Wi-Fi Extender Placement: Halfway to the Dead Zone, Usually 20 to 40 Feet From the Router

Those distances assume a strong router signal and few obstacles, the outlet said. An extender does not simply broadcast; it receives a signal and re-broadcasts it, so a unit placed too far from the router passes on a weak signal, while one placed too close leaves the dead zone uncovered. Many extenders also use a single channel to receive and send data, which cuts their available bandwidth in half, and poor placement makes that penalty worse.

Building materials and household devices shorten the usable distance. Thick concrete, brick, floors, metal surfaces, microwave ovens and baby monitors all weaken or interfere with Wi-Fi signals. Engadget said anyone with a brick wall or a floor standing between the router and the dead zone should place the extender closer to the router than the halfway point.

To find the right spot, Engadget recommends starting with the extender near the router and moving it gradually toward the dead zone while watching the indicator light that shows received signal strength, stopping at a point where the extender still holds a solid connection to the router and covers the target area. For best reception, the unit should sit about four feet off the ground, roughly level with the router, with its antennas pointing straight up.

Large homes can defeat an extender no matter where it is placed, and Engadget lists two alternatives. The first is wired operation: switching the extender to access point mode and running an Ethernet cable to the router, which avoids signal degradation and interference while preserving the router's bandwidth. Ethernet cables have a maximum effective length of 100 meters, or 328 feet, and not every extender has an Ethernet port or supports access point mode.

The second is a mesh Wi-Fi system. Mesh nodes extend coverage while keeping devices on one network name and automatically routing them to the strongest node, rather than creating the separate "EXT" network that extenders typically require. Engadget said mesh handles difficult surfaces and layouts better, and tri-band systems avoid halving bandwidth. Mesh systems cost more than extenders, but the outlet judged their performance and reliability the better solution.