Best Wi-Fi extenders of 2020: top devices for boosting your WiFi network
The best WiFi extenders don’t just help extend your wireless network to ensure your whole space is covered. These devices also make sure that you’ve got reliable coverage throughout your home, minimizing slow or dropped connections, wherever you are in your home or office.
They are essential for anyone working from home, as you may find your Wi-Fi signal becomes weak, slow or unreliable the further way you are from your wireless router.
Rather than having to resort to spending a ton of cash on costly solutions, the best WiFi extenders will simply pick up where your router starts to lose coverage, and increase your network’s range to give you a significant (and strong) boost in your wireless coverage by repeating that signal.
If you’ve got a large space to cover, and you’re experiencing unreliable connections, you’ve come to the right place. We gathered the best WiFi extenders on the market, so when you’re ready to give your WiFi coverage a boost, you’ll find the best one for you on this list.
1. Netgear Nighthawk X6S EX8000 Tri-band WiFi Extender
The best Wi-Fi extender in 2020
Bands: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5GHz simultaneous | Connectivity: 4 x RJ-45 10/100/1000M LAN ports | Features: Tri-band
Superb performance
Easy setup
Expensive
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If you’re after a Wi-Fi extender that provides best-in-class performance for expanding your wireless network throughout your home, then the Netgear Nighthawk X6S EX8000 Tri-band WiFi Extender is the one for you. You can use this extender to create a mesh network, so you have a single, large, Wi-Fi network, rather than smaller separate ones. This allows you to easily roam your house, and your device will seamlessly keep connected. It’s expensive, but it’s the best Wi-Fi extender you can buy right now, offering fast speeds and dependable network coverage throughout your home.
2. Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700 Mesh Range Extender
The best affordable Wi-Fi range extender
Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | Connectivity: 2 x Ethernet | Features: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPS), Mesh connectivity
Small design
Easy to use
Pricey
Bring the power and convenience of a mesh network to your home with the Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700. Not only does this extend the area of your Wi-Fi ne
twork, but it creates a seamless Wi-Fi network throughout your home or office – so you don’t need to switch networks while moving around.
Thanks to the powerful hardware inside the Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700, you can stream 4K content, play games and hook up all kinds of devices to your Wi-Fi network without a hitch. The included Ethernet ports are also a nice addition for bringing your network to wired devices.
3. TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender
Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | Connectivity: 1 x Ethernet | Features: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPS), LED shows connection strength for easy placement
Easy to use
Good performance
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TP-Link is a Chinese networking company that has been steadily gaining popularity in the west, and for good reason. With devices like the TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range extender, it’s easy to get why: this extender – among the best Wi-Fi extenders you can buy right now – does the job well, and it’s affordable. It’s not going to be the fastest Wi-Fi extender out there, but with the range this extender provides at the price it’s available at, it’s a steal. Finally, thanks to an LED signal indicator on the front, installation is a breeze.
4. D-Link DAP-1650
Bands: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz | Connectivity: 4 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN ports | Features: Gigabit Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi Protected setup, MMO technology
Easy to setup
Four Ethernet ports
Not feature-rich
The D-Link DAP-1650’s sleek cylindrical form will certainly find an audience among smart speaker users out there. However, that’s not its only selling point here. Among the best Wi-Fi extenders on the market, this device not just extends coverage and improves signal strength. It also boasts features like four gigabit Ethernet ports, for multiple high-speed wired connections, speeds of up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) and 867 Mbps (5GHz), and a setup that’s effortless even to folks who are not technologically savvy.
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the TP-Link RE350
5. Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender
Layman’s mesh Wi-Fi comes at a cost
Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | Connectivity: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per unit (1 WAN and 1 LAN each) | Features: App-based setup; dual-stream (2×2), 802.11ac networking; 716MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor, beamforming
Fully modular mesh network
Inconspicuous design
Pricey in comparison
Performance too dependent on position
The Linksys Velop offers a solid argument for a wireless mesh network’s ease of setup. Looking to replace both your router and your now-antiquated range extender, the Velop comes at a time when companies like Google and Netgear are trying to accomplish the same thing. The main way Linksys hopes to stand out from its competitors in the wireless mesh networking space is with a user-friendly setup that anyone with a smartphone can easily do. With just a visit to the App Store or Google Play marketplace, you’ll have the Linksys Velop up and running in a matter of minutes. It’s certainly a worthy addition to our list of the best Wi-Fi extenders.
Read the full review: Linksys Velop
6. Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2
Bands: : 802.11n (up to 300Mbps) 802.11ac (up to 866Mbps) | Connectivity: : 3x Gigabit LAN ports | Features: : 300m range over electrical power lines, Auto-connects to other TRENDnet powerline adapters, QoS Management support
Easy to set up
Three LAN ports
Wide Wi-Fi band
Flawed Design
If you need a great way to upgrade your network so you can have fantastic coverage anywhere in your house, a powerline adapter is a remarkable option. Not only do they offer the same functionality as the best Wi-Fi extenders, but the Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline might just be a dream come true.
It’s not exactly visually pleasing, and the price tag may be a bit much. However, this unit more than makes up for those issues with sheer performance. And, unlike other powerline adapters, the Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere features a clone button that will clone the SSID and WPA key of your network so that it can double as a Wi-Fi extender.
Read the full review: Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere powerline 1200 AV2
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the
Linksys Velop
7. Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ Wi-Fi Range Extender
Another great compact Wi-Fi extender
Bands: : 802.11ac dual-band | Connectivity: : 1x Gigabit LAN ports | Features: Seamless roaming, deadspot finder
Easy to set up
Compact size
Can run hot
Not the best performance
If you want a small, discrete, Wi-Fi extender that will reliably spread the coverage of your network throughout your home or office, then the Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ Wi-Fi Range Extender is a great choice. It’s small enough that it won’t block other power outlets (like some larger Wi-Fi extenders can do), and it offers pretty good performance for a nice low price. Best of all, it comes with a ‘dead spot’ finder that allows you to locate where your network strength is the weakest. By installing it there, you should see a nice boost to your Wi-Fi.
| Product | Plume Superpods | Netgear AC1200 WiFi Range Extender EX6150 | D-Link Wi-Fi Dual Band Range Extender DAP-1520 | TP-Link RE350 AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender | 5. Linksys RE6500 AC1200 Dual-Band Wireless Range Extender | D-Link DAP-1320 Wireless N300 Range Extender | Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender | Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bands | 802.11b/g/n/ac | 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | 802.11n 2.4GHz | 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz | 802.11n (up to 300Mbps) 802.11ac (up to 866Mbps) |
| Connectivity | 2x Gigabit LAN ports | 1x Gigabit LAN ports | N/A | 1x Gigabit LAN ports | 4 x Ethernet, Audio Jack | N/A | 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per unit | 3x Gigabit Ethernet ports |