumer Reports buys WiFi extenders at retail stores, tests them inside our labs just north of New York City, and adds this data to our comprehensive ratings.
Our tests measure several aspects of the WiFi extenders’ performance, most notably the throughput or “speed.” We review the extenders at various distances from the main router, including 8 feet (near range) and 55 feet (far range). Of course, the faster the extender can transmit data at these distances, the higher its score.
We also look at how easy the extender is to set up and manage (including whether or not you can use a mobile app to do so) and how many ports there are for wired accessories like printers.
All of this data is collected and crunched to present our comprehensive ratings to CR members.
