Windows 8 Evaluating Wifi Extenders: Performance Differences and Recommendations for Home Use

[lorenkjr1]

Anyone using one of these, and do they actually make a difference in performance overall? Is there a real difference between a cheap one and the most expensive? I have 50/25 fios. I like to get all the same rates or close, every where in the house and on the patio outside, all this should be in the range of say 50 feet plus.

 

[Mitchell_A]

Never had any experience with them (other than the homemade variety) although I upgraded to the ASUS rt-n66u wireless router last year and with the transmission power set to 200 mW, I'm able to access wireless from up to 200 metres (~650 feet) away. This is through a few walls in my house and trees in my yard. Depending on the cost of an extender you're looking at, it may be more beneficial to get a better router (also depending on what your current model is, of course).

 

[Jimbo22]

As for performance, that's a broad term with many interpretations. That being said, a wifi extender is just that, it extends the normal range of you current wifi signal. There is a catch to that...you have to match the wifi extender with the same broadcast signal of your current wifi setup...eg, G to G or N to N. That was the case back in the day...now I'm not certain as the technology has advanced. That would be worth looking into.

You don't have to buy one of those expensive wifi repeaters either, in fact you can use another wifi router, same brand or different brand. It's called cascading, and there are some steps to take in setting one up.

Link Removed

 

[badrobot]

Extenders, which is basically also a repeater, only helps in distribution of wifi signal across wider areas but splits your bandwidth into two. Half of your bandwidth will be used to communicate between your main router and the extender and the other half to the clients/connected devices. In short, you will have wider coverage but weaker signals. The solution I am using at home is by adding an Access Point (AP) or lan to lan cascading. That is 2 routers connected to each other via cable (Cat6). Each router sends the same wireless signal strengths coming from a cabled source. But to resolve my cabling issue to connect 2 routers between 2 different rooms (even between ground flr and 2nd flr), I am using a gigabit powerline adapters (sending internet signals via existing electrical wirings at home through convenience outlets or plugs). And for additional wifi coverage, I also connected a powerline adapter with built-in wireless router in one of the rooms. I have zero dead spot at home.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using WindowsForum mobile app

 

[lorenkjr1]

router up I found a fix for wifi signal, and for the most part it is free. Though it could be called an ugly fix. Get your router as high off the floor as is possible. If your router has an eternal antenna or more than one this fix applies to you. Take a sheet aluminum foil and cut it in half an then fold each piece over until it is around the size of a cigarette pack. Poke a small hole in it, and then slide each piece on to each antenna. Set your router up for performance mode if possible. If you have a router that has 802.11n, then that is the only thing you want.
I was truly shocked to find on a router that top end should be able to deliver 130 MHz, it that and gave me 85% performance rating, where I was getting less then 50% outside on porch. I am still going to get a router extender but, in the mean time this will work very nicely.