Best Wi-Fi Repeaters to Extend Coverage and Improve Speed

Frequently asked questions when buying a repeater

When we are going to buy a wireless repeater to improve the signal at home, we may have some doubts regarding its technical characteristics. Next, we are going to explain what you should take into account when buying the ideal model for you.

Simultaneous triple band or simultaneous dual band

Currently there are different ranges of wireless repeaters , the highest range are simultaneous triple band (they emit in three frequency bands, 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands), the mid-range are simultaneous dual band (they emit in the 2.4GHz band and 5GHz), and finally, we have the low-end ones that only use one frequency band to repeat the signal (the 2.4GHz band). Today only the cheapest models of 30 euros or less have a single frequency band, it is normal to find triple band or simultaneous dual band models.

Simultaneous triple band models allow the wireless connection between the main router and the WiFi repeater to work in a dedicated frequency band exclusively for the interconnection of the devices, in this frequency band of the repeater the wireless clients will not connect, causing get the best real possible performance. In this way, for WiFi clients we will have simultaneous dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and a dedicated band (5GHz) for interconnection. This is the best scenario to get the maximum real speed, because we will not lose half of the bandwidth in the hop.

Simultaneous dual band models, both WiFi clients and the interconnection network between the main router and the repeater, use a shared frequency band. The repeater will connect on the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band against the router, and the wireless clients will also connect on these 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, so we will lose half the bandwidth after the “hop” if we use the same frequency. This translates into significantly lower speeds compared to tri-band models.

Our recommendation is that if you can afford it (they cost more money), go straight to buying simultaneous tri-band models to get real speeds of 600Mbps or more. Otherwise, a dual-band model with Wi-Fi 6 will be able to give you a real 300Mbps without much trouble.

Wi-Fi standard supported

The wireless standard supported by the repeater and the router is also a very important aspect. In principle, most routers today make use of the Wi-Fi 6 standard, including the routers that operators are marketing to their new customers, if you do not have a WiFi router with the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, our recommendation is that you first buy one of these models to later buy a Wi-Fi repeater with the latest standard.

The Wi-Fi 6 standard is critical in an environment where we have one or more wireless repeaters, because we have two very important technologies that will improve the real performance of the connections:

• OFDMA : this technology allows the channel to be divided into smaller sub-channels, to optimize data transfer to the maximum when we have dozens of clients connected simultaneously.
• MU-MIMO : allows to transmit to several clients simultaneously, saving time in the space with the aim of achieving a higher global speed in all connections.

In addition, we must not forget that the Wi-Fi 6 standard is up to 40% faster than previous standards , so it is very important that you buy a model with this latest standard, especially if you are going to use the 2.4GHz band. which is where we will most notice the increase in theoretical speed (synchronization speed) and also the real speed. Wireless clients that connect with this standard will see how the latency of the connection is lower, we will have greater stability and also more real speed.

Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh?

One of the aspects that differentiate WiFi Mesh networks from the usual WiFi repeaters is whether or not they support Mesh. In a Mesh network we will have WiFi roaming with the 802.11k/v standards and in some cases we will also have 802.11r. These standards allow us to go from one node to another in a completely transparent way, without cutting the wireless connection, so we can make a video call or VoIP call without noticing the cut. In addition, we also have the Smart Connect to enjoy band-steering, this means that we will have a single SSID (WiFi network name) broadcasting in the two frequency bands, so that the router itself is in charge of placing us in a band of frequencies or another.

There are WiFi repeaters that are compatible with Mesh, as long as the main router is also of the same brand and supports this feature, because not all routers and models support it. We must look very carefully if our equipment supports Mesh, in this way, we will have the best possible user experience. Manufacturers such as AVM, ASUS and D-Link have models that integrate perfectly into their Mesh networks, however, we also have models that allow “roaming assistance”, it is not as fast and effective as a Mesh network, but we will notice that the cut in the connection is much smaller and the user experience is better.

Available Ethernet ports

Although WiFi amplifiers are designed to take wireless coverage and repeat it, they may have one or more Ethernet ports so that you can connect equipment via cable, such as a console, a Smart TV or directly a computer or laptop by cable. You may also want to connect these repeaters in AP mode, in order to provide the best possible wireless performance, because the interconnect network will work through the Ethernet network cable.

What we should pay attention to when buying a model with these characteristics is that it has at least one Gigabit Ethernet port. There are models that have two Gigabit Ethernet ports and it is even possible that we already have 2.5G Multigigabit ports for the higher-end models. It is very important to pay attention to the wired connection, and that we never have Fast-Ethernet ports, because these ports only work at 100Mbps and we will surely need a greater real bandwidth.

