The best Wi-Fi extenders of 2024

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There are few things more frustrating when it comes to internet access than losing your Wi-Fi connection every time you enter that one part of your home, despite paying such a high internet bill each month. No matter how fast the speeds are in the rest of the house, a Wi-Fi connection can’t reach that one room, area or the entire floor. If this sounds familiar, then you probably need a Wi-Fi extender.

Top Wi-Fi extenders

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Compare our favorite W-Fi extenders

Best Wi-Fi extenders

Best overall Wi-Fi extender: TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE450)

• Dual-band speeds up to 1,750 Mbps (1,300 Mbps on 5 GHz band, 450 Mbps on 2.4 GHz band)
• 2,000 sq. ft. coverage 
• 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
• Can connect up to 32 devices at a time 
• 3 adjustable antennas 
• Universally compatible with any router or gateway
• 1 Gigabit Ethernet port  

The TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender is the best option for most households looking for a Wi-Fi extender. This Wi-Fi extender is an amazing deal when it comes to supported speeds, Wi-Fi coverage and bandwidth. Unless you have Xfinity’s 3 Gig internet plan, this Wi-Fi extender can more than support your internet speed plan. Another major benefit of the TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi extender is that setup is incredibly easy. This extender comes with a smart indicator light on its side that indicates the best location in your house for setup. This ensures that you are able to maximize the coverage of your Wi-Fi extender so that speed and reliability in your home are the best they can be. The TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi extender is also unique because it has three antennas on top that you can adjust to get the best Wi-Fi coverage possible in your desired direction. 

Customer reviews

The TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi extender has over 30,000 reviews on Amazon with over 50% of reviewers rating the device 5 stars. The average score is 4.1 out of 5 stars. This extender ranks best for “easy to use” and “quality of material.” One reviewer commented, “We had shotty reception and one side of the house just didn’t get any Wi-Fi. This thing solved that. It was a breeze to set up and now we have connection throughout the house. No disconnects!” 

Best Budget Wi-fi extender: TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220) 

• Dual-band speeds up to 750 Mbps (433 Mbps on 5 GHz band, 300 Mbps on 2.4 GHz)
• 1,200 sq. ft. coverage 
• 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
• Can connect up to 20 devices at a time 
• Universally compatible with any router or gateway
• 1 Ethernet port

The TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220) is one of the least expensive Wi-Fi extenders available, yet still a great option if you need a slight boost in Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. This Wi-Fi extender is ideal if you have a plan of 500 Mbps or below and don’t need too much extra Wi-Fi coverage since the TP-Link AC750’s max range is 1,200 sq. ft. Therefore, if you have a room or two, or a backyard you want to boost your Wi-Fi coverage for, this is the Wi-Fi extender for you. 

Setting up the RE220 is simple. The extender has an intelligent signal indicator to let you know the best location to place your extender and you can set it up with the push of a button. TP-Link also has an app you can use to manage your Wi-Fi settings.

Customer reviews

The TP-Link AC750 extender has over 100,000 reviews on Amazon and has an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with over 50% of reviewers rating it 5 stars. This TP-Link AC750 extender’s best rating categories include “easy to install” and “Wi-Fi signal.” One customer said, “This extender does what it says!” Another claimed, “I highly recommend this to anyone having wifi issues in their house, it’s inexpensive, quick to set up and he gets the job done.”

Best for gaming: NETGEAR Wi-Fi Mesh Range Extender EX7700

• Tri-band speeds up to 2,200 Mbps 
• Coverage up to 2,300 sq. ft. 
• 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)
• Can connect up to 45 devices at a time 
• Universally compatible with any router or gateway
• Two Ethernet ports
• Smart Roaming

The Netgear Wi-Fi Mesh Range Extender EX7700 is a great option for gamers. With coverage up to 2,300 sq. ft and speeds reaching over 2 Gbps, the EX7700 is the perfect extender for a low-lag gaming experience. This is one of the higher quality and more expensive Wi-Fi extenders, so it’s only worth purchasing if you have these speed and coverage needs; otherwise, you are better off going with a less expensive Wi-Fi extender. 

This extender is also easy to set up – all you need to do is press the button on the front of the extender. You can also use Netgear’s app to find the best location in your home for your extender. 

Customer reviews

The Netgear Wi-Fi extender has over 2,000 reviews on Amazon, with over 50% of reviewers rating this product 5 stars. The average rating is 3.9 out of 5 stars and its top-rated categories include “easy to use” and “versatility.” One customer said, “Excellent product. Works great and solved my buffering issue. Highly recommend.”

Best for Wi-Fi 6: TP-Link AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 extender (RE605X)

• Dual-band speeds up to 1,800 Mbps (1,201 Mbps on 5 GHz band, 574 on 2.4 GHz band)
• Coverage up to 1,500 sq. ft.
• 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
• Can connect up to 30 devices at once
• OneMesh Compatible
• Universally compatible with any router or gateway
• One Gigabit Ethernet port

The TP-Link AX1800 Wi-Fi extender is our pick as best for a Wi-Fi 6 connection. It covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. and has speeds up to 1,800 Mbps. If you have Wi-Fi 6, this extender is a great choice because it can support the speeds you need to stream, game, download and more. This extender can also handle up to 30 devices at once and is universally compatible with any router or gateway. Setting up the AX1800 extender is easy with TP-Link’s Tether app and intelligent signal locator. 

Customer reviews

The TP-Link AX1800 has 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon with almost 70% of reviewers awarding it 5 stars. Most praise its easy setup process and performance. One customer said, “Easy set up and instant results.” Customers also point out that this extender is a great way to get mesh network coverage without actually buying a mesh system. 

