How Do Wi-Fi Extenders Work?

Larry Baltazar • March 15, 2021

How Do Wi-Fi Extenders Work?

Slow connections or dead spots in your Wi-Fi coverage can range from mild annoyances to critical challenges to communications and workflow. Wi-Fi extenders are one solution to expanding the reach of your Wi-Fi signal to help alleviate these problems.

Types of Wi-Fi Extenders

Wi-Fi signals are limited in the distance they can be transmitted and that distance can be limited quite a bit by the quality of your router and by obstacles blocking Wi-Fi signals, including walls, furniture, ceilings, and more. Several types of Wi-Fi signal extenders exist to expand the range of fast, reliable Wi-Fi in your rooms. While the names are often used interchangeably, they all perform similarly: 

Receiving Wi-Fi Signals

Wi-Fi extenders are dependent upon the signal coming into your home or office. They can access that signal from your router either over a Wi-Fi connection or a hardwired (Ethernet) connection. 

Transmitting Wi-Fi Signals

Wi-Fi extenders retransmit the signal just like your main Wi-Fi router broadcasts it. The strength and space covered by the signal depend on the source signal strength, type of connection, and device capabilities. 

  • Basic Wi-Fi Repeaters/Boosters — These devices can only rebroadcast a Wi-Fi signal into a small area, but are a simple and inexpensive way to extend Wi-Fi into a small dead spot. Because they share a single Wi-Fi signal, performance is usually good enough for normal activities but weak for streaming or other intensive uses.
  • Mesh Network Wi-Fi Extenders — Mesh network devices work similarly to basic repeaters, but they have the ability to coordinate with each other over the network to offer seamless coverage and good performance as you move through rooms and connect to different points in the mesh network. 
  • Wireless Access Point (WAP) Wi-Fi Extenders — The ultimate in Wi-Fi extenders, WAPs are hardwired by Ethernet cable from your main router to their installation points, and perform with the same quality and signal strength as your main router, only in a different location. 


Ensuring strong, reliable Wi-Fi signals through your home or office can be challenging, so our expert team at Nextgen Multi Media is ready to help you choose and install the system you need. Contact us today to find your perfect Wi-Fi solution.

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