Repeater Firmware

The firmware, operating system or software of the repeater is one of the most important elements, and we must also pay attention to it. The firmware is in charge of providing us with all the configuration options of the device, so it is very important to buy a model that has a firmware that is complete enough to configure it to adapt to our needs.

Generally, manufacturers do not usually detail all the features that we have in the firmware, so it is very important to see different reviews and videos on the Internet to know which models are the most complete at the firmware level, in this way, we will be right with the purchase of the team in question.

Once we have seen everything you should look for when buying a repeater, we are going to recommend different models with Wi-Fi 6, whether they are simultaneous triple band or simultaneous dual band. Right now we find a large number of models with Wi-Fi 6 of different ranges, so it is not worth buying a device with the Wi-Fi 5 standard, unless you want to buy a very cheap model.

Tri-band repeaters with Wi-Fi 6 recommended

Simultaneous tri-band models are the most expensive we can buy due to the fact that we have a total of 3 radios, with the aim of providing the best possible wireless and wired performance, since we have a frequency band dedicated exclusively to interconnection. Right now only the manufacturer AVM has released a model with these features, but soon other manufacturers such as NETGEAR will also release their triple-band solutions, and we will update this list when that happens.

AVM FRITZ!Repeater 6000

This repeater from AVM is the best we can buy, regardless of the WiFi router we are using at home. This model is universal, this means that it works with any wireless router regardless of its brand. However, if you have a FRITZ!Box router, you will be able to take advantage of its full potential, since it will be perfectly integrated into the manufacturer’s FRITZ!Mesh network, with the aim of having the best possible user experience by having WiFi roaming and also band steering. In addition, from the FRITZ!Box router configuration menu we can see the synchronization speed and all the connected clients.

The main characteristics of this triple band model are the following:

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous triple band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX6000 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 1148Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 2402Mbps on 5GHz and up to 2402Mbps on the second 5GHz band).
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : yes, it supports FRITZ!Mesh and integrates seamlessly into the mesh network.
• Ethernet Ports : One 2.5G Multigigabit port and one Gigabit Ethernet port.
• Firmware : it has a very complete and configurable firmware, supports guest WiFi, WiFi scheduler, integrates into the AVM Mesh network and allows you to synchronize your settings and much more. It is one of the most complete models that exist.

The price of this equipment is around €200, a high price but we must bear in mind that this is the best WiFi repeater you can buy, especially if you have a FRITZ! Box router because it will be integrated into the Mesh network perfectly.

As you can see, this AVM is one of the most advanced and complete models that exist, if you want the best, this model is the one you should buy.

Dual band Wi-Fi 6 repeaters recommended

Simultaneous dual-band models are the most common, and also much cheaper than simultaneous triple-band models, since they only have two radios. In this section, we must differentiate the models that support 160MHz of channel width in the 5GHz band and those that do not, depending on whether they support this channel width, we can have double the theoretical and real speed, as long as the wireless clients and the main router supports it, otherwise, we will not notice an improvement in the actual wireless speed. If you want to know which are the best dual-band repeaters with WiFi 6, then we leave you all the models that you should take into account.

NETGEAR EAX80 AX6000

This NETGEAR model is the highest-end of the manufacturer, although it is simultaneous dual band, in the 5GHz band we are going to achieve up to 4.8Gbps in theory, thanks to the fact that it supports 160Mhz of channel width, so this model is really fast. Also, if you have wireless clients that support this channel width, you should know that you will be able to achieve real speeds of approximately 800Mbps. If you want to know the main characteristics of this model, then you have all the details.

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX6000 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 1148Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 4.804Mbps on 5GHz). Support 160MHz channel width.
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : Yes, WiFi roaming support is available to improve the user experience.
• Ethernet Ports – Four Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN.
• Firmware : It has a very complete and configurable firmware, supports roaming assistance and advanced features such as the ability to share files and folders via USB 3.0.

This model has a price of around €250, a somewhat high price but we must take into account that its wireless network is very fast, that we have up to four Gigabit ports to connect devices by cable, and we have a very configurable firmware.

This model is one of the most recommended, both for its technical specifications and for its complete firmware.

AVM FRITZ!Repeater 1200 AX AX3000

This AVM model is a really small piece of equipment, but inside it we have quite cutting-edge hardware that will allow us to have high wireless speeds in our home, in addition, being from AVM, it will be perfectly integrated into the FRITZ! Mesh network of the manufacturer, with the aim of having the best possible user experience.

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX3000 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 2,402Mbps on 5GHz). Support 160MHz channel width.
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : yes, it supports FRITZ!Mesh and integrates seamlessly into the mesh network.
• Ethernet Ports – One Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN.
• Firmware : it has a very complete and configurable firmware, it integrates perfectly into the FRITZ! Mesh network from the manufacturer AVM and has AP mode among other interesting configurations, such as guest WiFi or wireless programmer.

