10 best Wi-Fi extenders for gaming in 2022

The modern Wi-Fi extenders in 2022, come in various shapes, sizes, features, and of course, prices. When living in a big house, getting a fast Wi-Fi connection in all the rooms is something that cannot be easily achieved.

To surpass the limited range of a router, Wi-Fi extenders come in handy. There are two options in Wi-Fi extenders: range extenders are for relatively smaller houses and mesh Wi-Fi for relatively larger houses, which provide higher bandwidth.

To setup a Wi-Fi extender easily, one should first use any speedtesting service to locate the furthest spot from the router itself, with decent bandwidth that they want to replicate. Putting the mesh point or range extender there will allow them to relay that stronger signal and speed throughout a wide area.

Due to its stronger signals and wider area coverage, a mesh Wi-Fi is always more costly than a typical range extender. This article covers 10 of the best Wi-Fi extenders from different price points.

10 best Wi-Fi extenders that can be helpful in relaying good bandwith

1) D-Link DAP-1820

Speed upto 300 Mbps+1733 Mbps
WPS
D-Link Wi-Fi mesh support

D-Link DAP-1820 is an extreme budget range Wi-Fi extender. Around 28 dollars, DAP-1820 offers superfast combined Wi-Fi speeds of up to 300 Mbps (2.4 GHz) + 1733 Mbps (5 GHz), WPS.

It supports D-Link Wi-Fi mesh technology, users can set up a few of these Wi-Fi extenders with any D-Link Wi-Fi mesh supported routers for ultra-fast speed and wider area coverage. Everything can be controlled via D-Link Wi-Fi app.

Available for 26.80 USD.

2) NETGEAR AC750

Speed upto 750 Mbps
WPS
Wireless type 802.11ac

NETGEAR Net-EX3110-100NAS AC750 is a great compact Wi-Fi extender in the budget segment. It supports up to 750 Mbps data transfer speed, perfect for streaming HD videos.

This Wi-Fi extender comes with WPS for a quick setup and only weighs 0.65 pounds. This small brick can be plugged into any electric outlet and instantly set up for better Wi-Fi coverage throughout a wide area.

Available for 60.00 USD.

3) TP-Link RE550

Speed upto 600 Mbps+1300 Mbps
Intelligent Signal Light
AP Mode

TP-Link RE550 AC1900 Wi-Fi extender is another budget-friendly Wi-Fi extender. It offers up to 600 Mbps (2.4 GHz) + 1300 Mbps (5 GHz) bandwidth. Three adjustable external antennas provide optimal coverage.

With the Gigabit Ethernet port, users can add any wired device and get fast Gigabit speed. Intelligent Signal Light helps in finding the best location to plug in the device. Everything is controlled by the TP-Link Tether App, available both on Android and iOS.

Available for 69.99 USD.

4) TP-Link RE650

Speed upto 800 Mbps+1733 Mbps
4×4 MU-MIMO
Gigabit Ethernet Port

TP-Link RE650 is the top pick for lower mid-range Wi-Fi extenders. It comes in a sweet spot between the budget range extenders and high-priced range extenders and mesh Wi-Fi systems. It offers a a combined speed of up to 800 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 1733 Mbps (5GHz). 4×4 MU-MIMO helps simultaneously transfer data between multiple devices at 4x speed.

Beamforming Technology helps in sending targeted signals to chosen devices for stronger connections. RE650 also has all the special features of a TP-Link RE series Wi-Fi extender like, Gigabit Ethernet Port, Intelligent Signal Light, AP Mode, and TP-LINK Tether App compatibility.

Available for 89.99 USD.

5) NETGEAR EX6400 AC1900

Speed upto 1900 Mbps
FastLane Technology
Gigabit ethernet ports

NETGEAR EX6400 AC1900 Wi-Fi extender is a premium range device that closes the gap between a range extender and mesh Wi-Fi. EX6400 is a dual band Wi-Fi which provides up to 1900 Mbps bandwidth. Its FastLane Technology uses both Wi-Fi bands to establish high-speed connectivity.

The Smart Roaming Feature automatically connects devices to the best available network. Gigabit Ethernet port widens connectivity options. Users can easily connect EX6400 with their existing Wi-Fi router to create a mesh network throughout a wide area.

