How does the wifi repeater or "Range Extender" work and which one to buy

The Wi-Fi repeater has become a very popular solution in recent years to expand the coverage of a home wireless network or a very large shop, without having to configure additional modems or post the main one from the wall socket to which it is connected. If the signal does not reach the second floor or the furthest room, just use one of the following devices to find a quick solution to the coverage problem.
However, if we are novice users with informed devices and we do not know where to start, in this guide we will show you in detail how the Wi-Fi repeater or "Range Extender" works and which to buy online, so you can save something compared to the shops physical and buy only the model that can meet our needs in terms of coverage and connection speed.
READ ALSO: 10 ways to amplify your home Wi-Fi and extend wireless reception

Guide to Wi-Fi repeaters or Range Extender

Although these devices are famous for being very simple to use and configure, it is better to find out how they work, when it is necessary to use them and what type of range extender to use, also based on the type of Wi-Fi network we intend to extend.

What is a Wi-Fi repeater

A Wifi repeater, called a Range Extender or Wi-Fi signal amplifier, is a device that extends the coverage of the Wi-Fi network coming from the modem by increasing or amplifying the original wireless signal.

It allows all wireless devices that are within the extended coverage signal to connect to the Internet as if we were connected directly to the modem or router of departure, even over long distances.
In essence, it is the ideal solution to have a stable and functioning Internet throughout the home or office, in hotels, shops or outdoor spaces, where usually the Wi-Fi signal does not take well if we exceed the 60-70 square meters of surface (with interference the coverage is even less).

Those who need a Wi-Fi repeater "> Internet speed site), it might be a good idea to buy a repeater. To make the internet connection stable and fast you need the Wi-Fi signal from the router to take well and a repeater could definitely solve the problem.

Features of a Wi-Fi repeater

Now, however, we need to understand an important difference, which few say, between various models of wifi repeaters or "range extenders" : is it better to take the single band models or do we have to focus on the dual band models with our eyes closed?
A single band repeater allows to amplify only the Wi-Fi network transmitted on the 2.4 GHz frequency: it offers greater network coverage but the speed is not high, being based on protocols that allow to reach a maximum of 30 Mbps for each device (in ideal network conditions).
A dual band repeater allows you to amplify both the 2.4 GHz network and the 5GHz network, with the latter offering much higher connection speeds (over 1000 Mbps per single device, also according to the protocol used). at the expense of less coverage (physical limit of waves traveling on the 5 GHz frequency). With a dual band repeater we will thus have greater expansion possibilities, being able to also connect the 5 GHz devices beyond the two or three coverage rooms that normally only the modem offers, thus increasing the possibility of high-speed Internet access for the devices that use multiple bands (TV Box, Smart TV, console, gaming PC etc.).
To learn more about the differences between the available Wi-Fi frequencies, we can read our guide Differences between Wi-Fi networks 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; which is better?
Another important feature for wireless repeaters is the presence of the WPS button . If we find this button on the device, you can connect the repeater to the router without configuration, only by pressing this button on both (first on the router and then on the range extender); in this regard, I refer to the guide on how to use the WPS Wifi button safely and quickly .
Otherwise it will be necessary to configure the repeater from the computer, connecting to its network address and writing the Wi-Fi password in the control interface.
An underestimated feature is the management of access passwords and network names: on all devices we will have new networks with names very similar to those of the networks generated by the modem, but with the addition of the suffix EXT, so that they can be to distinguish. The access password for amplified networks is usually the same as the main network, so you can quickly connect any device without having to remember too many passwords (which we can still change if necessary).

Guide to buying a Wi-Fi repeater

The best wifi repeaters or range extenders that you can buy can be found on Amazon at very advantageous prices and almost always lower than shopping malls.
If we are looking for cheap single band range extender models, we advise you to take a look at the following models:

• TP-Link TL-WA850RE (€ 16): Wireless Wifi Extender and Access Point repeater, 300Mbps Single Band Speed ​​and LAN port included.
• Victure WiFi Repeater (19 €): 2.4GHz WiFi Extender AP, 300Mbps speed with Ethernet Port and WPS button.
• Netgear WN3000RP (€ 19): N300 WiFi Repeater, single band WiFi Extender and LAN Port included.
• NETVIP WiFi Repeater (20 €): 2.4 GHz WiFi Extender, 300 Mbps speed and Access Point mode.
• Aigital WiFi Repeater (€ 21): 2.4 GHz Wireless Single Band Repeater Booster and 300 Mbps maximum speed.

If, on the other hand, we are looking for dual band range extender models to extend our Wi-Fi networks to the maximum, we advise you to observe the following models:

• TP-Link RE305 WiFi Repeater (€ 33): Dual Band range extender with maximum speed 1.2 Gbps (AC1200).
• Netgear EX6120 (€ 39): AC1200 WiFi repeater, WiFi Extender and Dual Band access point.
• AVM FRITZ! Repeater 1750E (62 €): Dual Band WiFi Signal Extender Repeater with Gigabit LAN port.
• Netgear EX7300 (€ 84): AC2200 WiFi Mesh Repeater, WiFi Extender and Dual band access point at 2.2 Gigabit per second.
• TP-Link RE650 (101 €): Wireless WiFi repeater with Access Point, Dual Band 2600Mbps speed and Gigabit LAN port.

To find other models and deepen the discussion we recommend you read our article Best 5 GHz WiFi repeaters, to increase internet coverage .

Conclusions

Using a range extender will allow you to increase the coverage of our Wi-Fi network in a practical and fast way, without jumping through hoops to bring Ethernet cables everywhere in the house and without having to move the modem every time hoping to find the ideal position in which it takes from all sides.
In the past we had seen how it was possible to extend Wi-Fi by connecting two wireless routers, which is rather laborious compared to using Wi-Fi repeaters (which we recommend using as soon as there is a coverage problem).
If, on the other hand, we want to bring the speed of the cable connection to the various rooms of the house, even distant from the modem, we recommend you read our Internet guide on the power socket with the Powerline .