Wi-Fi Boost Your Wi-Fi Coverage with the Top Range Extenders in Australia

With tech moving forward at a fast pace many now come with advanced features such as mesh networking and MU-MIMO.

With many of you out there thinking that you may need to buy a new router, or update your internet provider or service, just hand on a minute. As that'll hit your pocket! Some alternatives are affordable and effective that is right under your nose.  

Range extenders are likely to meet your needs and speed you up, meaning less disruption to you and an easy and quick fix to the issues you are having. 

It's aptly named for exactly what it does for you and that's extend your WiFi range and boost your signal. 

Effectiveness

When you have an instrument that is easily installable and inexpensive then it's worth looking into. 

Home and office WiFi extenders are on the market and both are equally effective. 

Extenders are varied in shape and size and if you then pair them with even a standard router, they can in many circumstances rival a mesh system.  

Typically they carry about half the speed of your normal router but they create an extended network, however, on the downside they can't create seamless roaming which is becoming more of a necessity. 

WiFi range extenders Australia-wide are becoming popular, especially taking into consideration people living and working in older densely constructed buildings. 

The structure of your property can have a lot to do with how effective the solution can be. A mid-range or higher-end router can provide (in many cases) what a household needs. 

However, homes that have dense brick walls, metal and heavy plastering for example can hamper your signal.

Naturally, a home that has multiple floors with a router placed downstairs will struggle for reception on the second or third floor and leave you with 'dead zones'.  

If you have an open plan home then always look to centralise your router and you should be fine but the signal loss is a common occurrence with multi-story properties.   

Logistics

Generally, the router itself is located near to where your internet cabling comes in, whereby relocating your router will be an exercise in itself and usually means you'll have to use ethernet. That would facilitate where you are getting the dead spots and need more coverage. 

A range extender can keep this task at bay! No re-wiring or extra cabling is needed.

So what you need to either seek advice on or look up yourself is what matches the router you have as far as the spec is concerned. 

Take an AC1900 dual-band for example then look to pair it with its extender. If you are active online you will see how everything these days is about 'syncing' and the same applies here. 

If you have a MU-MIMO supporting router then again look at an extender to work with this spec that way you'll get the most out of it. 

WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E

With WiFi 6 and 6E being the new buzz in the industry if you have already invested in one of these you'll obviously want an extender that supports this new technology.  

For all the positives about them, they have range limitations, although they are as fast as lightening certain houses and establishments could benefit from an extender. 

Plug-In or Desktop Extender?

When it comes to extenders there are 2-types, plug-in and desktop.

For the most part desktop extenders are similar in appearance to a normal wireless router, complete with antennas, limited LAN ports that support devices such as gaming consoles or TVs plus USB ports which can vary for printers and storage devices. 

Plug-ins are smaller than the desktop versions and can be inserted straight into your wall socket.  

Some have antennas like normal routers and others contain internal, meaning they take up less space. 

Having fewer LAN ports and USB outlets means they are not so versatile but are generally less pricey than their desktop counterparts. So if you have a socket going spare then consider the plug-in option.   

NOTE: If there is a specific problem with the WiFi connection in a certain area of your house then a USB WiFi adapter could be the answer. These are extremely inexpensive as they are effectively a plug-in antenna for your computer that will help find your WiFi signal. 

Setting up your Extender

In the past setting up this kind of device required a little bit of tech understanding and a whole lot of patience! Especially when trying to source the ideal area to squash the dead spot in the house and increase your wireless coverage solutions.

But with today's technology, you have what's called WiFi Protected Setup or (WPS) whereby the connection is initiated by pressing a button - it's that easy!

If you are regularly online and have installed apps over recent times you will have noticed that everything has a set-up wizard to assist you and keep things simple so you don't need to learn tech language to be able to get these units functioning well and fast. 

Some will have LED indicators so you'll know if you've reached your range limit and some come with router features like access scheduling, guest networking and media service.

What WiFi Range Extenders Cant Do

While they are simple to configure, they do have limitations. 

Some models will come using SSID which needs to be logged into while you move throughout the property looking for the dead spots and will be around 50 percent of the strength of your router. 

With a dual-band extender, they utilise the radio bands and transmit the data to the router therefore technically competing with your router for bandwidth. 

So many manufacturers are counteracting this by letting you dictate 

the connection between the two bands. 

Netgear and TP-Link are generally considered the two best Australian WiFi boosters. Netgear has rolled out its Fastlane technology and works perfectly.

If you are looking for connectivity for gaming you should concentrate on your endpoints and your connection as gaming sucks bandwidth like nothing else, so speed is king.

SUMMARY

Your home and its structure will be the determining factor when it comes to needing an extender. But every little helps, especially if you have either a busy household with kids upstairs gaming or live online with friends after school and you trying to watch Netflix or someone working from home. So finding where you are having issues can be easily alleviated by purchasing an extender. It's a good option rather than a complete re-structure which can be a costly option. Good luck!