With a WiFi network connection, you'd think that you can freely move around as you game, stream, or surf the internet without any difficulty. However, it's still possible to experience buffering, and lagging especially if you have a relatively large home.
To solve this problem, WiFi range extenders are flooding the market. With their ability to receive and redistribute your home network, you can enjoy seamless internet use throughout the premises.
Despite this, finding the right extender for your situation could still feel like a hassle. As such, we've researched numerous extenders to bring you a shortlist of the best wifi extenders for gaming. So, let's see the options you have and the factors to keep in mind to choose the most suitable choice.
1. TP-Link AC2600 Dual Band WiFi Range Extender
- Extend the range of your Wi Fi with the dual band RE650, compatible with any type of Router / Gateway / Access Point (2.4GHz 800Mbps / 5GHz 1733Mbps)
- Quad Antenna design for ultimate coverage for all areas of your home
- MU-MIMO Wave 2 technology allows the RE650 to talk to Multiple devices at once for optimal Performance between devices. Beamforming Technology sends targeted Wi Fi signal to individual devices for stronger connections
- Smart indicator lights help provide optimal placement. Should be installed between the Router and the desired area
- Gigabit Ethernet port connects wired devices to your network for high speed connection
Say goodbye to dead spots and lag across your home with the RE650 high-performance Wi-Fi extender. With Wave 2 technology featuring 4-Stream and 256 QAM, you'll enjoy ultra-fast Wi-Fi for uninterrupted gaming and streaming.
The TP-Link RE650 adds an extra data stream to the two WiFi bands. It extends their overall capacity to ensure the extender can handle your gaming demands even at higher settings without buffering or lag dampening your online experience.
The TP-Link RE650 has an Intelligent Processing Engine for balancing the demands of your devices while keeping the connection fast and smooth. This engine distributes WiFi traffic to the processors so that the dual-core CPU can take care of the rest. This allows you seamlessly game online, stream, and download huge files with a fast and stable Wi-Fi connection.
The Wave 2 technology also provides MU-MIMO for facilitating simultaneous communication between the extender and several devices over the same WiFi band. As a result, the TP-Link RE650 maximizes the performance of each item as they run at the same time. This makes it an ideal choice for any PC gamer.
The TP-Link RE650 range extender is easy to install and is designed to increase your Wi-Fi signal coverage. You can connect wired devices like your game consoles and smart TV using the Gigabit Ethernet Port for blazing performance.
2. NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S Triband WiFi Router
- Recommended for up to 50 devices: Reliably stream videos, play games, surf the internet, and connect smart home devices.
- Wired Ethernet ports: plug in computers, game consoles, streaming players, and other nearby wired devices with 4 x 1 gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Loaded with advanced technology: Designed with a 1GHz dual core processor, 6 amplified antennas, Beamforming+, Dynamic QoS, Smart Connect, Amazon Alexa Voice Controls, and more.
- USB connections: Share a storage drive and printer with any connected device, and create a personal cloud storage to access from anywhere, using the 1x3.0 and 1x2.0 USB ports.
- Smart parental controls: Pause device internet access, view site history usage, and filter websites for free. Set online time limits, schedule device internet access, and more for dollar 4.99/month (1st month free trial).
The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S AC4000 is one of the best Wi-Fi extenders you can buy today. This is because it features breakthrough Tri-band WiFi and Mu-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO). Therefore, it is an ideal choice for a family with multiple devices requiring a strong WiFi signal.
This Nighthawk X6S offers up to 4 Gbps WiFi speed while being powered by a 64-bit dual-core processor with three offload processors. So, you can enjoy the fasted WiFi speed with excellent signal strength in all areas of your home with this quality signal booster.
You won't have to worry about lag or buffering while gaming, surfing, or streaming with the NETGEAR Nighthawk x6s. With the NETGEAR Nighthawk App, you can access and control your router from anywhere. Additionally, you can use voice commands using Alexa and Google Assistant in this Wi-Fi range extender.
3. Linksys RE7000 Gigabit Range Extender for PC Gamer
- ELIMINATE DEAD ZONES AND BOOST AC1900+ WIFI RANGE: Extend your home WiFi to hard-to-reach locations in your home such as your backyard, garage, or bedroom so you get AC1900+ WiFi speeds to Smart TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, iPads, tablets, laptops and smartphones to enjoy streaming 4K / HD movies, simultaneous online gaming, social media, and more.The RE7000 has a slim, compact design: plug it into the bottom A/C outlet and you'll still have access to the outlet just above it.
