Throughout the entire 5,800-square-foot-home, among all the extenders I tested, the RE605X delivered the fastest average upload speeds to both Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices, the fastest average download speeds to Wi-Fi 6 devices and the second fastest average download speeds to Wi-Fi 5 devices.īy default, the extender puts out its own separate network when you first pair it with your router, and that network will use the same password as your original network, and the same SSID with "-EXT" added to the end. In my tests at the CNET Smart Home, an RE605X in the basement was able to extend the router's signal from upstairs just fine, giving my upload and download speeds a significant boost in every room I tested. The performance is particularly sharp, too. At $100, it's far from the most affordable extender on the market (keep reading for the value picks), but with a highly capable AX1800 design, full support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 speeds and features, adjustable antennas and a helpful, easy-to-use control app with strong reviews on both Android and iOS, it's about as well-rounded as range extenders get. If you're buying one in 2022, I think you should put the TP-Link RE605X right at the top of your list. TP-Link makes some of the most popular picks in the range extender category, with a fairly wide variety of options to choose from at various price points. That creates a single, seamless connection that you won't need to think about too much. All of today's top models are less expensive than upgrading to a full-fledged mesh router with its own range-extending satellite devices, they're a cinch to set up, they'll work no matter what brand of router you're using, and in most cases it's easy to give them the same SSID and password as your original router. Plug one in near the edge of your router's wireless range and pair it with the network, and it'll start rebroadcasting the signal farther out into your home. There are a number of things you should try to eke out a better signal from your router in situations like those, but if tweaks like those aren't cutting it, you could also try using a range extender.Īlso called Wi-Fi signal booster, a range extender is a compact, plug-in device that uses built-in Wi-Fi radios and antennas to pair wirelessly with your router.
In many homes, a single router isn't quite strong enough to generate a stable signal that reaches into every room, which can result in weak connections and dead zones. There's no point paying for fast internet speed if your home's Wi-Fi network is too weak to take advantage of it.
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