We all get annoyed at encountering WiFi dead zones as we walk away from the router. Luckily, there’s an easy fix to this problem. All you need is the best outdoor WiFi extender to boost wireless connectivity outside the walls of your home. The best part is that these devices do not cost a lot and are a must-have whether you need them for uninterrupted streaming, gaming, or work routine outside your room.
In a Hurry? Here’s our Top Three
We have put together a list of the Best Outdoor WiFi extenders along with their reviews to help you find the best one for yourself. Having a good outdoor WiFi range extender will improve the quality of WiFi and save you from the troubles of taking the router everywhere with you. Let’s find out what the most popular ones in the market have to offer.
Best Outdoor WiFi Range Extenders
TP-Link AC1750 (RE450) – Best Long Range WiFi Extender Outdoor (up to 1 mile)
Pros:
- Easy installation
- One of the fastest throughputs (up to 1750Mbps)
- Excellent WiFi coverage range
- Great value for the money
Cons:
- Slightly bulky
- No pass-through outlet
The TP-Link RE450 is the best outdoor WiFi extender for large properties thanks to its consistent performance and solid throughput speeds. We were particularly impressed with its signal range right off the bat, and it easily surpasses most other wireless extenders we’ve tested so far. The RE450 maintains close to 100 percent connection at a distance of 100-150 feet and covers a range up to 2000 sq. ft in total.
This WiFi extender is a breeze to set up thanks to the large one-touch RE button along with status indicator LED lights right on the front of the device. It’s a bit on the heftier side but that won’t be the slightest of your worries once you plug it into a wall outlet. It’s a dual-band extender, which is capable of a maximum data rate of 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band.
The RE450 has got everything you need from an outside WiFi extender: from a Gigabit Ethernet port, Access Point capability, WPS, smart indicator lights, and an intuitive mobile application. The handy TP-Link Tether app lets you control device management, guest privileges, scheduling, and monitoring right from your Android or iOS smartphone. It, however, lacks a pass-through outlet which some other routers have.
If your router supports WPS, that’ll make installing extremely easy. All you have to do is press the WPS button on the router immediately followed by pressing the WPS button on the extender, and you’re done. If not, you have to do it the traditional way of connecting to its SSID via a browser and setting up from there. Once set up, it will connect to any router or access point and will support up to 32 devices.
The RE450 is a solid outdoor WiFi range extender if you’re looking for an affordable and reliable solution to boost your WiFi coverage. It does come with a 2-year warranty so you don’t have to worry in case of defects. Sure, there are other devices with a pass-through outlet, more LAN ports, or maybe they are lightweight, but in terms of overall price-to-performance, it’s the best WiFi extender out there.
TP-Link 2.4GHz N300 CPE (CPE210) – Best Outdoor Wifi Access Point
Pros:
- Fantastic WiFi range
- Excellent hardware for the price
- Easy to configure as a Client, Repeater, Access Point, Bridge, AP Client Router
- Weatherproof and robust construction
Cons:
- No mesh technology
The TP-Link CPE210 is another extender designed to provide an inexpensive solution for all your outdoor networking needs. Let’s get this out of the way first, it’s a single-band extender and comes with two different versions for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. So, if you’ve got an array of devices featuring both, you are better off with other products on this list. That said, it delivers a solid performance for point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and long-range outdoor WiFi applications.
The CPE210 is specially designed for outdoor usage, claiming data transmission over massive distances of 5km and more. The Qualcomm Atheros chipset and MIMO antenna technology are a key factor in achieving that. This extender sports a 9dBi 2×2 dual-polarized high-gain antenna which is designed to be a workhorse no matter what the weather conditions are. It has support for Passive PoE power supply, which means it can be powered via ethernet cable up to 200 ft. The performance is quite surprising given the low price tag.
TP-Link also provides its Centralized Management Software known as Pharos Control. This lets users easily control their network and devices from their PC. The Pharos Control software helps in functions like network maintenance, device discovery, status monitoring, firmware upgrading, and more. Besides that, the device supports various modes like AP router, repeater, and AP client router, and can be reset remotely thanks to the PoE design.
Overall, we are impressed with how much the TP-Link CPE210 offers for such a reasonable price. It’s easy to install, reliable, and can be used even to cover entire yards. If you are on a budget, then you can pair it with a router like Linksys EA7300 which is the fastest AC1750 router and both these devices will cost you under the $150 budget which is a steal deal. As long as you can get by the limited band availability, this is probably the long-range WiFi extender you should be looking for to satisfy all your outdoor needs.
TP-Link Omada AC1200 (EAP225-Outdoor) – Best Outdoor WiFi Booster Antenna
Pros:
- Durable and weatherproof enclosure provided
- Effective 2×2 MIMO technology
- Reasonable priced
- Convenient Management Software
Cons:
- No mesh technology
Another amazing outdoor access point from TP-Link, but this time it’s from their professional Omada range. If you decide to spend just a bit more, you will get the benefits of a waterproof enclosure, No Ingress of Dust enclosure, 4KV lightning protection, and 15KV ESD protection. This makes it the perfect WiFi solution for rough outdoor conditions. It’s also extremely fast, with a combined throughput of up to 1200Mbps, and has a 2×2 MU-MIMO high-gain antenna for a stable wireless operation.
The EAP225 is easily deployed and managed via the Omada Controller software, which can be installed on Windows or Linux based systems. This software has sophisticated controls for device configuration, client management, network monitoring, and much more. Besides that, Omada offers free cloud service for its centralized management platform, which means you can access the network from anywhere you go. Convenient, isn’t it?