If you can’t afford to buy the AVM FRITZ!Repeater 6000 model, this repeater is the one we recommend if you have an AVM router, because its performance is really spectacular, it integrates perfectly into the Mesh network and it has a price of about €75.

This very small device has compatibility with 160MHz of channel width, so we can have additional speed if the router supports it and if the wireless clients that connect also support it, such as Intel AX200 cards, Intel AX210 or many smartphones high end.

D-Link DAP-X1860 AX1800

This D-Link model is highly recommended for its technical specifications and also for having a very competitive price. It will allow us to expand wireless coverage at high speed, and that is because we have simultaneous dual band AX1800 class. Next, we leave you all the technical specifications of this very interesting model:

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX1800 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz).
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : Yes, it supports Mesh with compatible D-Link Wi-Fi 6 routers, we will have WiFi roaming and band-steering.
• Ethernet Ports – One Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN.
• Firmware : it has a very simple firmware to configure, if it is integrated into the D-Link Mesh network, everything will depend on the main router.

If you want a repeater to expand coverage, and you don’t need it to have many advanced configuration options, but rather to do its job correctly and for a price of around €65, this is the model you should buy.

As you can see, it has some very interesting features for the price of this equipment.

ASUS RP-AX56 AX1800

This ASUS repeater allows integration into the manufacturer’s ASUS AiMesh network, therefore, if you have an ASUS router you will be able to form a complete Mesh network with this model. However, the ASUS RP-AX56 is a universal repeater, it works with any type of router, so you can extend the wireless coverage regardless of the model you have at home. A very important detail is that we have many advanced configuration options thanks to Asuswrt firmware.

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX1800 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz).
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : Yes, it supports Mesh with AiMesh compatible ASUS routers (which is almost all of them).
• Ethernet Ports – One Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN.
• Firmware : it has a very simple firmware to configure, if it is integrated into the ASUS AiMesh Mesh network, everything will depend on the main router.

The price of this model is around 100 euros approximately, if you already have an ASUS router, it is possible that for this price it is worth buying other models, such as the ASUS ZenWiFi XD4 that has the same technical specifications. We must bear in mind that ASUS WiFi Mesh and routers can also act as wireless repeaters.

As you can see, it is a fairly complete repeater, especially if you are going to use an ASUS Mesh network because it will integrate perfectly.

NETGEAR EAX15 AX1800

This NETGEAR repeater also incorporates roaming assistance, so you will be able to have WiFi roaming at home in a fairly transparent way, although logically it will not work as well as a true WiFi Mesh system. This model of the manufacturer is ideal to have a somewhat better user experience, as long as you do not have an ASUS AiMesh network, AVM FRITZ! Mesh and even D-Link. Next, you have all the technical specifications:

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX1800 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 574Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz).
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : Yes, support WiFi roaming assistance with any router.
• Ethernet Ports – One Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN.
• Firmware : it has a very simple firmware to configure, if it is integrated into the D-Link Mesh network, everything will depend on the main router.

The price of this model is around 95 euros approximately, an expected price considering its characteristics and the complete firmware that this model has.

If you want to have a very good user experience and you use the operator’s router that does not have Mesh support, this model is the one you should use because it will provide you with very good wireless performance.

D-Link E15AX1500

The manufacturer D-Link has launched a range of products called EAGLE PRO AI, this new family allows us to form a Mesh network with WiFi Mesh systems, routers and wireless repeaters. This D-Link E15 model is the repeater that is perfectly integrated into the D-Link manufacturer’s mesh network, therefore, we will have both WiFi roaming and band-steering to have the best possible user experience.

• Number of frequency bands : simultaneous dual band.
• Wi-Fi standard and speed : AX1500 class Wi-Fi 6 (up to 287Mbps on 2.4GHz, up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz).
• Does it support Wi-Fi Mesh or roaming? : Yes, supports Mesh with D-Link EAGLE PRO AI family Wi-Fi 6 routers.
• Ethernet Ports – One Gigabit Ethernet port for the LAN.
• Firmware : it has a very simple firmware to configure, if it is integrated into the D-Link Mesh network, everything will depend on the main router.

This model is priced at 50 euros, a real bargain for everything it is capable of offering, both in terms of coverage and real speed, as well as user experience, because we can form a Mesh network with the D-Link family EAGLE PRO AI.

If you want a cheap model, very easy to configure, and you are also going to buy a D-Link router or WiFI Mesh family system, this is the best repeater you can buy.

As you can see, today we have a large number of WiFi repeaters or amplifiers to increase wireless coverage in our home. Depending on the speed we want to achieve and our budget, we will have to opt for some models or others. All the equipment that you have in this list is highly recommended, both for its specifications and for its price.