Best WIFI Repeater a weak WLAN signal reach any device. Many people know the problem: You’ve barely made yourself comfortable to surf from bed or watch your favorite series on your tablet when you realize that the WLAN signal is too weak. Everything hangs and jerks or the network breaks down completely. A WLAN amplifier or repeater can help in such cases. We have tested a large number of WLAN amplifiers and present the best devices in detail in this article.

Best WIFI Repeater in the test: test winner, price tip, and recommendations for Fritz! Box users

WLAN repeaters provide the whole house or apartment with a stable WLAN network – but not only that. Often, repeaters can also be used to set up a so-called mesh network, which has a few advantages, and without any additional effort.

In addition to our test winner and price tip, you will also find a recommendation and a price tip for owners of an AVM Fritz! Box in the following table, since these modem routers are among the most popular and widespread models in Germany.

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 EAX80 Best WIFI Repeater

The Netgear Nighthawk AX8 EAX80 supports the latest WiFi 6 or 802.11ax standard. It is easy to set up and scores with an excellent range as well as outstanding performance values. It offers four 1 Gbps LAN ports and one USB Type A 3.0 port. Unfortunately, it does not offer a 2.5 Gbit/s LAN port and requires a lot of power for its performance.

It does not show any weaknesses even during setup: An installation wizard guides you safely through the process and takes over the setup – with the same network name of the home WLAN (SSID) and the corresponding password if desired. Further settings can be made via a smartphone app or web interface.

According to the manufacturer, the repeater achieves a maximum WLAN-AX data rate of 1,148 MBit per second on the 2.4 GHz frequency and even 4,804 MBit per second on the more stable, but shorter-range 5 GHz frequency. In practice, at a distance of around 30 meters from the router, we still measured an average of 230 MBit per second on the 5 GHz frequency and a maximum of 767 MBit per second.

The equipment includes four 1 Gbit/s LAN ports and a USB Type-A 3.0 port. In addition, the model supports WPA3 encryption, which ensures a higher security standard. Furthermore, it supports

Features

AC-MU-MIMO, AX-MU-MIMO, 160 MHz channels, and cross-band repeating for simultaneous communication on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. These features ensure greater stability of network reception and better share traffic between different devices. This way, you don’t have to worry about the Fortnite-playing kid stealing all your bandwidth.

You can also set up the Nighthawk AX8 EAX80 as an access point by connecting it to a router with an Ethernet cable. In this case, it picks up speed once again: We measured a maximum of 945 MBit per second at a distance of 12 meters.

However, so much performance has wireless repeater wifi price, because, at around 245 euros, the Nighthawk AX8 EAX80 is one of the most expensive repeaters in our test and is one of the more power-hungry models with 7 watts on standby and 10 watts in operation. Unfortunately, you cannot mount the device on the wall, but have to place it upright. Other repeaters simply hang directly on the wall socket as an inconspicuous box.

TP-Link RE550 -Best WIFI Repeater

The TP-Link RE550 offers an inexpensive entry into the world of extended home networking. It can be conveniently placed in a power outlet, can function as an access point and mesh extender, and requires little power. However, you have to do without WPA3 support and 2.5 Gbit/s LAN ports in return.

For a retail price of around 50 Euros, the TP-Link RE550 is our price tip among the tested wireless repeater wifi.

The setup is easy: You just have to press the WPS button on the repeater and your (modem) router and both devices connect. The WLAN name (SSID) and password are adopted, so you don’t have to juggle multiple WLAN networks at home. You can manage the device itself either via the TP-Link Tether app – available for Android or iOS – or via the web interface.

In terms of equipment, the R550 only offers the bare essentials: a 1 Gbit/s LAN port – you have to do without additional ports. The repeater can be wonderfully hidden in a socket, but it then blocks this and neighboring sockets. Furthermore, it only offers WPA2 encryption and thus less security than the other models presented here. In return, AC-MU-MIMO and cross-band repeating are on board for more stability and good handling of multiple connected devices.

On a positive note, the TP-Link RE550 can also be used as an access point with a wired connection. In this case, we then determined an average data transfer rate of 488 MBit per second and a maximum of 672 MBit per second under optimal conditions (12-meter distance).