Let’s talk about the range and performance of this access point. The EAP225-Outdoor features dual-band omnidirectional antennas. The 2.4GHz band is capable of 300Mbps speeds and covers a range of 200m+, while the 5GHZ band has coverage of 300m+ and a bandwidth of about 867Mbps. Besides that, the antennas are also detachable which means you can replace them with other antennas for versatile usage.
We have to say the results were spectacular, with the access point managing to maintain a strong connection even at far distances with a few obstacles. Having too many walls or obstacles will degrade the strength of the signal as you walk away, but the performance is impressive overall.
We believe the Omada EAP225-Outdoor is well worth it especially if you plan to put it to use outdoors. This model does lack mesh mode which some other access points have, but then they cost more.
NETGEAR Orbi Wall-Plug – Best Outdoor WiFi Antenna Omnidirectional
Pros:
- Very easy to set up in an Orbi WiFi system
- Advanced Tri-Band technology
- Up to 1500 sq ft of coverage
- Covers the whole house effectively
- Durable and water-proof
Cons:
- Premium price not justified for everyone
- Some firmware and connection issues reported by users
NETGEAR Orbi Satellite Extender is a high-end device that only works with the Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi system. While this does limit the versatility when choosing a WiFi device, the Orbi network is fantastic in itself. If you own an Orbi router or are planning to install one, this would be a great investment for mirroring the router essentially acting as a blanket of a wireless network over your entire home.
Since mesh networks use the same SSID across all devices, it’s easier to set up and use once installed. This Orbi Satellite will cover up to 1500 sq. ft and is capable of speeds up to 2.2Gbps. Netgear uses the highly-effective Tri-Band technology on this one, which allows for stable and fast connections even when a large number of devices are connected.
It’s super easy to install, and all you have to do is to download the Orbi app which will sync the extender with your existing Orbi WiFi system. It does come with a guest network function for those of you wondering and can handle multiple guests without any negative effect on the speeds. Also, Netgear has made it IP66 water-resistant, which is a nice addition.
The Orbi Whole Home is a dual-band network, with a dedicated 5GHz link supporting speeds up to 866Mbps. This WiFi system won’t make sense for everyone, especially if you can’t benefit from multiple satellite devices, or are new to the Orbi WiFi technology. We also think the premium price is not justified unless you have a very large property to cover.
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Rockspace 750Mbps (RSD0607) – Best WiFi Extender for PC and Console Gaming
Pros:
- Affordable and value product
- Dual-Band network with a max 750Mbps throughput
- 360-degree coverage up to 1300 sq. ft
- Quick and easy setup
- The perfect solution for casual users
Cons:
- Not the best build quality
If you are looking for an affordable dual-band WiFi extender, Rockspace might have got something in store for you. It had great customer reviews and was one of the top-selling products, so we decided to give it a go. And we have to say the RSD0607 extender delivers nothing short of incredible results. It’s super cheap, is easy to install, and instantly boosts the range up to 1300 sq. ft. It is capable of transferring at about 300Mbps for 2.4GHz and 433Mbps for 5GHz band, which is good enough for a cheap extender.
The Rockspace Outdoor WiFi range extender has a quick and easy WPS setup and can pair with most of the routers. While it won’t win any awards for its design, it has some convenient status LED indicators that show the signal strength of the connection. Setting up an access point is also possible using the ethernet port provided on the device and connecting it to a router.
All in all, it’s an inexpensive WiFi extender that works great and gets the job done. If you’re looking to expand the connectivity of your home, gym, or office but don’t care about the extra features like weatherproof casing or Gigabit throughputs, the Rockspace is the best WiFi extender for you. Sure, it’s made out of plastic that might not be the most durable out there, but as long as you place it carefully, you’re good to go.
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Buying Guide for Choosing the Best Outdoor Wi-Fi Extender
1. Manufacture
WiFi extenders are usually long-term investments, and there’s nothing more frustrating than your device breaking down every now and then. To avoid that, get a product from a reliable manufacturer like TP-Link or Netgear. You’ll usually get better customer support and have an easy time in case of troubleshooting or repairs.
2. Range
The extender must cover all of your property or at least the area you intend to use your WiFi device in. Ideally, the higher you can get, the better. However, the signal quality must remain strong even at larger ranges otherwise you won’t get the desired speeds as you go further away.
3. Performance
The WiFi extender should increase the connectivity as compared to the router alone. You want to get the extender with high throughputs and low latency to ensure that it maintains your router’s network and does not bottleneck it.
4. Versatility
This includes everything ranging from ease-of-use to any requirements as per your taste. Plug-in models are limiting in terms of placement while desktop extenders can be placed anywhere on your desk or shelf. Besides that, some extenders come with multiple modes like AP/ client/ AP router/ AP client router (WISP) to suit a wide variety of needs.
Conclusion
None of us can live without WiFi and when there’s modern technology like WiFi range extenders that helps us reap its benefits from anywhere in your house, it’s a no-brainer to have one for yourself. Whether you’re planning to host a party outside or want to browse the web relaxing under the sun, WiFi extenders will help you.
Now that you know all the best products in the market, you can surely decide on the ideal outdoor WiFi extender for your home. Let us know which one are you going to pick!
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John follows everything happening in the tech industry, from the latest gadget launches to some of the big-name moves in the industry. He covers opinionated pieces and writes on some of the biggest names in the industry. John is also a freelance writer, so he shares articles on freelancing every now and then. email: john@tekpip.com
Last update on 2023-06-03 We are an Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.in affiliate and earn from qualifying purchases through our links at no extra cost to you.