Gadget Daddy: Need to stretch your Wi-Fi signal? - The Ledger

Wi-Fi extenders can stretch a Wi-Fi network's reach while helping stretch the budget as well.

Perhaps it's because these times require spending more time at home that many of us find our dependency on an internet signal has also increased.

Commercial television channels can only provide so much distraction. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime video and other services offer more distraction. And they depend on an internet signal — and therefore, a router.

And most of the time, that signal is provided wirelessly from the router to whatever kind of device is used for streaming, which can range from smartphones to television plug-ins like a Roku or Amazon's Fire Stick.

My wireless router's signal is great — as long as I don't wander away from the router. It's strong enough to get the signal to where it needs to go. Except when it can't — like when the router is in one room and the television set is several rooms away.

And when the signal drops, which is usually about the height of the action while streaming a movie, it becomes annoying.

This is how my hunt for a Wi-Fi range extender came into being. Not only did it come into being quickly, it was resolved even quicker, and wound up costing a lot less than you might imagine.

Wi-Fi range extenders (also known as boosters and repeaters) are small devices that plug directly into a wall socket. Some have exposed antennas, some don't. They are a simple solution to curing "dead zones" in small apartments or homes. Place them about half way between the dead zone and the Internet router, and the router's signal is extended to make it stronger for the receiving device.

Connecting the extender to the network is pretty simple, particularly when using the WPS button on the router. Once pressed, the Wireless Protected Setup allows for a two-minute period for a button on the extender to be pressed. When that's done, the router allows the extender to be connected to the network, thus bypassing the password.

Connection can also be made through a web browser or using a free app provided by the Wi-Fi extender manufacturer.

Various companies make several models ranging in price from $20 to more than $200. Netgear, Linksys and D-Link are some of the major companies. But one that has earned high marks in tests and reviews has been TP-Link, a 24-year-old Chinese company.

Ry Crist, senior editor for CNet, reviewed extenders this month and called the TP-Link "the best Wi-Fi range extender for almost everyone." He expanded: "At $35, the TP-Link RE220 was the least expensive range extender I tested, but that didn't stop it from outperforming everything else I tested at every turn. It's fast, it's reliable, it works with just about every router out there, and it's really easy to use."

He added, "Nothing else I tested was able to match that level of performance, which makes the RE220 a steal at $35. Better yet, it's currently on sale for a few bucks less. All of that makes it a great choice for anyone looking to boost the signal to a back room that sits a bit too far beyond the router's reach."

The RE220 also drew praise in a March review by Wirecutter, earning top place because "it's cheap and it improved network stability in our tests for networks with lots of devices active at once." In second place was the company's RE300, which was "more expensive, larger . . . but it performs slightly better than the RE220 in some situations."

Wi-Fi extenders may not be the answer in all cases. Some may extend a signal where others won't. That's why buying from a local store with a return policy is a good idea.

Summing up: Wi-Fi extenders can stretch a Wi-Fi network's reach while helping stretch the budget as well.

Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.

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Gadget Daddy: Need to stretch your Wi-Fi signal? - The Ledger
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