It made a clear impact, as that heat map indicates. For example, when we tested a three-piece Eero setup at the 5,800-square-foot CNET Smart Home, we placed the second satellite down in the basement and measured the signal strength throughout the entire house. That Eero 6 system wasn't quite as sharp as Nest at steering my connection when I tested, but adding a second satellite to any mesh setup will make a noticeable difference in the strength of your connection. That's about $70 less than Nest's 3-piece system which doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 at all. Nest is nice, but Eero, another option with strong software chops, currently offers three-piece setups for $279, complete with support for Wi-Fi 6. If you live in a large home, then a three-piece system is definitely a worthy investment. It didn't make much difference upstairs, but that third Eero device, located downstairs, had a huge impact on signal strength in the CNET Smart Home's basement (blue is bad, green is good, and yellow is best here - look for the boost in the basement when that third device comes into play). Many of them cost a lot less than in previous years, but you should still expect to pay at least $150 for an entry-level system with multiple devices, and hundreds more than that for something top-of-the-line. There's a bit of a mesh router renaissance underway these days, with lots of new, second-wave options hitting the market. With multiple devices spread throughout your home, a good mesh router can sling a speedy signal from room to room, and you won't have to juggle multiple networks like you will with a range extender - you'll just connect to the same network throughout your home (or two networks, if you're splitting the 2.4 and 5GHz bands into their own separate connections). If your problem is bigger than a single room where you can't connect - say, an entire floor where your speeds are spotty - then your best move is almost certainly to upgrade to a mesh router. Chris Monroe/CNET Mesh routers: Best for whole-home coverage You've got lots of good mesh router options right now, though. We like Google's Nest Wifi the best for its fast, steady connection, impressive range, and sophisticated software. That's terrific performance for the price, especially if it means the difference between a steady connection and no connection at all. That might not sound like much, but it's fast and steady enough to support video chats, HD video streams, and even basic online gaming if you need it to. When I tested a few of the top value picks out in my home, the RE220's 5GHz band was able to sustain speeds of about 75Mbps throughout my entire test area, with a radius of about two rooms (or roughly forty feet). In fact, most of the cheap, plug-in models that cost $50 or less won't connect much faster than 50Mbps, and they'll only offer enough range to cover a couple of rooms at best. Just double-check that your router has a WPS button (almost all do) and you'll be fine.Įxtenders like these are unlikely to hit your network's max speeds, mind you. Range extenders like these are typically designed to work no matter what kind of router you're using. Ry Crist/CNETĪnd don't worry too much about the brand. In my tests, the RE220 was able to boost the speeds in this back bathroom from single digits up to about 80Mbps. In most cases, you'll see it listed as the existing network name with "_EXT" tacked onto the end. It won't boost your existing home network per se - instead, it'll use that connection with your router to broadcast its own network. You'll plug it in, press the WPS button to put it into Wi-Fi Protected Setup mode, and then press the WPS button on your router to pair the two together. Range extenders like these are a cinch to use. If you're willing to spend a little more, go with the TP-Link RE505X, which adds in faster, more robust speeds and support for Wi-Fi 6. You've got a lot of options, but the best value that I've tested is the TP-Link RE220, a plug-in extender that you can find online at various retail outlets for about $35, if not less. If you've just got one or two rooms where the connection isn't usable, then a simple Wi-Fi range extender might be all you need. Ry Crist/CNET Wi-Fi range extenders: A good fix for small dead zones It's easy to use, it provides a steady, workable connection with surprisingly good range, and you can get it for less than $30. If you can find it in stock, the TP-Link RE220 is a great range extender value pick.
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