Best WiFi Extender for Gaming
While purists swear by cable internet for stability and speeds, Wi-Fi technology has improved to the point where gaming over a wireless network has moved beyond a handy compromise to a legitimate and viable choice. And, in that sense, Wi-Fi extenders are a blessing for home networks that suffer from a spotty or weak wireless signal, or worse, dead zones — Wi-Fi no man’s lands created by dense walls or plain old distance to the wireless router.
For gamers, they can expand the Wi-Fi coverage of a home, avoiding the need to run a meandering and often intrusive wired Ethernet cable from the router to gaming equipment situated in a bedroom or remote office. Speeds are more or less equivalent to wired Ethernet and steady enough for even the most competitive online games, especially when teamed with one of the best signal-boosting extenders.
A saturated market implies hundreds of Wi-Fi extenders pick from, some amazing, others not so spectacular. Sorting through them and decoding the marketing babble to discover one to fit a particular arrangement and range of demands may be a lengthy and demanding exercise. To that end, we’ve combed the market for the absolute best Wi-Fi extenders for gaming.
Best WiFi Extender for Gaming
1. NETGEAR EX7000 Mesh WiFi Extender
The NETGEAR Wi-Fi Mesh Range Extender EX7500 is a durable, cheaply priced plug-type extender with coverage up to 2,300 square feet and is suited for up to 45 different devices. It wins the top rank in our recommendation for the simple reason that it’s an easy-to-use alternative that doesn’t sacrifice on performance with throughput speeds up to 2.2 Gbps, more than enough for fast, lag-free gaming.
The highlight is NETGEAR’s unique FastLane 3 innovation, which delivers tri-band, one of which is devoted entirely to connecting with the router, which substantially minimizes slow down and won’t eat into valuable bandwidth. Additionally, Smart Roaming ensures devices connect to the best available band for greater speeds and stability. MU-MIMO allows the extender to interact simultaneously with numerous devices, lowering signal wait times and overall network speeds.
2. TP-Link AC1900
While investing in a Wi-Fi extension to complement an existing router is absolutely a valid method, another choice is to upgrade the router itself. The market is saturated with hundreds of possibilities, but for us, the beamforming and solid coverage of the TP-Link AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router (Archer A9) make it a good option for people coping with difficult dead zones.
The combination of beamforming technology that targets devices even at a substantial distance from the router to deliver a more strong signal, and multi-device MU-MIMO sending out data to three devices simultaneously, ensuring gameplay is never interrupted by a flaky connection. These technologies also contribute to the TP-Link AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router (Archer A9) increasing signal into those previously under-served regions of the home.
3. Netgear EX3700 Wi-Fi Range Extender
Netgear is a trusted brand in the area of Wi-Fi extenders. Netgear EX3700 is a sleek and attractive design with a broad coverage area and dual bandwidth of 750Mbps for the greatest gaming performance.
It gives a total coverage area of 1000 sq. ft, allowing numerous connected devices up to 15 at one time. So, it’s a full solution, whether it’s utilized for gaming or a family’s internet requirements.
It utilizes WPA/WPAs and WEP for network security. The Ethernet connection allows you to operate connected devices too. Therefore, the Netgear Wi-Fi range extender is a full answer both ways.
4. NETGEAR EX8000
The Netgear EX8000 is one of Netgear’s premium Wi-Fi extenders. You’ll discover an eight-LED status display on the front, designed to show the functioning of its numerous connections. There is a good quantity of gigabit ethernet connectors on the rear, so you can even link up your game console to this device when you need crazy fast speeds for your gaming tournaments.
There’s also a USB connector for fast and smooth file sharing and an in-built DLNA server means you can stream anything directly from your smart devices. As regards performance, the EX8000 is extremely amazing. It’s a triband mesh extender with transmission rates of up to 17,000Mbps. With throughput speeds of up to 3,000Mbps, this mesh extender allows you to connect up to 55 devices concurrently and yet manages to give the strongest connection to each.
5. Linksys AC3000 Max-Stream Tri Band Wi Fi Extender
Linksys AC3000 looks like something right out of Star Trek, big and hefty with a black finish and 4 antennae. Rated as one of the best Wi-Fi extenders in the market, it’s a direct rival to the NETGEAR EX8000 but quite a bit cheaper and with comparable features.
As a tri-band Wi-Fi, it will help you to maintain a powerful network so you can play games without interruption and hustle better when you need to.
It’s three wireless bands featuring a single 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands, ensuring every device on your network has the freedom it needs to run effectively.
This leads to speedier connectivity, speeds, and improved signal coverage. Based on MU-MIMO technology, it’s the one to purchase if you have many gadgets that connect to the internet.
It can cover a range of 10,000 sq ft with four strong antennae and you can even identify the optimal position to install the router with the Spot Finder.
The Linksys AC3000 is compatible with all other WiFi routers available on the market and aids in removing dead spots in the house, allowing gamers to move their gaming to any section of their living arrangement.
Gamers may also combine this Wi-Fi extender with a max stream router, allowing a single SSID or Wi-Fi network name to connect to exactly like a mesh system router.
6. NETGEAR EX7300
The Nighthawk X4 EX7300 incorporates small air vents throughout its structure to reduce overheating even when the extender is linked to many devices. When your connection is fast and stable, the LED panel blinks green, and when connectivity is weak, it flashes red. Design aside, the Nighthawk X4 extender functions admirably. It enhances your Wi-Fi coverage up to 2,300sq.ft. It also uses your SSID name so you remain connected throughout your house.