The world has become a global village, and many people rely on the internet to coordinate their daily activities. It is good to have internet access in your home but it does not end there.
There is some part of the building that will have poor or zero internet connection. These areas are called dead zone because the connection does not extend to them.
The size of your home or office determines the range of the dead zones. As the name suggests, Wi-Fi extenders extend the connectivity in your building.
The extender works with the existing router by translating this signal to every part of the building. Every member of the family can access the internet from the comfort of their rooms.
Thanks to the extender, you can sit in the backyard or the basement and still enjoy a strong internet connection. This technology is excellent, especially if the building is huge.
You would not have to always go to a particular area to connect to the internet.
Wi-Fi extenders increase the strength of your internet connection. It extends and multiplies the routers’ signal. It allows every part of your building to be an area of high connectivity.
The importance of Wi-Fi extenders cannot be over-emphasized. In a moderate sized-building, furniture and walls can inhibit internet flow, hence the importance of extenders.
You may want to get a Wi-Fi extender, but you still have some doubts. This article will discuss in detail all you need to know about Wi-Fi extenders and how they work.
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HOW WIFI EXTENDERS WORK
A Wi-Fi extender does not produce an internet signal: it is not a signal source. Rather, what it does is amplification of the existing signal from the router in the building.
It extends this signal in such a way that it reaches further, covering dead zones. To get the most out of your extender, you must understand how it works. Imagine a scenario where you whisper something to someone.
Ordinarily, you expect that those sitting very close to you may pick some of the things you say, but not everyone in the area.
Now, imagine if that person picks up a microphone and repeats what you told them, or they climb an elevated platform and repeat what you said in a loud and clear voice.
This is precisely how a Wi-Fi extender works. The most vital function of an extender is translating and amplifying the already existing signal from the router.
Another way to correctly describe the function of a Wi-Fi extender is that it is a broadcaster.
The extender broadcasts a strong network frequency to every part of the room. It also ensures that every connected device, either wired or wireless, has the best frequency.
Newer versions of Wi-Fi extenders come with dual-band technology. They can broadcast signals on two frequencies to all connected devices.
It is the same signal with the same username and password, so you do not have to change device settings.
Connecting a Wi-Fi extender
Connecting a Wi-Fi extender to your router is easy. The first step is to plug in the extender to a socket that is not too far from the router. Then you press the power button, and it will synchronize with your router.
You may want to read the manual to have a better idea of how to set-up it. The parental feature on the Wi-Fi extender, allows you to monitor the time your kids spend on the internet.
Placing is crucial
The Wi-Fi extender takes the signal from the router. It amplifies this signal, so it reaches further. For it to work correctly, it has to receive the signal from the router with sufficient power.
Ideally, place it at an intermediate point between the router and the remote devices that you want to receive the Wi-Fi signal.
Experiment with different locations, until you find a position where the remote devices receive the extenders’ signal at the highest possible speed.
It may seem silly, but one more meter to the left or right can make the signal bypass an obstacle, and the Wi-Fi has much more range.
The Wi-Fi extender needs a socket
The Wi-Fi needs a socket that is close to the router. For it to offer good performance, it needs to receive the signal from the router correctly, so you cannot place it very far either.
During the configuration, the extender indicates the signal’s strength through lights. There are apps that you may use to determine the perfect spot to have your extender’s socket.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Wi-Fi Extender
Wi-Fi type
The first thing to consider is the type of signal of the Wi-Fi amplifier, which will depend on the router’s characteristics. If you have an old Wireless-N type router, that uses the 802.11n standard, it only has one band, 2.4 GHz.
Nowadays, all the new routers, even those that the operators give away, are AC Wi-Fi and have two independent WiFi bands, 2.4 and 5 GHz. The first is slower but has more range.
The second is faster and less saturated, but it is shorter. If you have a router of this type, a dual-band Wi-Fi amplifier, compatible with 802.11ac, is convenient for you.
Speed
The Internet speed that you will get when you use a Wi-Fi extender depends exclusively on the extender.
That is, if you have contracted an Internet connection at 300 Mbps and the Wi-Fi extender only works at 100 Mbps, you will only get 100 Mbps. This is an obvious waste of the connection.
You must buy one depending on your internet connection. Be careful, this is the maximum theoretical speed. In practice, they work much slower, depending on the obstacles encountered by the signal.
It is best to buy a Wi-Fi extender that works at least three times the speed of your Internet connection. If you have 100Mbps fiber, the extender should be at least 300Mbps.
Extra functions
If the money is not a problem and you are looking for a Wi-Fi extender with maximum benefits.
You will find new technologies such as beamforming, which allows you to direct the next place where the devices are, to maximize speed.
We have seen how a Wi-Fi extender works and why it is so important to buy one. It is easy to configure.
If you do not get the maximum performance from your Wi-Fi router, no worries, a Wi-Fi extender has got you covered. It will improve the online services of your devices.