So you've got a crappy Wi-Fi connection and it seems like an easy way to fix the problem is to buy
an inexpensive Wi-Fi range extender. It seems to make sense, right? I mean, the words range extender
are in the name, so it seems like the perfect solution for watching YouTube videos while sitting
on the toilet in the basement. But wait, there are much better solutions for strengthening your
Wi-Fi signal than range extenders, which generally kind of suck. We'll tell you why you shouldn't
buy them right after we thank our friend Joel Crane, expert on all things Wi-Fi, for helping us
out with this episode. So the way Wi-Fi extender works is fairly straightforward. All it does is
catch the signal from your existing router and then retransmit it to faraway devices. Right away,
you can probably see the first issue. Since it is picking up a signal that's already a little bit
weak, depending on where exactly you place the range extender, it likely isn't going to increase
your speeds too much. But even if you have a relatively high quality extender and place it in
an area where it'll catch a reasonably strong signal from your router, there are some other
serious downsides. Some extenders will broadcast on a separate SSID or network name. If this is
the case, you have to manually switch your phone or laptop back and forth between the two networks
as you move around your house. Your device won't latch onto the stronger signal automatically,
unless you more or less completely lose the other signal. You can configure it if you're
really inert and you have a really good router, but if that's the case, you're probably not
buying a range extender. Other extenders allow you to change the SSID to be the exact same as your
main network. In this case, you might think your devices would just figure out if the signal from
one router or the other is stronger and connect accordingly. However, there is a pretty major
shortcoming in the Wi-Fi standard in general. Once a device connects to a specific access
point, it often very stubbornly will try to stay connected to that AP, even if there's a stronger
one available. So if you're connected to your router at first and then walk away and get closer
to your range extender, there's a good chance your device will just stay connected to the weaker
router signal, defeating the whole purpose of the extender in the first place. Not to mention that
pairing your Wi-Fi range extender with a router that uses a different generation of Wi-Fi or has
different number of antennas just makes the problem worse, which is a shame because it's an easy
mistake to make if you're not closely comparing the product specs. Okay, okay, I get it. Range
extenders are bad and I shouldn't buy them. But what should you do about your terrible signal?
One straightforward way to fix your signal woes is to simply get a more powerful router.
More antennas and spatial streams is typically a good sign, but you'll also want to read reviews
and see just how far other folks have had their signals reach while still being usable with the
devices. Another good idea is to stop using the built-in wireless on your off-the-shelf router
and instead get a separate wireless access point. This is basically little more than an antenna
with a small amount of internal logic that connects to your main router via Ethernet cable.
Although they take a little bit more technical know-how to set up, there are many prosumer models
that have much better range than the typical consumer-grade wireless router. And you can even
set up several of them around your house, though be aware that your devices may still not quite
roam as intended. But if you don't want to mess around with access points, a more consumer-friendly
option is to get a mesh router. These are expandable kits that you use by placing nodes around your
house wherever you might need the most signal. Unlike repeaters, these nodes are specifically
designed to work together by providing better roaming for your devices so they'll switch more
intelligently. And nicer mesh kits will even place the backhaul or the traffic that flows between
the nodes on an entirely different frequency, freeing up bandwidth for your phones and computers.
So like with many things in life, you'll have to pay a little more to get the quality you want,
like that $2 upcharge for Guacamole. Worth it. OlÃ©! Thanks for watching guys. Like,
dislike, check out our other videos, comment with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe
and follow.