Best for larger homes: NETGEAR Nighthawk EAX80

• Dual-band speeds up to 6 Gbps ( 4.8 Gbps on 5 GHz band, 1.2 Gbps on 2.4 GHz band)
• Coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft.
• Can connect up to 30+ devices
• 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
• Four Gigabit Ethernet ports
• Universal compatibility with any router or gateway
• Smart Roaming

The Netgear Nighthawk EAX80 is our choice for the best extender for larger homes/long-range connectivity because it can cover up to 2,500 sq. ft with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 speeds up to 6 Gbps. The EAX80 is on the more expensive side for a Wi-Fi extender, but you’ll be getting reliable coverage throughout your home as well as features like four Gigabit Ethernet ports and Smart Roaming to make sure you’re connected wherever you are within your home. 

Like the other extenders we’ve listed, setting up the EAX80 is easy and can be done with the touch of a button or with the Nighthawk app. This extender is also universally compatible and will work with any wireless router or gateway. It’s optimized for Wi-Fi 6 routers but is backward compatible. 

Customer reviews

The EAX80 has 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with 67% of reviewers awarding it 5 stars. Customers love its long-range capabilities as well as its speed. One reviewer claimed, “I would not hesitate to buy another EAX80 if I needed to further extend my network, I am a happy camper!” Many also mention how this extender saved them money because they did not have to buy another router or a mesh network system. 

3 reasons to consider a Wi-Fi extender for your home

Think of a Wi-Fi extender, also known as a Wi-Fi booster, as a second router for your home. A Wi-Fi extender is a device that connects to your router (either wirelessly or through a wired connection) to extend your Wi-Fi connection to the parts of your home that are currently Wi-Fi dead zones. In some situations, they are closer to a necessity.

1. The second floor lacks internet

You picked the perfect, inconspicuous location to install a wireless router: downstairs in the family room on the entertainment center. But as anyone in an upstairs bedroom discovered, the walls and physical distance between the router and the people using it is too much.

Think vertically when it comes to the spaces where you’re looking to add coverage. Install a Wi-Fi extender in the upstairs room that’s closest to being directly above where the router is located.

For instance, if your daughter’s bedroom is directly above the family room where the router is located, plug the wireless extender into one of the outlets in that room rather than in the master bedroom down the hallway. The strong signal received close to the router will easily bounce coverage to the other upstairs Wi-Fi users.

2. Multiple users mean slow loading times

If you’re finding that your home’s internet connection diminishes as more people come home and log on to the network, an extender can help them to access the network no matter where they are in the home. Just make sure that you’re using the most current iteration of Wi-Fi range extender technology. You may also be inclined to get a stronger home Wi-Fi plan.

It’s key that you use a dual-band Wi-Fi extender as the older, single-band extenders can actually slow down internet speeds as they attempt to provide a signal across great distances.

3. The Wi-Fi doesn’t reach outside

In the summer, we love spending as much time as possible outdoors, even if that time has to be spent catching up on some work. If your internet provider is reliable and your monthly plan isn’t limited by bandwidth caps, you should be able to move small distances from the router, like the back porch or deck, and still enjoy connectivity.

Whenever you install a wireless router at home, it’s best to place it in a location with as few physical impediments as possible. Limit the number of walls and barricades the signal has to cross.

When it comes to extending that signal into a nearby outdoor spot, place the Wi-Fi extender in a room with an outdoor access point. Follow all the same rules of keeping the signal as unobstructed as possible.

How to set up your Wi-Fi extender 

The technology for Wi-Fi extenders has improved considerably in the past few years, making setup a whole lot easier than what it used to be.

• First, finding the ideal location for your extender is a much simpler process now since there is a small light on most devices that will turn on when you have reached the optimal location to set up your extender.

• Secondly, pairing your extender to your router is often now as easy as clicking two buttons.

• Next, you have to create a name for your Wi-Fi extended network and create a password for it. There is usually an app you can download to make this process even more seamless.
• Then you’re done with the set-up process!

Desktop vs. Plug-in Wi-Fi extender 

We have included two different types of Wi-Fi extenders: desktop and plug-in. The TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE450) and the Netgear WiFi Mesh Range Extender EX7700, for instance, are desktop extenders. The P-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220), on the other hand, is a type of plug-in extender. 

The main differences between a desktop and plug-in extender have to do with added features and pricing. While the desktop extender resembles a router device almost exactly, the plug-in extender looks more like a plug-in air freshener than anything else. A desktop router is likely to have more features on it than a plug-in router, such as adjustable antennas, multiple Ethernet ports for plugging in game consoles and streaming players or USB ports for plugging in storage drives or printers. While a plug-in Wi-Fi extender will not have all of these added features due to its size, it looks more discreet and tends to be less expensive. 

Need a faster internet plan?

If you aren’t receiving your desired speeds anywhere in your home, then you will likely want to upgrade your plan or switch providers. A Wi-Fi extender will not be able to increase your speeds above your speed plan. Check out our internet provider comparison page for more information.

The bottom line 

If you have any Wi-Fi dead zones in your home or want to connect more devices to the Wi-Fi at a time, then a Wi-Fi extender will be a great investment for you. This is a much more cost-efficient and effective way to boost your Wi-Fi coverage compared to increasing speed plans. The type of Wi-Fi extender you should buy will depend on your speed plan, size of your home and use for your Wi-Fi extender. It’s also important to know that if you are not receiving the speeds you need anywhere in your home regardless of how many devices are connected to the Wi-Fi, you will also want to increase your speed plan. 

Common Wi-Fi extender FAQ’s