Up until recently, most extenders and Powerline kits only went as far as the Wi-Fi 5 standard, but we’re seeing a growing number that go faster with Wi-Fi 6 support. If you only have a Wi-Fi 5 router, you can save some cash by partnering it with a Wi-Fi 5 extender, but the newer models may give you a faster connection between the extender and devices that support Wi-Fi 6. What’s more, there’s an argument that buying one of these makes more sense if you plan to upgrade your network in the future. What’s the difference between a repeater and a powerline extender? TP-Link’s RE300 is basic, but it’s incredibly easy to set up via the TP-Link Tether app and it comes with a couple of extra modes to help you make the most of your current wireless network. We found it worked best in default mode, where speeds averaged 11.3MB/sec in testing. If you’re a tinkerer, however, you can also set it up so it uses the faster 5GHz band as a dedicated link to your existing network and the 2.4GHz band for your devices. As a bonus, if you have a TP-Link router that supports its OneMesh technology, you get hassle-free, seamless connectivity wherever you are in your home. Needless to say, you need a Wi-Fi 6 router and compatible devices to make the most of it, but this extender gives you the latest wireless tech at a bargain price.

The Magic 2 kit beats the old Magic 1 kit we had in this slot by giving you two high-speed 867Mbits/sec Wi-Fi streams for little more than the price of one, which comes in handy if you’re trying to network two or more devices. Advanced users will appreciate the companion app that shows connection diagnostics, so you can work out where to locate the plugs for the best performance. The web portal, meanwhile, lets you manage your wireless configuration, set up a guest network and apply an operating schedule so that (for example) the extended network is only available during office hours. The newer Wi-Fi 6 kits will give you even more performance if you have Wi-Fi 6 devices, but if not this is a great solution.Mesh networking systems work in a similar way to Wi-Fi repeaters but they give you the option of placing multiple nodes all over your home to cover a larger area than a single extender could manage. You can learn more, and explore our recommended models, in our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi routers.

Technically speaking there is a difference between wifi booster/wifi repeater and wifi extender in terms of their operations and usage. Scenario 1 # You want to reconfigure your wifi extender because you have changed your service provider. Powerline systems are often more expensive than repeaters but they’re a fuss-free way to extend a network connection into places that are otherwise hard to reach and can be simpler to set up. Might I be better off with a mesh Wi-Fi system? Naturally, however, connecting devices to an extender via Ethernet won’t be as fast as a direct wired connection to the router because the signal still needs to travel from your router to the extender over the airwaves first. What other features should I look for? Step 5 # You will notice that when you continue to press the button for 10 seconds, the wifi extender light start flashing.The downside of these speeds is that they involve a design that looks more like a small router with a separate power supply. However, this gives you more flexibility than a plug-in unit, helping you to get a better signal, while you can also use this repeater as a Wi-Fi access point. And, just like the Repeater 3000, it’s as simple as anything to set up. The WiFi 6 Repeater 5400 will be overkill for many people, but if you must get a high-speed connection to a distant corner of the house, nothing else out there comes close. To test network performance, we use a laptop equipped with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 network card supporting 2×2 MIMO. We connect this laptop to the extended network, then take it to various areas of the home and copy a standard set of files to and from a NAS appliance, connected by Ethernet to the main router. By measuring the average read and write speeds, and comparing them to those achieved when connecting directly to the router, we can measure how each extender helps Wi-Fi range and performance. The RE450 isn’t the cheapest Wi-Fi 5 extender, but it’s faster and more stylish than the budget competition. Don’t be put off by its age: it still deserves a place on anyone’s shortlist. As a rule, we’re happy with anything over 120Mbits/sec (15MB/sec). To put that into context, Netflix recommends a connection speed of at least 5Mbits/sec for HD streaming and 25Mbits/sec for 4K video. A good, solid Wi-Fi network should easily be fast enough to cope with multiple simultaneous high-resolution video streams. It’s very easy to use as well, with setup managed by the superb TP-Link Tether mobile app, which provides access to all the settings you might need.