Available for 149.99 USD.

6) TP-Link Deco W7200

Speed upto 3600 Mbps
Wi-Fi 6
TP-Link HomeShield

Entering the mesh Wi-Fi section, TP-Link Deco W7200 AX3600 is a nice entry-level mesh Wi-Fi system. It provides tri-band network connectivity with up to 3600 Mbps speed. This AI-Driven Mesh automatically analyzes the area to provide faster networks throughout up to 5,500 square feet area. Users can connect up to 150 devices without losing signal strength.

Deco W7200 supports latest gen Wi-Fi 6 and is compatible with Amazon Alexa for voice-controlled operations. TP-Link HomeShield technology keeps the entire network safe with the latest network and IoT protection features. The Deco app allows easy setup and control through smartphones.

229.00 USD for a pair.

7) Google Nest

Speed upto 400 Mbps+1733 Mbps
Quad-core 64-bit ARM CPU 1.4 GHz
Capacitive touch controls

Google Nest is the perfect descendant of the Google Wi-Fi. It supports up to 400 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 1733 Mbps (5GHz). Powered by quad-core 64-bit ARM CPU 1.4 GHz CPU and 1GB RAM. Google Nest provides 2200 square feet of area coverage per router and 1600 square feet per point.

Users can assemble the network in a star or daisy chain configuration and get superfast connectivity, supporting up to 100 devices at once. WPA3 encryption and automatic security updates keep the home network safe and secure.

The Wi-Fi point has capacitive touch controls, a 360-degree surround sound speaker with 40 mm driver, and all the points have long-range microphones for using Google Assistant.

269.00 USD for a pair.

8) NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S

Speed upto 3000 Mbps
4 Gigabit ethernet ports
FastLane 3 technology

NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S EX8000-AC3000 tri-band Wi-Fi mesh extender is one of the best mesh Wi-Fi modules from Netgear. It offers up to 3000 Mbps speed with a range of up to 2500 square feet per module. Each module also supports up to 50 devices.

It keeps the network safe with WEP and WPA/WPA2 wireless security protocols. Netgear's patented FastLane3 technology ensures a seamless 4K streaming and online gaming experience. Each unit comes with four Gigabit ethernet ports for better wired connectivity.

173.99 USD for a single unit.

9) NETGEAR Orbi RBK852

Speed upto 6000 Mbps
1 x 3.5 Gbps and 4 x Gigabit ethernet ports
Netgear Armor security

Quoting tech expert Brian Nadel,

"NETGEAR Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) takes its place at the top of the food chain, becoming one of the best [mesh systems] available."

NETGEAR Orbi RBK852 AX6000 Wi-Fi extender supports upto 2400Mbps (2.4GHz) + 2400Mbps (5GHz) bandwidth with an added 5GHz 1200Mbps dedicated WiFi link for faster connections. Powered by quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, and 512MB NAND flash storage.

A single 2.5 Gbps WAN port and 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports take care of wired connections. NETGEAR Armor provides data protection for PC, Macs, and smartphones. RBK852 has eight high-performance internal antennas with high-powered ampliﬁers.

699.99 USD for a pair.

10) AmpliFi Alien

Speed upto 7685 Mbps
4 Gigabit ethernet LAN ports
AmpliFi Teleport VPN

AmpliFi Alien is the best mesh Wi-Fi in the market for gaming purposes. It supports tri-band networking with up to 1148Mbps (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi 6 + 4804Mbps (5GHz) Wi-Fi 6 + 1733Mbps (5GHz) Wi-Fi 5 bandwidth support. The 4.7" Touchscreen display shows all the important data and works as a control panel. It comes bundled with AmpliFi Teleport configuration-free VPN service.

AmpliFi Alien is powered by a 2.2 GHz 64-bit cuad-core CPU. The AmpliFi App allows easy installation and control via mobile devices. It has four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port for wired connections. The Alien boosts network speed by 4x and coverage by 2x, while significantly reducing battery drain on mobile devices.

379.00 USD for a single unit.

It is only fair to say that with higher speed and better coverage, mesh Wi-Fi is the future of Wi-Fi networking. Separate Wi-Fi range extenders are always an option when the budget is tight.

Edited by Abu Amjad Khan