- EXTEND NEXT-GEN AC WIFI TO MULTIPLE USERS WITH MULTI USER-MIMO: Next-Gen AC with MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology ensures your WiFi is delivered faster and with more efficient throughput to every MU-MIMO connected device. This means your whole household can surf the Internet, stream 4K and HD movies, play online games, and more simultaneously--without annoying buffering or lag.
- ROOM-TO-ROOM WIFI WITH SEAMLESS ROAMING: The AC1900+ Range Extender offers Seamless Roaming as you move around your home when linked with a Max-Stream WiFi router. With Seamless Roaming, your enabled wireless devices will automatically switch to the strongest WiFi signal, so you won't have to manually connect to the router or range extender when you move from one room to another--or even to your backyard.** This means that you can move freely throughout your home while video chatting or streaming videos without experiencing dropped calls or buffering.
- WORKS WITH ALL WIFI ROUTERS: This range extender is compatible with any WiFi router, including those from Internet service providers. There's no need to adjust your router's settings when installing the extender.
- EASY SETUP OPTIONS FOR OPTIMAL PLACEMENT: Simply press the Push Button Connect feature on the MAX-STREAM AC1900+ to automatically sync it to your router. Simple setup from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
With the Linksys RE7000, you can enhance your WiFi coverage up to 10,000 square feet by linking it to the Linksys MAX-STREAM router. Unfortunately, the MAX-STREAM router is sold separately, which will involve additional costs. You won't have to manually connect to your range extender as you move from one part of your home to the next.
The Seamless Roaming feature will enable your wireless device to switch to the strongest WiFi signal while you move to the different areas around the house. This allows you to walk freely as you video chat or stream without experiencing buffering or dropoffs. As such, the RE7000 is among the best Wi-Fi range extenders you can find on the market.
With the Gigabit Ethernet port, you can connect your game console, Blu-ray player, or smart TV with an ethernet cable for a wired WiFi Connection. This makes this Wi-Fi range extender an excellent choice for gamers.
4. D-Link Wi-Fi Range Extender
- Helps find the best location for optimal coverage
- More reliable coverage
- Ideal for homes that are pre-wired for Ethernet and for extended wireless coverage
- Easily access all Features through the new user interface
- Up to 300Mbps wireless performance for reliable, everyday performance
With the D-Link Wi-Fi range extender, you can enjoy a better home networking experience. It allows you to increase your Wi-Fi coverage to all your computers and portable devices while eliminating the dead zones in your home.
Besides improving your network coverage, you can also boost the signal strength for seamless gaming, streaming, and surfing without any intermittence or interference. The MMO, multiple antenna technology, offers maximum range even for hard to reach areas.
The four Gigabit LAN ethernet ports will make sure you get high speed wired connections for the ultimate gaming experience. This makes the D-Link router one of the best choices for online gamers. This flexible WiFi range extender can work with any wireless router brand.
Additionally, it features WPA or WPA2 secure wireless encryption, which protects your network from any compromise.
5. Rockspace WiFi Range Extender
- Eliminate Dead Zone: Up to 2640 square feet coverage, indoors & outside use: deliver the best WiFi Performance every inch of your house, blast through barriers such as thick walls, appliances, and cement floors, ultra-stable WiFi connection for all wifi connection needed devices.
- 25 Client Devices Connection: Zero lagging rockspace internet range booster with ethernet port eliminates the wifi range problems, pumping out interference-free, lightning-fast data capabilities to all the tablets, smart speakers, Alexa compatible devices, firestick, games, and security cameras.
- USA WiFi Security Protocol : Enjoy the best WiFi performance by choosing a suitable band. 2.4GHz 300Mbps band for long distance data transmission, best WiFi connection for doorbell system, security camera system, powerful 897Mbps 5GHz band delivers the ideal Wi-Fi speed for a houseful of online gaming, video conferences, and streaming 4K HD video.
- Gigabit Ethernet Port: Experience the most stable wifi speed by using an ethernet cable to your router, no more wifi speed dropping problem and enjoy seamless wifi speed anywhere in your home, all Wi-Fi extenders are designed to increase or improve Wi-Fi coverage, not to directly increase speed. In some cases improving signal reliability can affect overall throughput.
- Universal Compatibility: rockspace WiFi extender is compatible with 100% wifi 5 routers on the market and works with all standard routers or gateway, no worry about compatibility issue, enjoy watch movies, stream music and listen to your favorite podcasts without WiFi lagging or spotty signals.
Another one of the best WiFi range extenders on the market is the Rockspace WiFi range extender. It features spot finder technology, which works with a signal indicator to help you find an ideal location to extend your WiFi signal. When the indicator's light is blue, it means the Wi-Fi signal is strong. If it's red, it means there's a poor connection, and black means there's no connection at all.
