Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal with a TP-Link Wireless Extender
TP-Link offers a variety of Wi-Fi extenders that allow you to improve areas of your home or business that have little or no connectivity. With a TP-Link wireless extender, you can get a better connection in places that are far away from your wireless router. These extenders are also a worthy option for smart home technologies, such as the Amazon Alexa, that are not close enough to the router.
How does a TP-Link Wi-Fi extender work?TP-Link Wi-Fi extenders work to increase your wireless signal by acting similar to a lightning rod. The extender receives the wireless signal from the router and broadcasts it to the part of your home or business that needs a stronger connection. There are different types of extenders depending on how you want it set up. Some are attached through your wall outlets in order to send the connection through the electrical wiring. These type of extenders have two parts. One part hooks up to the router and the other hooks up to a smart device. Another kind of extender is called a wireless repeater. This type involves having a second router to pick up the signal from the first one and extend it to another part of the house.
Where should you set up your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender?There are two main ways to figure out a good location for your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender:
- Set up a FaceTime chat: Using two different devices hooked up to your home network, start a video chatting session. One user should stay close to the router and the other user should move farther and farther away. Once the chat starts to lose connection, you have found an area of weak connection in your network.
- Use software that shows you signal strength: Download free software to your laptop or smartphone that measures the signal strength in different areas of the house. Move the device around your home to find areas of weak signal.
If your wireless signal is weak in certain areas of your house and these facts are true for your situation, you should benefit from the capabilities of a TP-Link Wi-Fi extender. If your current router is in a central location in your home that is conducive to providing signal to all areas you may require an extender. If your current router has 802.11ac support, which is one of the quickest wireless devices, an extender could help you. Lastly, if you do not have a large amount of smart devices connected to one router an extender could help.
What is the typical range of a Wi-Fi network?Traditional wireless routers usually provide a strong signal within a range of 150 feet. If you have a lot of walls and other obstructions throughout your house, this may affect the range of your router. Another factor that negatively impacts wireless signal strength is other equipment that sends out radio signals, such as microwaves.
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