The power consumption is low. Only 4 watts in standby mode and 7 watts in operation are excellent rates.

AVM FRITZ! Repeater 6000 – Best WIFI Repeater

The AVM FRITZ! extend wifi repeater impresses with its excellent speed values, support for WiFi 6 (802.11ax), and good features. Unfortunately, it cannot be mounted on the wall and requires a lot of power compared to other devices.

For owners of an AVM Fritz!Box, a Best WIFI Repeater repeater from the manufacturer is a good choice since you can set up your mesh network (from Fritz! OS 7.0 and higher) very quickly this way. In our test (August 2021), the AVM Fritz! Repeater 6000 was the fastest device in the field and is, therefore, our editorial recommendation for you if you own an AVM router and value high speeds.

The installation is very simple and fast. A quick press of the Connect button on the repeater, then press the WPS switch on the Fritz!Box within two minutes and the two devices connect. The repeater is managed via the corresponding web interface. The Fritz!App WLAN for Android or iOS helps you find the ideal location for your router. The repeater takes over the network name (SSID) and the WLAN password as well as the encryption settings.

AVM has not skimped on technology in its current top model. For example, the device supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax standard), which, in combination with a corresponding router, is significantly faster than WiFi 5. Accordingly, the AVM Fritz! Repeater 6000 should theoretically achieve a maximum of 1,148 MBit per second on the 2.4 GHz frequency and 2,402 MBit per second on the 5 GHz frequency.

What’s special about this model is that when it’s connected to a Fritz!Box, both devices use their frequency to communicate with each other. That is why it is one of the few tri-band repeaters in our test field. We measured an average of 261 MBit per second in practical use. While the maximum data transfer rate was 729 MBit per second.

The features of the AVM Fritz! Repeater 6000 includes a 1 Gbit/s LAN port and a 2.5 Gbit/s LAN port. In addition, there is support for AC-MU-MIMO and AX-MU-MIMO as well as WPA3 encryption.

If you use the repeater as an access point, it will show its speed advantages to the fullest: 423 MBit per second on average and a maximum of 777 MBit per second under optimal conditions are our measured values. However, so much power has its price. Because the AVM Fritz! Repeater 6000 is one of the most expensive models in the test at over 200 euros, and with a consumption of 9 watts on standby and 15 watts in operation, it is one of the power guzzlers in our test field. This is because you pay around 27 euros a year in electricity costs for the device. Moreover, you cannot mount it on the wall, but have to place it upright on a shelf, a dresser, or the floor.

Buying guide: How to find the ideal network WIFI repeater for your application

If you are considering buying a WLAN repeater, there are a few points to consider when making the purchase. The frequency bands as such do not play such a big role any more, since all devices presented here use both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz frequency for the router and the connected devices to communicate with each other.

How do WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 differ?

If you already own a (modem) router that supports WiFi 6 standard (also known as 802.11ax), such as the AVM Fritz!Box 7590AX, you should buy a WLAN repeater that can also handle this standard. The same applies if you plan to purchase such a router shortly. On the one hand, WiFi 6 is much faster than WiFi 5, can manage many end devices or clients better, and often offers a better encryption technology with WPA3.

If you already own WiFi 5 repeaters and have already bought a new router, you can continue to use them. After all, in our test, WiFi-5 models benefited from the faster pace of a WiFi 6 router, so you can still use them for areas you don’t frequent as often.

n the other hand, you can save by buying a more expensive WiFi-6 model on an older router. Here, you can better invest your money in a good WiFi 5 repeater.

Why AC-MU-MIMO or AX-MU-MIMO play an important role

Let’s start by breaking down the terms. The abbreviation AC stands for WiFi 5 (802.11ac standard) and AX for WiFi 6 (802.11ax standard). MU means multi-user in both cases and MIMO is the abbreviation for multiple-input and multiple-output. These technologies ensure that several users can access the router or repeater simultaneously in a network with the most diverse requests without feeling a disadvantage due to high operation.

With AC-MU-MIMO, four channels are available for this purpose during download. With AX-MU-MIMO, the whole thing doubles to eight channels, which support both downstream and upstream, so that tasks can be processed even faster in parallel.

