So, for example, if you’re standing right next to your WiFi router (where the signal is strongest) and get 50 megabits per second (fast enough to stream two 4K Netflix videos at once), the speed in your extended network will be about 25 megabits per second. That extra step can reduce the speed of your WiFi signal by about half. “So now the data that originally would have come directly from the access point to your connected device is going through an intermediate step,” Athreya says. That’s in part because an extender relies on the same frequency band as the router itself. The extender can then pick up the WiFi signal from your router and push it deeper into your home.īut you’re likely to notice a significant drop in throughput speeds in the “extended” network, says Kannan Athreya, an associate professor of computer science and engineering at Ohio State University.

To get the best results, you have to plug the extender into a power outlet midway between your router and the dead-zone area. While it’s tempting to think of a WiFi range extender as a device that can beam fast, reliable WiFi throughout your home, it’s more like a spot fix for the dead zone in your bedroom or attic-turned-home office.

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