The topic of I thought a Wi-Fi Extender would help my network — it did, just not the way I… is currently the subject of lively debate — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Before my ISP finally replaced my Wi-Fi 5 router, I struggled with a dead zone inside the apartment where the Wi-Fi dropped to unusable speeds, often disconnecting entirely. This spot was in the bedroom furthest from the router, proving too much for its limited capabilities. After ignoring the problem for months (since I spent only an hour or so in the bedroom before sleeping), I had had enough. I decided that a cheap extender would be the easiest solution. I knew it was more of a band-aid than a proper fix, but if it solved this one issue, my home Wi-Fi would have been near-perfect. As it happens, the Wi-Fi extender technically improved the Wi-Fi speed in the bedroom, but the real difference was negligible. It was as if the extender did a whole lot of nothing, and that’s when I understood why people prefer wired access points and mesh networks so much.
Don’t get stuck in the past, consider upgrading to a mesh network instead of using the band-aid of a Wi-Fi extender in your home.
Then, there was the bizarre issue of my PC’s Ethernet link speed occasionally dropping to 100 Mbps, essentially halving my internet speed. Most of the time, it enjoyed the full 200 Mbps speed of the internet plan, but this link speed downgrade started happening more often than I could stomach. Even the WPA2 security standard of the router was far from ideal, leaving my connection exposed to external exploits. This was the time I had given up on my ISP replacing the router, so I went after the most burning problem of the network — the dead spot. I didn’t want to invest in a mesh network yet, as even a Wi-Fi 5 router is supposed to cover 1600 sq. ft. easily. Hence, I decided to start with a cheap and simple solution: a Wi-Fi extender.
Unsure if your router is due an upgrade? Look out for these signs that it might be time to make a change
Between buying an aftermarket router, investing in a mesh network, and setting up a wired access point, nothing seemed particularly appealing to me. I didn’t want to commit to a costly fix, since I hadn’t yet tried the cheapest one. I knew a Wi-Fi extender wouldn’t magically get rid of all the connectivity issues, but I hoped it would at least improve the range of the network. So, I bought a $20 extender from TP-Link, set it up with the home network, and waited to see the magic happen. When I measured the Wi-Fi speed with the same test in the same spot, I saw an eight-fold increase, but the reality was very different.
The connection didn’t feel any more responsive or faster than before. The extender was receiving signals from the router and rebroadcasting them to the furthest room, but this wasn’t creating the desired outcome. Perhaps the only silver lining here was that the extender was functioning just like it was designed to. Since Wi-Fi extenders need to connect to the router and then bounce that signal to your devices, this doubles the traffic in both handshakes — device to extender and extender to router. Combined with the fact that an extender needs proximity to the router for adequate signal strength, this means that extenders are designed to fail. They can be helpful in some situations where the connectivity gap you’re trying to bridge is short enough, but not when you expect a high-speed Wi-Fi extension to far-away dead zones.
I kept trying to get my ISP to replace my Wi-Fi 5 router, and lo and behold, they finally agreed last month. I got a Wi-Fi 6 router after six years of using an underpowered Wi-Fi 5 model, and I had great expectations. The expanded range of the new router instantly fixed the dead spot in the bedroom, so the upgrade was definitely working. That said, the new router didn’t really make the network that much more responsive or efficient. Perhaps it’s the low number of devices in the house, the lack of a Gigabit plan, or the fact that Wi-Fi 5 was already good enough except for that one dead spot. Still, my home network is now equipped with a modern router and ready for future speed upgrades and high-bandwidth devices like a NAS or home server.
My Wi-Fi range is much better now, but I might still need to get a mesh network or wired access points in future. A wired connection for my smart TV will make streaming significantly better, getting rid of the occasional weirdness that still happens on Wi-Fi. A mesh node will boost the connection speed in the bedroom, especially one with a wired backhaul. These upgrades will cost more in the short term, but provide long-lasting benefits. They may not prove to be as radical as one might expect, but they’ll certainly make my home network more evolved, flexible, and reliable.
TP-Link’s new AX3600 (Deco X68) Tri-Band WiFi 6 mesh router lives up to its range promise, but I wasn’t able to see the advertised speeds and want TP-Link to address the unexplained data transmissions and software issues with the Deco app
While a Wi-Fi extender can be a cheap solution to increase the range of your network, it seldom works as you’d like it to. It can technically increase the network speed to the dead zones inside your house, but the way it communicates with your router makes the connection sluggish. You will probably feel no major difference after installing an extender. Better solutions are wired access points or mesh nodes that use advanced methods to offer true upgrades to your router’s capabilities.
Why it matters
News like this often changes audience expectations and competitors’ plans.
When one player makes a move, others usually react — it is worth reading the event in context.
What to look out for next
The full picture will become clear in time, but the headline already shows the dynamics of the industry.
Further statements and user reactions will add to the story.