Just be sure that you also note that those speeds weren't as good as what I would normally expect from that router in the living room gray.
In fact, the D-Link model essentially cut those normal living room speeds in half. EasyMesh is a useful feature, but you shouldn't expect perfect performance when two competing brands are forced to play nice.
It's not a disqualifier, but it pushes TP-Link towards the top spot since both of its Wi-Fi 6 extenders had no such trouble boosting speeds for Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices. That said, D-Link redeemed itself with superb upload speeds -- the best among all six extenders in my back bathroom for both Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices, the best throughout my entire house for Wi-Fi 6 devices and the second best throughout my house for Wi-Fi 5 devices.
I think it's more than enough oomph for most people, but if you make a lot of video calls or engage in other internet activity that leans heavily on uploads, consider spending up for the REX -- the moderate bump in upload speeds is probably the biggest difference between that one and the REX. None of the plug-in range extenders I tested in were able to hit blazing fast speeds -- but the TP-Link and D-Link models were able to sustain speeds in the back of my house that are easily fast enough for streaming HD video or making FaceTime and Zoom calls.
In , I tested four bargain-priced range extenders to see which one offered the most bang for the buck. It was the start of the pandemic and people were scrambling to bolster their home networks -- I wanted to be sure we could point them to a good, budget-friendly pick that would do the best job as a signal booster offering an extra room's worth of coverage in a pinch.
I've separated these four models from the other six because the test setup was different in and it wouldn't be fair to make direct comparisons to those results. The big difference is the router I used. Last year, in , I used the combination modem and router that came with my ISP plan and that one doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 at all. Here are my takeaways from the other three I tested:. With two adjustable external antennas, the D-Link DAP is pretty powerful for a budget-priced range extender, but it wasn't as consistent as our top pick.
D-Link DAP : This was the only range extender that ever managed to hit triple digits during my tests, with an average speed of Mbps in my bedroom during evening hours. Setup was just as simple as what I experienced with TP-Link, too. I was able to stream HD video, browse the web and make video calls on the extender's network without any issue.
Network speeds were inconsistent though -- and much slower in daytime hours, with a bigger dropoff than I saw with TP-Link. The device also dropped my connection at one point during my speed tests. On top of that, the app was too finicky for my tastes, refusing to let me log in and tweak settings with the supplied device password. It ultimately forced me to reset the device. Software woes aside, the hardware seems good with this range extender and it has a dual external antenna setup.
Since it's not quite the newest model from D-Link, there's a good chance you can find it on sale somewhere. Netgear EX : It's a dated-looking device and it wasn't a strong performer in my tests. The 2. But the 5GHz band was surprisingly weak, often dropping into single digits with only a single wall separating my PC or connected device from the range extender. I wasn't a fan of the web interface, either -- it seemed more interested in getting me to register for the warranty and opt into marketing emails than in actually offering me any sort of control over the connection.
There's an app you can use instead, but it's only available on Android devices. By default, the device automatically steers you between the 2. The device supports automatic firmware upgrades, which is great, but you can't use the Linksys Wi-Fi app to tweak settings -- instead, you'll have to log in via the web portal.
On top of all that, the RE seemed to be the least stable of all the extenders I tested, with more than one dropped connection during my tests. Most plug-in range extenders only offer basic features at best, but the TP-Link RE also includes a signal strength tester and a High-Speed Mode in the app.
Aside from my speed tests, I made sure to stream video in my bedroom on each extender's network and I made several video calls on each network, too. I also spent time playing with each extender's settings. You shouldn't expect much, but most will at least make it easy to change the extension network's name or password. Some include app controls with extra features, too. Again, the features make for slim pickings, but you can check signal strength or turn on High-Speed Mode, which dedicates the 2.
That mode actually wasn't as fast as sharing the 5GHz band like normal when I tested it out, because those incoming 2. Setting a range extender up is about as painless as it gets. Most, including all ten that I've tested here at home, support Wi-Fi Protected Setup, or WPS, which is a universal protocol that wireless networking devices can use to connect with each other.
Just plug the range extender in and wait a minute for it to boot up, press the WPS button and then press the WPS button on your router within two minutes. It's also worth making sure that your range extender includes at least one Ethernet port.
If you can connect your wired device like a smart TV directly to it, then you'll enjoy speeds that are as fast as possible. A mesh router with its own, dedicated range extenders will do an even better job of spreading a speedy Wi-Fi signal throughout your home and you can get one for less than you might think.
One last note: If you're living in a larger home, or if you need speeds faster than Mbps at range, then it's probably worth it to go ahead and upgrade to a mesh router that comes with its own range-extending satellite devices. You've got more options than ever these days, and just about all of them would likely outperform a standalone router paired with a plug-in range extender like the ones tested here.
For instance, I had a three-piece TP-Link Deco M5 mesh router on hand during my tests, so I set it up and ran some speed tests alongside the four range extenders I initially tested. My average speeds stayed well above Mbps throughout my entire house, even in the back. Better still, I didn't need to jump back and forth between my main network and separate extension networks.
Everything was consolidated to a single, unified network and the mesh automatically routed my connection through an extender whenever it made sense. If you can afford it, my recommendation is to invest in a system that does both, as tri-band design paired with Wi-Fi 6 makes for one of the most powerful combos you can get in a mesh router. We're also seeing a new crop of mesh routers that support Wi-Fi 6E , which adds in exclusive access to the newly opened , ultra-wide 6GHz band.
I've got plenty of information on systems like those in my full mesh router rundown , so be sure to give that a look, too. That said, if all you need is for your current router to maintain a steady signal one or two rooms farther into your home, then a simple range extender will probably do just fine -- especially if you buy the right one.
Got questions? Look me up on Twitter rycrist or send a message straight to my inbox by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page. In the meantime, I'll post answers to any commonly asked questions below. Plug-in range extenders like these can help boost your speeds when you're connecting far from the router, but they can only do so much. The actual speed boost will depend on a multitude of different factors, including the layout of your home, the type of router you're using, the type of device you're trying to connect with and your internet plan's speeds.
If your home's internet connection offers top speeds of Mbps or higher, then a decent, well-placed range extender should be able to boost your download speeds in a dead zone or when you're in range by at least 50Mbps. That's enough to browse the web or stream video online. Having a separate network like that under the same roof as your main network could potentially cause a small amount of interference, but I haven't seen any noticeable slowdowns on my main network during any of these tests.
That said, keep an eye out for client devices phones, laptops and so on that automatically connect to whichever network offers the best signal at the time. If you've used a device like that on both your main network and the extender's network, then it's possible that your device will jump from one to the other without you realizing it.
For instance, if your laptop is on your main network and you move a bit closer to the extender than the router, then your laptop might lose its connection and jump over to the range extender's network for the stronger signal strength, even though the speeds on that extender network might be slower.
Plug-in range extenders are a good fit when you need to boost the signal in a single dead zone. If you have more than one dead zone in your home where the speeds plummet, then you might be better off just upgrading to a good mesh router we've got plenty of recommendations there, too.
The best way to figure out how many dead zones you're dealing with is to grab your phone or a laptop and run some speed tests in each room where you need to use the internet.
Start with a fresh connection to your network in the same room as the router, and then pull up a good speed-testing site I like the Ookla speed test , but there are several good ones you can use. Run at least three speed tests in the room, jot the download and upload results down for each one, then move to the next room and repeat.
Those are the rooms that could use a boost -- if it's just one or two that are close together , then a single range extender might be all you need. If there are more than one, then maybe mesh is the way to go. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Do you want to be alerted via email when we get results for your search?
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