Wifi Extender? Explain like I'm 5!

March 16, 2024 1:35 PM

Hello! We just moved from a studio apartment to a much larger space. I think I need a wifi extender/mesh/thing, but I am lost! Help!

We never needed a wifi extender previously since our apartment was so small, but when Xfinity installed the internet at our new place, they said that we might want a mesh/google nest/wifi extender to ensure that we are getting strong signal across the apartment.

I have no idea about ANY of this. What do I need? Where do I get one? How many do I need?? Its a single story, 3 bedroom apartment. Help, please!

posted by something_witty to Technology (11 answers total)

It is not clear if you have noticed an actual problem or if you were just told you may experience one. So have you noticed any areas in the new place where you would like to use WiFi but have poor or no WiFi?

In my apartment, the internet connection comes in near the front door, signal is great the other side of the building but in my bedroom, back of building but with a a concrete wall in the way, it is unusable. I just have an extender plugged into a socket near the back of the building and that meets all my requirements. Very cheap and easy to implement but may not be enough for a larger space.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:02 PM on March 16

Yes, the first step is to determine whether you have a problem. Take any device that is hooked up to Wi-Fi and walk around. You could use Speedtest by Ookla, but be aware that you don't need to use full speed.
posted by Ferrari328 at 2:40 PM on March 16

I had a small dead wifi zone in a 2 storey home.
I bought single D-link extender from Costco. It was not expensive maybe $50. Walmart sells it as well.

Not that difficult to set up.
Plugs into a power outlet.
Solved the problem
posted by yyz at 2:43 PM on March 16

I have an eero system and it just works. The one I bought comes with 3 units. You physically connect one of them to your internet and the other 2 just magically connect to that one and extend your network. You can buy as many of the units as you think you require. It's magic. Maybe there are technically better options out there but for someone who doesn't really know how to set up routers and bridges and whatnot, this was the Apple of wifi.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:11 PM on March 16

Seconding the Eero.

If you have any recent Amazon Echo speakers, by the way, they will automatically act as additional extenders for your Eero network. So you could buy one main Eero to plug into your cable modem, and then the echos could do the rest, if they are spread out a bit around the house. It’s really cool.
posted by wyzewoman at 5:12 PM on March 16

I second eero if you want something that just works. I can't imagine you'd need more than two units but do go with the Pro model, it has an extra radio, which can make a noticeable difference.
posted by kindall at 5:15 PM on March 16

I own an eero 3pc set and it solved a bunch of problems for me that a single extender couldn't.

However, you should definitely test first. If you have just one low-transmission spot, an extender should work, as it did for me in my prior home. If you have service weakness throughout the home, a mid-priced eero 3pc set will be enough unless you have intense data needs or want futureproofing.
posted by brianvan at 7:15 PM on March 16

What Xfinity doesn't tell you is they will happily let you LEASE a mesh setup for additional $$$ a month, even if you don't really need it. AFAIK, they have a deal with Amazon and will send you a 2-node Eero setup and charge you extra per month as a part of your cable modem lease (even though your cable modem has a wifi router). (And yes, I'm saying you *can* save money if you get your own cable modem but that's another topic entirely)

So as everyone else said, make sure you need it first, before you actually dish out the money. The wifi router built-into the cable modem may be perfectly adequate if you can locate it "centrally" within the residence. Only if you are having problems should you consider adding an extender and/or mesh routers.

With that said, I do have a 2-node Eero setup which I bought used from Amazon when it was on sale. It's only Wifi 5 (802.11ac) and that's because my place is a 2-story setup so I ended up with one node upstairs and one node downstairs. When I did NOT have mesh-router I had "adequate" signal (3 bars instead of 4 bars) in some corners of the place, but otherwise the signal's "fine". Your setup will vary.
posted by kschang at 7:26 PM on March 16

As others have said, if you do find you need the extra coverage, a mesh system is definitely the way to go.

Cheap WiFi extenders/repeaters can sometimes help if the extender can grab a decent signal from your ISP’s device to re-broadcast,, but I’ve never found them to be particularly fast or reliable.

I work in IT and have previously used Unifi access points for better WiFi, but nothing has beaten my TP-Link Deco XE75 mesh system. I have it set up to use the much less congested 6Ghz network as a backhaul between devices, and I get my full ISP download speed everywhere in the house (500Mbps!)
posted by dls86 at 8:44 PM on March 16

Seconding the TP-Link Deco XE75. I also had an Asus, but I prefer the TP-Link.

But as others have said, if you aren't experiencing problems then test the signals first before investing in infrastructure.

Also, does your ISP provide you with a modem or a modem and router? Or a combo unit? If the router isn't separate from the modem you may need to either have them install a modem only -- if they will even bother -- or deal with an extender. The ISP may be trying to get you to rent a mesh extender of their own that only works with their modem/router. If it is just a modem and there is a separate router then you can replace it with a mesh model.
posted by terrapin at 5:25 AM on March 17

nth-ing mesh.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:34 AM on March 17