How Far Should a Wi-Fi Extender Be From Your Router?

Wi-Fi extenders work by grabbing your router's signal and re-broadcasting it. But they only work well if you put them in the right spot. Too close to the router and the extender covers nothing new. Too far and it relays a weak signal that doesn't help.

The ideal distance

Under good conditions, place the extender about 25 to 40 feet from the router if it has external antennas. For models with internal antennas, aim for 20 to 35 feet. That's roughly halfway between the router and the dead zone you want to fix.

These figures assume a strong router signal and few obstacles. Thick concrete walls, brick, metal surfaces, floors, microwaves and baby monitors all weaken or interfere with the signal. If a wall or floor sits between the router and the dead zone, move the extender closer to the router.

How to find the sweet spot

Most extenders have a signal-strength light. Start near the router and move the extender gradually toward the dead zone while watching the LED. Stop when the light shows a good connection and the extender covers the problem area. Keep the extender about four feet off the floor, roughly level with the router, and point its antennas straight up.

When an extender won't work

In large homes, you may not find a position that gives acceptable performance. That's when you have two better options.

**Option 1: Go wired.** Set the extender to access point mode and run an Ethernet cable from it to your router. This eliminates signal loss and interference, and lets you place the extender right in the dead zone. Ethernet cables work up to 328 feet. Not all extenders have an Ethernet port or support access point mode.

**Option 2: Switch to mesh.** A mesh system uses multiple nodes that talk to each other. Unlike extenders, which create a separate network you have to join, mesh keeps everything on one network and automatically routes your device to the strongest node. Tri-band mesh systems avoid halving your bandwidth like many extenders do. Mesh costs more than an extender, but the performance and reliability usually make it worth the price.

• home networking
• how-to
• mesh Wi-Fi
• router placement
• signal dead zones
• Wi-Fi extender