Posted On 22 Jul 2021
Many of us, particularly in these pandemic times when several family members may have been working/schooling from home simultaneously, have experienced the frustration of finding that our Wi-Fi signal doesn’t extend to every area of our property, or that signals are worse in certain rooms. This can lead to some heated debates about who should be allowed to work in the areas with the best reception. However, there is a way round this problem, and that is to fit a Wi-Fi booster in your home, but you have to make a decision about which type of booster is best for you, a Wi-Fi extender or a Wi-Fi repeater. Below we take a look at both types of booster to help you make a decision as to what would be the best option to provide optimal Internet service for the whole family.
Wi-Fi repeaters make a wireless connection to your Wi-Fi network and re-broadcast the wireless signal establishing new Wi-Fi networks, whilst Wi-Fi extenders connect directly via cable to your router effectively become a second router on your network. It’s a little like the difference between a cell phone and a landline in terms of connection.
A Wi-Fi repeater receives Wi-Fi signals from your router in the same way as any other piece of equipment like a laptop or smart phone, and then sends out the signal itself. Remember that Wi-Fi repeaters create new networks, and so your bandwidth has to divide itself between the existing network and the new one, cutting your bandwidth by 50%, and this could slow down your Internet speeds, particularly if you need to transfer large amounts of data. Wi-Fi repeaters are simple to use, with most of them just plugging into a power outlet, but they have to be located in an area with a good Wi-Fi signal; if you put one in an area where the signal is weak, you will only get 50% of your already weak signal on your new network. Being wireless, repeaters can be affected by building infrastructure, electronic devices, microwaves, etc., and so they are not a great deal of help in large properties or covering substantial distances.
Wi-Fi extenders are cable devices that you plug into the router and run using wires into the area where you need to boost your signal. The advantage of having a wired connection is that this does not lead to any reductions in bandwidth and it cannot be affected by wall thickness and so on. However, Wi-Fi extenders are more costly and complex than repeaters and you may need to do a little DIY work to ensure the wires look neat and are not a trip hazard.
If all you need to do is boost a Wi-Fi signal across a small area, Wi-Fi repeaters should be sufficient, but if you have a large property or want to run your Wi-Fi network out to a separate building such as a garden office, a Wi-Fi extender is probably a better option. Another option worth considering is a dual device that can function both as extender and repeater in one.
