Thank you for asking that question. If you post to say that it’s not a good deal/poorly made product, adding a recommendation/alternative can make your comment much more meaningful.
marioBross2 wrote: ↑ What should I be using to extend my range then?
The only extenders I’ve successfully used are powerline adapters, which shares the Internet connection through your electrical system. I live on the 3rd floor of a small condo unit, and have a private garage. I was happily surprised to see that since the hydro was on the same counter, it still worked, and now have a WiFi connection in my garage (aptly named “Garage Wifi”)
I just need something to boost signal into my bedroom. Rest of apartment is fine... it's just for my iphone so I don't need crazy speed?Scote64 wrote: ↑ It's a basic N300 range extender, the cheapest category. $20 is the right sale price for it. It's suitable for getting basic 2.4GHz WiFi into a dead spot around your house for devices that don't need too much speed.
Extenders like this don't use the same WiFi channel as your router - they use 2 separate WiFi channels, one to connect to your router, one for devices to connect to them. There's a small delay in each direction as they relay the messages back and forth (they don't amplify the original message, they repeat it on the other channel).
Since there are really only 3 non-overlapping channels in the 2.4GHz WiFi band, and there is probably some channel interference from your neighbours, it can be hard for an extender limited to the 2.4GHz band to find a second clear well-separated channel for its operations. That's why dual-band extenders that also support 5GHz Wifi are much preferred - they can get a clear back-channel to the router with higher speed.
It should do the job. If you want to know more about a specific device, read the reviews. The amazon.com comments are a good source for end-user opinions. For technical reviews try https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/r ... ender/view , which is a great source for thorough unbiased technical reviews of networking gear, in the this case WiFi extenders. But they don't review everything, so you may have to look elsewhere for some devices.danascully wrote: ↑ I just need something to boost signal into my bedroom. Rest of apartment is fine... it's just for my iphone so I don't need crazy speed?
What do you recommend? The OP's deal price wise is just normal price, but is the device good to do the job?
Agreed, mesh networks are a game changer for home wifi systems.cFoo wrote: ↑ Honestly? Stop filling the landfill. After years of trying to fill all the spots and buying clearance WiFi extenders I felt stupid after ditching all and going with a proper mesh setup. It’s 2020. No one should be fiddling around with extenders and trying to fix disconnects, and brand compatibilities left and right.
In terms of just work out of the box and reliability, even a dated cheap first gen Google will out perform any fiddle extenders you have. Don’t read into the “max” speed crap. It all depends a lot on your home environment. There are many factors that will prevent you from theoretical max.
