Your Wi-Fi network essentially serves as the vital core of your smart home. Similar to how a real heart benefits from nutritious food and exercise, your home network operates optimally when you fine-tune a few crucial elements. The most significant factor? Having a robust router. While your internet provider may readily rent you a modem-router combination, purchasing your own equipment not only eliminates those recurring rental costs — it also allows you to choose a router that genuinely offers the speed and coverage you require.
However, routers can become expensive quite quickly. If you’re on a budget, a wise approach is to select a dependable mid-range router and complement it with a Wi-Fi extender. This pairing helps keep expenses low while enhancing performance. We’ve previously reviewed the top Wi-Fi range extenders, and an outstanding current option is the TP-Link RE315 AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender.
With a 4.2-star rating on Amazon based on over 37,000 reviews, it’s a great pick for both new configurations and existing networks. Additionally, it’s a game changer if your home has frustrating Wi-Fi dead zones. In a highly positive review of the AC1200, one Amazon user remarked, “[I]t’s excellent for our space. Highly recommend for a strong signal 40 feet away from your access point.” Another Amazon reviewer echoed this sentiment, stating, “If you have dead zones or an external building that requires coverage, this is an amazing, budget-friendly solution.”
Speed, intelligence, and no dead zones
The TP-Link AC1200 accommodates dual-band speeds up to 1,200Mbps, and its Adaptive Path Selection feature automatically selects the optimal Wi-Fi band for your devices. This is a significant advantage if your home or office contains numerous phones, laptops, smart TVs, and other connected devices (the AC1200 supports up to 30 connected devices). TP-Link also provides a smart signal indicator to help pinpoint the ideal location for maximum coverage.
Setting it up involves downloading the TP-Link Tether app and following the setup assistant. Once connected to your router, the AC1200 can function as a dedicated access point for all your wireless gadgets — and with its Gigabit Ethernet port, wired devices can also get a speed enhancement. Unlike mesh systems that rely on primary and satellite units to evenly distribute coverage, range extenders like the AC1200 simply capture your router’s signal and retransmit it, addressing those annoying dead zones without complicating your network. Range extenders are typically more affordable than investing in a mesh system, too — even though the former is often the preferred choice when establishing a Wi-Fi network from scratch.
Furthermore, adding a Wi-Fi extender isn’t the sole method to enhance Wi-Fi speeds for your home or business. To help eliminate dead spots, straightforward adjustments such as repositioning your router or assigning specific devices to particular Wi-Fi bands can significantly improve network performance as well.
