The Best 5 Wi-Fi Boosters


Rebecca Lee Armstrong
Feb 19, 2021
Icon Time To Read5 min read

Which Wi-Fi booster is best?

The TP-Link RE450 Wi-Fi extender is our pick for the best Wi-Fi booster for your home network. It has a range of up to 2,000 square feet, and it offers a great balance of price, ease of use, and Wi-Fi extending performance.

Best Wi-Fi boosters

Best overallBest budget boosterBest for RVsBest cell signal boosterBest powerline booster
WP-Link AC1750NETGEAR ExtenderWinegard ConnecT 2.0WeBoost HomeD-Link COVR
ProductTP-Link RE450 AC1750 Wi-Fi Range ExtenderNETGEAR EX2700 Wi-Fi ExtenderWinegard ConnecT 2.0 4G2WeBoost Home MultiRoom Cell Signal BoosterD-Link COVR-P2502 Hybrid Whole Home Powerline Wi-Fi System
Price$79.79$25.25$346.01$549.99$166.43

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Wi-Fi boosters is kind of a catch-all term for a variety of devices that can extend the range of a wireless network—like Wi-Fi repeaters, network extenders, cell signal boosters, hotspots, and access points. All of these use different technologies, but the end result is basically the same: you can now get an internet connection in a place you previously couldn’t.

We’ve curated a list of the best Wi-Fi boosters for a few different scenarios here so you can find the perfect way to stay connected at home or in your home away from home.

TP-Link RE450 AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender

Best overall
WP-Link AC1750
  • pro
    Booster type: Range extender or access point
  • pro
    Compatibility: Dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet
  • pro
    Wireless speeds: Up to 1,750 Mbps
  • pro
    Price: $79.79

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Pros
pro Easy plug-and-play setup
pro Coverage up to 2,000 sq. ft.
pro Access point mode
Cons
con Bulky plug-in design

The TP-Link RE450 wireless range extender is pretty powerful—it can handle networks speeds up to 1,750 Mbps and covers a range up to 2,000 square feet. We rate this Wi-Fi booster as the best because it’s easy to set up and it can help stretch your home network in a few different ways.

Of course, you can use the TP-Link extender to boost your Wi-Fi range, but you can also use the device as an adapter for wired devices or as a wired access point, thanks to its Gigabit Ethernet port.

NETGEAR EX2700 Wi-Fi Extender

Best budget booster
NETGEAR Extender
  • pro
    Booster type: Range extender
  • pro
    Compatibility: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
  • pro
    Wireless speeds: Up to 300 Mbps
  • pro
    Price: $25.25

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Pros
pro Simple setup
pro Ethernet port for wired connections
Cons
con Only single-band Wi-Fi

The NETGEAR EX2700 Wi-Fi extender is an inexpensive fix if you’re trying to get your Wi-Fi network into that one dead zone at the corner of your house. It’s a pretty simple device with a simple setup to go with it, but it can get the job done.

The EX2700 boosts 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signals up to 600 square feet and can connect up to 10 devices at a time. It also has an Ethernet port so you can connect devices that need to be plugged in.

Winegard ConnecT 2.0 4G2

Best for RVs
Winegard ConnecT 2.0
  • pro
    Booster type: Wi-Fi range extender and 4G LTE hotspot
  • pro
    Compatibility: 4G LTE (Verizon and AT&T), 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
  • pro
    Wireless speeds: Up to 450 Mbps
  • pro
    Price: $346.01

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Pros
pro Wi-Fi and 4G LTE compatibility for stable connections on the go
pro Max Wi-Fi range of 1.5 miles
Cons
con Requires data plan for 4G LTE use

Staying connected in your RV is possible with the Winegard ConnecT 2.0. It has three high-gain Wi-Fi antennas to pick up and boost signals from up to 1.5 miles away, so you can get Wi-Fi even when you’re on the opposite side of the RV park from the front office.

When there are no Wi-Fi networks to be found, you can also use the Winegard’s 4G LTE hotspot functionality as a backup. This setting catches 4G cell signals that your phone might not be able to pick up on and then amplifies them into usable connections.

You do have to pay for data to use the 4G features—you can get that through Verizon, AT&T, or Winegard’s FreedomGO prepaid data plans. Still, the 4G backup is a killer feature for emergencies.

Pro tip
Check Mark

Check out more Wi-Fi booster options for staying connected on the road with our guide to the best Wi-Fi boosters and extenders for RVs.

