Wifi Extender

After my TP-LINK N300 wireless extender started to fail, I decided it was time to upgrade to a more reliable wifi extender. One of the first websites I check for tech product reviews is The WireCutter.  I decided to purchase the NETGEAR AC1200 WiFi Extender from their review. Overall I’ve been happy with the range and performance. I did have trouble with the first time setup because I was using my iPhone and couldn’t click some buttons. Once I tried from my laptop I was able to get everything setup.

I would only recommend a wifi extender if:

• You can’t move your current wireless router to a central location
• Own a high end wireless router but still have dead spots
• Running ethernet is not an option

A few additional thoughts:

• The NETGEAR AC1200 WiFi Extender has 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports and one of them can be used to wire your extender to your router. I would recommend this if you can run ethernet to the extender.
• If you interested in a more expensive option, I’d recommend the Eero Home WiFi System
• Wired networks will always be more reliable than wireless
• Wireless extenders work well for streaming and web browsing but are not great for copying large files
• If possible several wired access points would be a better option than a wifi extender.
• If you have an older wireless router, I’d recommend upgrading your router first.

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Also published on Medium.