Best Wifi Extender for Gaming
Let’s Breathe Some Life into Those Dead Spots
When you finally unshackle yourself from the bonds of the ethernet cable, you feel like the possibilities are limitless. You’ve been anchored in place next to the router for so long that it’s become your closest friend and confidante, and now you can say goodbye, but it’s not always easy making a clean break.
There’s nothing worse than lugging your hefty build into your new gaming space only to discover it’s where internet goes to die. You might be able to feed off the crumbs of the signal, playing the odd bit of COD here and Fifa there, but you’ll be lucky if you’re still connected before first blood or kickoff.
Not to worry, though, wifi wanderer, we’ve done the research and compiled the five best wifi extenders for gaming into this one space.
Our Top Picks
TP-Link AC750 Wifi Extender
TP-Link AC750 Wifi Extender
Best Wifi Extender for Gaming
In-depth Review
TP-Link MU-MIMO Range Extender RE650
TP-Link MU-MIMO Range Extender RE650
Despite the cute demeanor, the TP is quite a large wifi extender, but the low-profile design reduces the chances of you kicking it or it catching on clothing as you pass by. It’s a wifi 5 extender offering up 1733MBps on the 5GHz band and 800MBps on the 2.4GHz band, which is more than any individual gamer could ever need, even if they were undertaking some pretty data-intensive multitasking.
It has MU-MIMO functionality reinforced by four independent antennas meaning that no matter how many cohabitants you have and what their computational habits are, you’ll always have strong dedicated connections to the wifi. Gaming, streaming, downloading, video calling friends and family…the RE650 has you covered, and there’s a gigabit ethernet port for linking entire networks too.
Covering up to 14,000 square feet, you can say goodbye to dead zones as this extender saturates your abode from corner to corner with connectivity. It’s not particularly zippy on start-up when compared to some of the other extenders on our list, but due to its reliability, power, and user-friendly interface, we consider it the best all-rounder extender on the market.
Asus AC750 Dual Band Wifi Repeater
Asus AC750 Dual Band Wifi Repeater
The Asus AC750 is actually a wifi repeater rather than an extender which basically means it rebroadcasts your router’s signal on an entirely different network connection. This reduces the bandwidth of the original signal, so if it’s optimal performance you require, it’s probably not the one for you. Repeaters can also be pretty vulnerable to electrical interference from appliances like microwaves or poorly wired refrigerators, but if you’ve got clean airwaves, the AC750 is a very affordable way to extend your signal.
Despite this reduction of bandwidth, the two antennas ensure 2000 square foot coverage and iron-strong connections, making this one of the most reliable options on the list. It’s can be quite fast, but to achieve the maximum 700+MBps, you have to combine the 2.4 and 5GHz channels, otherwise, you’re stuck with 433MBps signal speeds.
For AP and Media Bridge mode, you have 10/100 rather than gigabit ethernet, which is a shame. It means that wired devices are limited to 100MBps data transfers, but this repeater still has the potential to saturate your dead zones and double your download and upload speeds.
TP-Link AC750 Wifi Extender
TP-Link AC750 Wifi Extender
Unless you live in an 18th-century castle or a particularly palatial countryside manor, the antennaless TP-Link AC750’s 1200 square foot range is more than enough to breathe some life into a dead zone or two, and you can snatch one up for under $30!
Much like our Asus second pick, it features a 10/100 ethernet connection, so it doesn’t offer the fastest data transfer for wired devices, but the 750MBps max combined speed is fantastic. To give you perspective, it’s more than seven times the bandwidth you’d need for some truly buttery 4K gaming, so as long as your router has enough power.
You can also try and maximize performance by switching on full-speed mode. This feature connects to your router using the 5GHz channel and connects up to wireless devices on the 2GHz 300MBps channel. This sounds like it would be slower, but by maximizing signal strength, this configuration optimizes throughput, giving you slightly boosted data rates.
The TP-Link may not be the best extender for file transference, but as far as online gaming is concerned, even large multiplayer operations like COD: Modern Warfare, Fortnite, or StarCraft, it won’t let you down.
Netgear AC750 Dual Band Wifi Router
Netgear AC750 Dual Band Wifi Router
Sometimes the solutions to our problems come in unexpected forms, and the Netgear AC750 is a perfect example of that. If you passed it in the store, you wouldn’t give it a second glance because the label would read, ‘router’, and you’re not looking for a router.
But here’s the thing. The Netgear AC750 can be set up to perform in the exact same way a wifi extender does, and it’s pretty decent too! Take for instance the dual-band functionality that reduces electrical interference, and allows it to hit speeds up to 750MBps; that’s more than enough for a nice clean gaming session in 1080p on ultra settings.
In addition, two external antennas give this thing some serious range and impressive throughput, ensuring that all your online activities run swiftly and smoothly. Overall, we’d say it’s quite aesthetically pleasing too, which is a bonus, and as it doesn’t have to be plugged directly into a wall, you be more precise with placement and make the most of the signal extension.
Netgear Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band Wifi Router
Netgear Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band Wifi Router
Our final pick is essentially a computer in its own right. It even has two 1.8GHz cores like an honest to goodness CPU, and it’s designed especially for extreme gaming. It has not one, not two, but six external antennas that offer enough coverage to saturate a property of pretty much any size.
Tri-band wifi allows you to connect up more devices than you could ever possibly need to, so if you’re planning on throwing a huge gaming party, this device will ensure it goes down without a hitch or glitch. Moreover, the combined transfer speeds of these three bands is 1625MBps. You really could power a sizable communal gaming hub with the X6S.
As if all that isn’t enough, MU-MIMO technology ensures every device within range has incredibly strong and latency-free access to the network. It also receives voice commands, so it couldn’t be easier to use.
As amazing as this device is, it’s not for everyone. To make the most of it, you need to have exquisite wifi to begin with and a top-quality primary router. The Nighthawk is for competitive gamers who understand that every single frame matters.
Final Word
It can feel like the end of the world when you cross the threshold into that dead zone. It’s like entering some kind of dystopian post-apocalyptic wasteland, but it’s an incredibly easy fix, and at least one of our listed products should be perfect for your situation.
If you need the ultimate gaming wifi extender that can saturate a huge area and support any amount of gamers running data-heavy workloads, the Nighthawk is the way forward. For most, however, it’s total overkill.
For the average household, we recommend the TP-Link RE650. It’s a little big, but it’s fast, and the MU-MIMO connectivity ensures no Disneyland-style queues build up waiting for the signal. Failing that, the Asus extender can handle itself really well. It’s smaller, but it’s still a wifi 5 device with a range of 2000 square feet.
For those that live in small households, that perhaps only need to revive a couple of dead zones, the TP-Link AC750 or Netgear AC750 are potent enough solutions to get you back in the saddle and enjoying your favorite games.