You can quickly expand your wireless home network with this repeater by pressing the WPS button for an easy setup. The coverage is up to 1292 square feet in 360 degrees to eliminate weak signals and dead spots around your home. Plus, this WiFi range extender can work with most of the routers in the market.
So, if you're looking for a way to increase the coverage of your WiFi network, this budget-friendly range extender will do it for you.
Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best WiFi Extender For Gaming
1. Compatibility
As you look through the numerous Wi-Fi range extenders available, you'll need to ensure that you choose one compatible with your router.
It should match your router's specifications in terms of dual-band features, MU-MIMO settings, and other functions. This will ensure that the Wi-Fi extender you select boosts your WiFi network as much as possible.
Fortunately, most of the Wi-Fi extenders in this review are compatible with multiple routers. As such, you can use them to boost your wireless network without worrying about their compatibility.
2. Types of WiFi Range Extenders
There are two main types of WiFi range extenders; desktop and plug-in extenders. The desktop extenders look like standard wireless routers and usually have adjustable external antennas. They also have multiple LAN ports for providing a wired connection to game consoles and TVs, along with USB ports for peripherals like storage drives and printers.
On the other hand, the plugin extenders are a lot smaller than the desktop types and are inserted into a wall outlet. These models could have external or internal antennas. A WiFi extender with an internal antenna looks more inconspicuous than other extenders.
Due to their small size, the plug-in extenders typically have a single LAN port without a USB port. This makes them not only less versatile than desktop extenders but also more affordable.
3. Setup and Configuration
In the past, people needed expertise and technical experience to set up a WiFi range extender successfully. Plus, you'd need to try out several locations to find the ideal spot for boosting the signal, which could take a lot of time.
Fortunately, modern routers and range extenders feature a WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) function that makes it easy to pair your devices, name your network and set up a password.
Most Wi-Fi range extenders have an LED light indicator that tells you the best location to place them for a strong, stable connection. So, these are features you should keep an eye out for as you choose your Wi-Fi extender.
4. Bandwidth and Frequency
The standard frequency for WiFi connections is 2.4 GHz, which Single Band range extenders use. They are cheaper but less effective than dual and tri-band extenders.
While dual and tri-band types are more expensive, they provide a better and more stable connection, preferable for gamers.
Nevertheless, before selecting a specific frequency extender, ensure it is compatible with your router.
5. Antennas
The strength of a WiFi extender depends on the number of antennas it has. The more antennas, the better the extension of your Wi-Fi network will be since your extender will be able to relay the signals better with a wider range of reception. So, you'll want to check the number of antennas on the extender you wish to buy.
Additionally, if it has articulation antennas, you can point them in different directions to get as much signal as possible for the extension.
6. Ethernet Port Connection
If you are buying an extender for gaming, you'll have to consider whether it has an ethernet port. This is because gaming consoles lack wireless connection capabilities. As such, the extender should have one or several ethernet ports for a wired connection.
Fortunately, most plug-in extenders have at least one or two ethernet ports, while desktop extenders have up to five ports.
7. Limitations of WiFi Range Extenders
While they offer numerous benefits, WiFi extenders have certain limitations. Firstly, they use a different network SSID that you will have to log into as you move to other sections of your house. This is in addition to the one that your router will have.
Also, they do not boost the speed of your WiFi network. In fact, they could cut the rate to half of what you receive from your primary router. Since most dual-band WiFi extenders use both radio bands to relay the signals to and from the router, the devices you connect to the extender will be competing for bandwidth with your router.
If your after the fastest possible throughput from a gaming or Wi-Fi 6 router, you'll need to test the endpoint connections to ensure you have maximum traffic speed.
8. Wi-Fi Mesh System
If you want to upgrade your whole network with new hardware, you should consider a Mesh WiFi System. These systems are designed to cover your entire home with excellent wireless networks using the main router and several satellite nodes that you distribute to different parts of your house.
Since these nodes share the same SSID and password, you can move freely in your home without having to log into an extended system. This is an advantage that a mesh system has over range extenders. If you have little or no technical knowledge, you should consider a Wi-Fi mesh system in place of a router with an extender.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are range extenders good for gaming?
Dual-band extenders are the best for gaming since they offer a speed of 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band, which can enhance your online gaming experience.
2. How can I boost my WiFi signal for gaming?
The perfect solution is to get a WiFi extender, but you could also move closer to the router, use an ethernet connection, or play on a local server.
3. What is the best WiFi range extender on a budget?
The Rockspace WiFi Range Extender is the most affordable in this review while still being an excellent choice for extending your network connection.
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