5 min read
When installing a Wi-Fi router, no matter how centred within your house you manage to place it, chances are that there will be some places within the building where the signal is out of range. These areas are called Wi-Fi dead zones. This problem can be caused by thick walls, disruptive construction material used for the floors or walls, interference from other appliances, or from simply being too far away from the router.
Wi-Fi boosters, repeaters, extenders, or amplifiers (they all more or less mean the same thing) are a great way to extend the range of your router and avoid those dead zones. These are placed within range of the original Wi-Fi router and, when configured, they pull signals from the original router, amplify them, and then rebroadcast those same signals, thereby increasing the range of the Wi-Fi connection. Below is an illustration to help you understand better.
Suppose the orange dot on the ground floor is your original router and the orange translucent circle around it is its range- the range does not include the top most floor. If, however, we place a Wi-Fi repeater (represented by the green dot) at the edge of the original router’s range, the range of the repeater includes the top floor as well, allowing for the Wi-Fi to reach the whole house.
You can get these Wi-Fi repeaters within Pakistan easily. Here is a list of five of the best ones that you can get locally:
Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier Pro
Xiaomi is known as a reliable and renowned brand in Pakistan. The Mi WiFi Amplifier Pro plugs into any socket within your house and works to extend the range of your Wi-Fi router. It has a 2×2 external Antenna system, which allows it to support Wi-Fi speeds of up to 300 Megabytes per second.
The extender, when set up and put into place, can support up to 16 devices simultaneously.
Furthermore, when paired with a Xiaomi phone, the Mi Home app can help you find the ideal location to place the device within the house.
The device plugs into the wall so it can also easily be moved from place to place.
You can buy the Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier Pro here for only Rs. 2,449.
D-Link DAP‑1325 N300 Wi‑Fi Range Extender
The D-Link DAP-1325 N300 is also a plug-in adapter that lets you extend your existing wireless network’s range. It has two fixed omni-directional antenna which you can point in any direction.
The smart signal LED light strip on the device lets you know when the router’s signals are too weak for the Extender. A single WPS button is used to connect to the nearby router and your range extender is ready to go. It can also be configured through D-Link’s QRS Mobile Application.
The device has an ethernet port to connect a wired device or create a wireless hotspot. Like with the Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier Pro, the N300 can also support network speeds of up to 300 Mbps at 2.4 Gigahertz frequency.
The N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender (DAP-1325) can be bought for Rs. 3,599 here.
D-Link DAP‑1360 Wireless N Range Extender
The D-Link DAP-1360 is essentially a router which can also function as a Wi-Fi repeater.
This is a powerful device which offers seven different modes of operation. The DAP-1360 can function as simply a Wi-Fi router, a repeater, and an Access Point which means that it can act as a central hub for wireless users.
The device can, additionally, filter out unwanted MAC addresses and disable SSID broadcast function to keep other people from using your Wi-Fi.
The DAP-1360 supports speeds of up to 300 Mbps and features a built-in scheduling function which allows for the device to power down when not in use, saving electricity.
The D-Link DAP-1360 can be bought for Rs. 4,699 in Pakistan from here.
TP-Link TL-WA855RE – 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender
Next up is the TP-Link TL-WA855RE. This extender features a compact design for its body, with two external antennas equipped with MIMO (Multiple-input and multiple-output) technology to enhance the network by significantly increasing wireless speeds.
The device, like the others, supports up to 300 Mbps of Internet speed and has a one-touch WPS configuration system. LED indicators at the bottom let you know when the original router’s signals are too weak for the repeater.
There is also an ethernet port which can be used to turn the TL-WA855RE into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot for a new network.
TP-Link’s web portal can be used with this repeater to control and block unwanted devices. The portal can also be used to schedule when to power off the device.
Priced at Rs. 5,599, the TP-Link TL-WA855RE can be bought in Pakistan here.
Linksys RE7000 Max-stream AC1900+ Wi-Fi Range Extender
Lastly, we have the Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ with wireless-AC technology. Right off the bat, you should know that this one comes with a sizeable price jump. It costs Rs. 23,499 and that too, on sale (original price: Rs. 24,999).
The technology that the RE7000 has, however, could make up for the hefty price tag. The device is equipped with the latest Wireless-AC technology which allows for simultaneous streaming and gaming on multiple devices.
This repeater can extend the range of your Wi-Fi to up to 2,500 square feet. It is also equipped with seamless roaming, which means that, when connected to a Linksys Max-Stream router, the repeater allows for seamless and automatic switching between the two devices, depending on which one offers better signals at a given location.
As mentioned before, the Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ Extender costs Rs. 24,999 and can be bought here.