This is why AX-MU-MIMO is especially interesting for households in which several people access the WLAN network intensively at the same time, for example when streaming in Full HD or 4K, simultaneously uploading social media postings or YouTube videos, and downloading or playing games on consoles or PCs.

Do You know What does cross-band or cross-band repeating mean?

Cross-band or cross-band repeating means that routers and repeaters communicate with each other on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, and do so in parallel. 2.4 GHz has a longer range and penetrates obstacles better, while 5 GHz is more stable over short distances. With many modern routers or repeaters, frequency selection and switching are automatic. This means that data transfer can take place much faster among the various end devices such as laptops, consoles, smartphones, or tablets that are connected to the network via one of the two frequencies. For example, if a notebook transmits on the 2.4 GHz frequency with a repeater and the repeater passes the signal on the 5 GHz frequency to the router, then crossband repeating takes place.

The opposite of this is the same band repeating, i.e.: here, for example, a console forwards its request to the repeater on the 5 GHz frequency and the repeater then passes the data packet to the router also on the 5 GHz frequency.

I think you should know What do 160 MHz channels mean for a network wifi repeater ?

This concerns the 5 GHz frequency in a WLAN network. Originally, only the radio channel bandwidth up to 80 MHz was made available here – now it is possible to use double the bandwidth with 160 MHz. This means a higher speed for data transfer. However, not all routers and repeaters support this option.

What is the difference between dual-band and tri-band repeaters?

A dual-band repeater operates on both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies and communicates with the different devices and the router in this way.

A tri-band model also has a radio module for another 5 GHz frequency. In AVM devices, for example, this second 5 GHz frequency is used exclusively for communication between the router and repeater. This internal connection is also called backhaul. In principle, triband technology can be used to set up a stable home network with high data transfer rates. Especially in a mesh network, when several repeaters and many end devices are in use, the triband devices can unfold their full potential.

Guess What is the difference between WPA3 and WPA2?

WPA is the abbreviation for Wi-Fi Protected Access and characterizes the method by how WLAN devices connect to a (modem) router or repeater, for example. However, all devices use only one common network key to protect the transmitted information from possible attackers.

Since the previous standard procedure WPA2 dates back to 2004 and had some weaknesses, the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) presented WPA3 in 2018. This encryption technology has been used in many devices since 2019. However, WPA3 can easily communicate with WPA2, so you can still add older devices with this older encryption technology to your home network.

Simply put, WPA3 provides better protection for your network, especially in terms of the network key, as it is now calculated in a more complex way.

Many WiFi 6 or 802.11ax devices already have WPA3 on board from the factory. However, you should always double-check this to be on the safe side. If you have a WiFi-5 or 802.11ac repeater or router, you may be able to upgrade WPA3 with a firmware upgrade. However, this is handled very differently from manufacturer to manufacturer, so not every device will get an upgrade.

As an operating system, WPA3 is supported on Microsoft operating systems from Windows 10 version 1903, macOS from version 10.15, iOS from version 13, and Android from version 10.

What is a mesh network? And what advantages does it offer?

A mesh network usually consists of a router and several repeaters. The resulting individual networks connect to form a single large one – hence the name mesh.

The main advantage of a mesh system is that you can provide your household with a stable WLAN signal over a wide area. In addition, you can move around freely in a house or apartment without having to worry about wireless holes. For example, you can walk with your notebook, smartphone, or tablet from your study to the kitchen, then perhaps to your living room on the second floor, and finally perhaps to the roof terrace on the second floor without having to worry about interference with the WLAN connection. To ensure that you always have consistently good WLAN reception, it is not your end device that takes care of the network change, but your home network. As soon as it detects that you are coming within range of a stronger station, it hands you over to it without you having to do anything.

Also, many well-known manufacturers already have mesh technology built into their routers and repeaters, so you often don’t have to factor in any additional costs here if you want to build such a network. But this is also the biggest disadvantage because you are usually bound to one manufacturer since often only the elements of the same provider can build a mesh network. Furthermore, you should expect higher energy costs, since routers and repeaters usually always have to be connected to the power grid.