If you have a standard router and are having trouble with a dead spot in your home, a reliable way to solve this problem is to install a Wi-Fi repeater. This will do what it says on the tin: it will “extend” the range of your Wi-Fi network, providing signal boost to areas that have spotty coverage. You are supposed to install extenders near the problem area, which then act as a bridge between your main router and devices located in the dead zone. Netgear and TP-Link have some capable Wi-Fi extenders worth buying that can do wonders for small homes. However, what about larger, more complex properties, and what happens if you have multiple dead zones? Can you connect two or more Wi-Fi extenders to a single router?
Technically, yes, you can, and it would probably work as you hope. But not so fast: the chances of multiple repeaters creating a reliable and efficient network are not as high as you might think. This is because wireless devices tend to interfere with each other. Multiple Wi-Fi extenders nearby could slow things down, especially if they don’t work on separate wireless channels. Additionally, with some Wi-Fi extenders, when you configure them, you must create a new SSID for the network it is broadcasting and possibly a unique password. This means that each repeater acts as a new, separate network. Imagine trying to manage passwords for all these different access points, especially if you have guests!
The best solution is to replace your router with a mesh system. Mesh networks work similarly to a router and extender setup, greatly enhancing it with a single main hub and multiple satellite routers in remote areas to facilitate and boost the signal.
Installing a Mesh Wi-Fi Network vs. a Range Extender
The face-off between Wi-Fi mesh networks and range extenders has already been discussed several times. It comes down to a simple answer. Mesh networks and mesh technologies were inherently designed to solve the exact problem that range extenders pose when creating a single, seamless network. Meanwhile, range extenders are more like a band-aid, used to help quickly resolve the problem rather than serving as a long-term solution.
The original technologies behind mesh routers are called “packet radio networks” or “mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs)” and were developed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The idea was to create a reliable network, protected against things like nuclear threats, that would not fail if a single node failed. Instead of relying on a central hub or broadcast source, such as a traditional router serving a home network, mesh technologies are designed to be distributed across multiple nodes, or satellites, which also creates a seamless coverage area, providing appropriate range and extended capabilities for large military installations.
The consumer version of mesh networks works the same way, distributing a network across multiple nodes that you place throughout your home or property. This extends and supports the overall network signal. Beyond eliminating dead zones, mesh networks are easy to set up, have a single SSID and connection process, offer better speeds and reliability, and provide greater flexibility because you can move nodes at any time to adjust coverage.
What role do Wi-Fi extenders really play?
Every repeater added to a network will slow down the overall wireless speeds or bandwidth of devices connected to it due to how they operate. To travel between access points, data essentially has to make two or more wireless hops, first from the router, then to the repeater, then a final hop to the device, with each event reducing the total bandwidth. Basically, you’re trading some Wi-Fi speed for extra range. This has no impact on speeds coming into the router from your ISP, but rather impacts the signal going out to client devices. Of course, there are other factors that can slow down internal network speed, including wireless interference, traffic jams, speed limits or limited capabilities of the main router, and beyond.
Proper mesh networks do not have these problems. This means that, byte for byte, and in most situations, a mesh network will be the highest performing and most reliable option – the best answer.
So, when is a Wi-Fi extender the right choice? Ultimately, when you don’t have the budget, or inclination, to upgrade your entire network. Additionally, if the dead zone or problem area is not a particularly large coverage area and your property or home is manageable from a coverage standpoint, this can definitely help. Watch for signs that you should buy a Wi-Fi extender for your home or upgrade to mesh if you can. Keep in mind the downsides of range extenders, namely that speeds may be affected for connected devices and you may or may not have a separate network access point to manage. Alternatively, there is a way to say goodbye to spotty Wi-Fi with a DIY solution that uses your old smartphone as a possible temporary solution.
