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Troubleshooting

How to Extend Your WiFi Range

If part of your home has weak or no WiFi, you have several options — from repositioning the router to adding a mesh system.

Updated 2026

  1. 1

    Reposition the router first

    Move the router to the most central point in your home, elevated and in the open. This is free and often solves the problem.

  2. 2

    Use a WiFi extender / repeater

    A plug-in WiFi extender rebroadcasts the signal to dead zones. Place it halfway between the router and the weak area — not at the edge of coverage.

  3. 3

    Add a wired access point

    Run an Ethernet cable from the router to a wireless access point in the dead zone. This gives full-speed WiFi without the repeater speed penalty.

  4. 4

    Upgrade to a mesh system

    Mesh routers (e.g. Eero, Orbi, Google Nest) replace your existing router and blanket the home in seamless coverage. Best for large homes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a WiFi extender slow down speed?
Extenders that use a single radio (single-band) can halve speeds because they use the same band to receive and transmit. Dual-band or tri-band extenders avoid this.
Mesh vs extender — which is better?
Mesh is almost always better — seamless roaming, consistent speeds and a single network name. Extenders are cheaper but create a separate network and can halve throughput.