I also checked Amazon reviews and Reddit threads, and I solicited the opinions of other network professionals. I've also professionally tested and deployed wired and wireless networking gear in homes and businesses for the better part of 20 years.įor this guide, I supplemented my own observations with reviews from SmallNetBuilder, CNET, and other sites. I've spent more than two years immersed in networking testing and analysis for Wirecutter and Ars Technica. But if you already know your house's wiring is up to par, or if you're willing to experiment and find out, the TL-WPA8630 V2 is the kit to try. Older (pre-1980s) and more complex (more than one breaker box) houses tend to be especially problematic. But it's much more expensive than the RE200, and buying any powerline adapter is a gamble since your house's wiring probably wasn't designed to work with it.

In our tests, TP-Link's TL-WPA8630 V2 beat all of the wireless extenders we tested and hung with the more expensive Orbi and Eero mesh kits we recommend. It was the only Wi-Fi extender we tested that was always better than not using an extender at all.Ī powerline Wi-Fi access point can sit much farther away from your router than a simple extender, and-when it works-it doesn't interfere with your existing Wi-Fi. It improved the Wi-Fi quality in all of our tests, it's easy to set up, it isn't too bulky, and at a typical price of $30, it's a simple fix that costs a lot less than a major hardware upgrade. The TP-Link RE200 is a dirt-cheap dual-band wireless-ac extender. But if you have multiple trouble spots or if your router is more than a couple of years old, you should consider replacing it with a mesh Wi-Fi kit instead. It's inexpensive, and it was the only pure Wi-Fi extender that improved speeds in every single test.

Read the full Wi-Fi extenders guide here.Īfter spending more than 50 hours researching Wi-Fi extenders and testing 13, we think the TP-Link AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender RE200 is the best way to get Wi-Fi signal to part of your house or apartment that your router can't reach. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter.

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