 

WeBoost Home MultiRoom Cell Signal Booster

Best cell signal booster
WeBoost Home
  • pro
    Booster type: Cellular signal booster
  • pro
    Compatibility: 4G LTE (all US carriers), 5G ready
  • pro
    Wireless speeds: Unspecified
  • pro
    Price: $549.99

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Pros
pro Covers up to 3 rooms or 5,000 sq. ft.
pro Ready for 5G
Cons
con Requires cellular data plan for internet use

The WeBoost Home doesn’t boost Wi-Fi—it boosts cellular signals. That makes it a great alternative to a Wi-Fi booster if you already have a data plan through your cell phone provider or if you can’t get very high internet speeds. It also improves the quality and speed of your calls and texts as well.

Instead of plugging this booster into your home network, you attach an outdoor antenna to the side of your home, which catches signals and amplifies them using another antenna that you put inside your home.

This booster works with all US cellular companies and boosts signals up to 5,000 square feet with coverage for up to three rooms.

D-Link COVR-P2502 Hybrid Whole Home Powerline Wi-Fi System

Best powerline booster
D-Link COVR
  • pro
    Booster type: Powerline adapter and mesh Wi-Fi
  • pro
    Compatibility:Dual-band Wi-Fi
  • pro
    Wireless speeds: Up to 1,200 Mbps
  • pro
    Price: $166.43

Amazon.com price as of 2/17/21 14:15 MST. See full disclaimer.

Pros
pro Covers up to 3 rooms or 5,000 sq. ft.
pro Ready for 5G
Cons
con Requires cellular data plan for internet use

The WeBoost Home doesn’t boost Wi-Fi—it boosts cellular signals. That makes it a great alternative to a Wi-Fi booster if you already have a data plan through your cell phone provider or if you can’t get very high internet speeds. It also improves the quality and speed of your calls and texts as well.

Instead of plugging this booster into your home network, you attach an outdoor antenna to the side of your home, which catches signals and amplifies them using another antenna that you put inside your home.

This booster works with all US cellular companies and boosts signals up to 5,000 square feet with coverage for up to three rooms.

Our verdict

If you want to boost the range of your home Wi-Fi network, we recommend the TP-Link RE450 Wi-Fi Extender. It’s really easy to set up and use, and it can stretch your Wi-Fi for up to 2,000 square feet of coverage.

Wi-Fi booster FAQ

What is a Wi-Fi booster?

A Wi-Fi booster is basically any device that extends the range of your wireless network. “Booster” is kind of a catch-all term for a few types of devices that use different technologies, but the end result for all of them is better Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi boosters are great for stretching your Wi-Fi networks into distant corners of your home, basement, or backyard.

How do Wi-Fi boosters work?

A Wi-Fi booster works by connecting to an established network, capturing the internet signals, and extending them into a new area. There are a few different nuances for different types of boosters—for example, some boosters amplify existing signals while others rebroadcast the signals—but that’s the basic rundown.

How do you set up a Wi-Fi booster?

Each device is a little different, but in general you first need to connect your Wi-Fi booster to your home Wi-Fi network. Many boosters use Wi-Fi Protected Setup or WPS to make this step easy. Once it’s connected, you can move it to a space about halfway between your Wi-Fi router and your dead zone to boost your coverage.

Every house layout is different, so you may need to try a few different placements to get the best balance of Wi-Fi signal strength and coverage. You want to place your extender in an area that gets a good Wi-Fi signal—not at the very edge of your coverage if you can help it.

Wi-Fi boosters work with the signals that are available to them, so if you place your booster too far away from your router, you’re just going to boost weak signals.

How do Wi-Fi boosters affect internet speeds?

Wi-Fi boosters often don’t reach the same top speeds as the main Wi-Fi network, especially top speeds close to the router. You may see your speeds cut in half by a Wi-Fi booster. But, all things considered, half-speed Wi-Fi in an area of your home that previously didn’t have Wi-Fi at all is still a marked improvement.

Booster placement can affect your boosted Wi-Fi speeds. Placing your booster closer to your router will give it a better signal to redistribute. On the other hand, placing your booster at the very edge of your Wi-Fi network can result in slower speeds since the booster has less signal to work with.

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Rebecca Lee Armstrong
Written by
Rebecca is a natural techie and the friend you turn to when your Wi-Fi randomly stops working. Since graduating from the University of Evansville with a degree in creative writing, Rebecca has leveraged her tech savvy to write hundreds of data-driven tech product and service reviews. In addition to HighSpeedInternet.com, her work has been featured on Top Ten Reviews, MacSources, Windows Central, Android Central, Best Company, TechnoFAQ and iMore.