Do I Need a Wi-Fi Extender?
A Wi-Fi extender can help improve wireless coverage in parts of your home where the Wi-Fi signal is weak.
What’s happening?
A Wi-Fi extender can help improve wireless coverage in parts of your home where the Wi-Fi signal is weak.
Common causes
- Some rooms may have a weak Wi-Fi signal.
- The router may not cover the whole home well.
- The problem may actually be the internet service or one device rather than Wi-Fi coverage.
However, an extender will not fix every internet problem. If your internet service is already slow near the router, an extender may not solve the problem.
Common questions
- Is Wi-Fi strong near the router?
- Is only one room affected?
- Is the router in a poor location?
- Is your internet service already slow?
- Are several devices having the same problem?
Things you can safely try
- Test the Wi-Fi near the router.
- Test your internet near the router.
- Consider the router's location.
- Restart the router.
- Test more than one device.
If the connection is strong there but weak in another room, coverage may be the issue.
If it is slow everywhere, the problem may be with your internet service rather than Wi-Fi coverage.
Walls, floors, large objects, and other interference can affect Wi-Fi.
A normal restart can clear temporary connection problems.
If only one device has trouble, the problem may be with that device instead of your Wi-Fi.
Stop here
Don't buy additional networking equipment until you're reasonably sure the problem is weak Wi-Fi coverage rather than slow internet service or a device problem.
If you're unsure what equipment you need, get help before purchasing anything.
Still having trouble?
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If you’ve tried the basic troubleshooting steps and still need help, we’re here to help.
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