Best Wi-Fi extenders

best wi-fi extenders
We’ve gathered up the best Wi-Fi extenders for you to check out. (Image credit: Future)

You might not realize what the best Wi-Fi extender can do for your home. But if you have any dead spots or a large area to cover, it’s well worth the investment. The best Wi-Fi extenders will help “extend” your wireless network into the furthest corners of your home or building, making your wireless coverage reliable no matter where you are. And it’s of particular help when you are trying to cover a large space and a regular router just won’t cut it.

If you’ve been experiencing slow connections or even dropped connections, the best Wi-Fi extenders can fix that without having to rely on more costly solutions, such as running extra network cables around your home or office.

How do they work? The best Wi-Fi extender will pick up where your router starts to lose coverage. It will take that original network and increase its range, giving you a significant boost in your wireless coverage.

We’ve gathered up the best Wi-Fi extenders for you to check out. So if you’re working or living in a large space and have been frustrated by your network’s coverage, take a look at our picks for the ideal solution.

Netgear AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6150

Netgear AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6150

Specifications

Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz
Connectivity: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port
Features: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPS), Extender/Access Point mode switch, power button

Reasons to buy

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Super simple setup

Over the last couple years, Netgear has essentially turned itself into a household name in the networking world. And, they’ve put their extensive expertise to impressive use with their AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender EX6150. This terrific extender is a simple device that you can discreetly plug right into any electrical outlet, and definitely has our vote for one of the best Wi-Fi extenders. As an additional bonus, the EX6150 boasts quick and easy installation, free of any hassling installation software. Just follow the easy-to-read instructions and you’ll have fast and dependable Wi-Fi covering your entire home or office.

Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700

(Image credit: Netgear)

Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700 Mesh Range Extender

Specifications

Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz
Connectivity: 2 x Ethernet
Features: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPS), Mesh connectivity

Reasons to buy

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Small design

Bring the power and convenience of a mesh network to your home with the Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700. Not only does this extend the area of your Wi-Fi network, but it creates a seamless Wi-Fi network throughout your home or office - so you don't need to switch networks while moving around.

Thanks to the powerful hardware inside the Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700, you can stream 4K content, play games and hook up all kinds of devices to your Wi-Fi network without a hitch. The included Ethernet ports are also a nice addition for bringing your network to wired devices.

D-Link DAP-1320 Wireless N300 Range Extender

Specifications

Bands: 802.11n 2.4GHz
Connectivity: N/A
Features: WPS, internal antennae

Reasons to buy

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Very small

If you’re needing a reasonably affordable way to beef up your Wi-Fi network, and you’re ok with settling a little on performance and features, then the D-Link DAP-1320 Wireless N300 Range Extender may just be one of the best Wi-Fi extenders for you.

This tiny device comes sans any Ethernet ports, and it doesn't feature dual bands or 802.11 AC, which is presently the fastest form of Wi-Fi. However, it is designed well and is built to last. And best of all, it's a fast, easy and cheap way of boosting your Wi-Fi network as long as you don’t expect too much network traffic.

Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender

(Image credit: Linksys)

Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender

Specifications

Bands: 802.11ac 5GHz and 2.4GHz
Connectivity: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet per unit (1 WAN and 1 LAN each)
Features: App-based setup; dual-stream (2x2), 802.11ac networking; 716MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor, beamforming

Reasons to buy

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Inconspicuous design

The Linksys Velop offers a solid argument for a wireless mesh network’s ease of setup. Looking to replace both your router and your now-antiquated range extender, the Velop comes at a time when companies like Google and Netgear are trying to accomplish the same thing. The main way Linksys hopes to stand out from its competitors in the wireless mesh networking space is with a user-friendly setup that anyone with a smartphone can easily do. It's certainly a worthy addition to our list of the best Wi-Fi extenders.

Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2

Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline 1200 AV2

Specifications

Bands: : 802.11n (up to 300Mbps) 802.11ac (up to 866Mbps)
Connectivity: : 3x Gigabit LAN ports
Features: : 300m range over electrical power lines, Auto-connects to other TRENDnet powerline adapters, QoS Management support

Reasons to buy

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Three LAN ports

If you need a great way to upgrade your network so you can have fantastic coverage anywhere in your house, a Powerline adapter is a remarkable option. Not only do they offer the same functionality as the best Wi-Fi extenders, but the Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere Powerline might just be a dream come true.

It’s not exactly visually pleasing, and the price tag may be a bit much. However, this unit more than makes up for those issues with sheer performance. And, unlike other Powerline adapters, the Trendnet Wi-Fi Everywhere features a clone button that will clone the SSID and WPA key of your network so that it can double as a Wi-Fi extender.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.