Range extenders & using other Wi-Fi routers & access points to extend the range of a Wi-Fi network

Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and many other vendors sell range extenders and the purchaser reviews usually provide good advice on how to set them up if connecting them proves to be problematic.

Here is an example of an inexpensive range extender, also known as a repeater, that is used to extend the range of a cabled Ethernet and a wireless Wi-Fi network – Aukey AC750 Wi-Fi Repeater, Wireless Range Extender, Dual Band Gigabit 802.11ac (300 Mbps + 433Mbps) with WPS for Easy Connection (Wi-Fi Booster).

It plugs into the mains electricity supply, but is not a Powerline adapter that uses the mains cabling to form a cabled network, it just powers itself from the mains. You can use it as a wireless Access Point by setting it with the same SSID and password as your ADSL modem router. It  works well to provide  Wi-Fi in rooms that don’t receive a strong signal from the main modem router. The image below shows its labelled connection ports. As you can see it can be used as a router (without a modem) or a range extender and has a switch that switches between those modes, that are used to extend a cabled or a Wi-Fi network. It comes with a user manual. The purchaser reviews on amazon.co.uk are very helpful.

Alternatively, using Powerline (HomePlug) adapters that connect via the mains electricity supply with Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi adapters built into the Powerline adapters, might be preferable.

Some routers provide an antenna socket that allows you to fit a large antenna that provides improved long-range reception. Some routers support what is known as the Wireless Distribution System (WDS), which allows the use of other wireless routers and access points to extend a particular router’s range.

Wireless distribution system  –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Distribution_System

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