Super WiFi boosters - any good / do they actually work?

[Rents78]

Hi,

I am on BT and considering a move to Vodafone. 

I am currently struggling with getting the signal to reach every room in my flat - it’s a long flat with thick walls.

I have 2 mesh WiFi extenders (see link below, bought from amazon for less than £50 for both) connected to a BT router. However I think the two extenders are too far from one another, hence the situation at present is not great. 

I could buy 2 more extenders (now for £36 on amazon) or sign up for Vodafone FIbre 1 Pro… which comes with the boosters (up to 3 for free). In terms of cost, this vodafone option would be more expensive. But I guess it would be worth it if the boosters actually work. Do they? 

Are they likely to work better than these ones i bought? Also cause they would be “speaking” to the hub directly, whereas with the current setup, I am connecting to the 2 extenders, and not to the BT hub…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TENDA-Whole-Wi-Fi-System-White/dp/B07D9J5DTP/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1ARVT18N60X6L&...

[HappyNomad]

I think your first step should be to understand why a wifi router and two mesh nodes are not giving adequate coverage in your flat.  Are your sub £25 (now sub £20) mesh nodes really as good as is claimed?  Expert reviews say…”Relatively slow speeds”,  “Limited coverage”, “No access point mode”.

For comparison, I have a wifi router and three mesh nodes which gives me full coverage throughout a large footprint two storey house and the gardens. The wifi router is outside of what was once the original external wall and connected through that wall by Ethernet cable to mesh node 1.  The other two nodes are wifi and positioned in diagonally opposed corners upstairs.  It all works well.

Personally, I’d be inclined to go for the standard Superfast which is currently some £264 less (over the two year contract) than its 'Pro' equivalent and upgrade my mesh kit to something more capable..  You could add two more Tenda Nova nodes for £36 - if it does the job great but if not, very little lost and you still have the option of upgrading from S/fast to S/fast Pro.

*If your line allows it, Standard S/fast 2 is currently £20/month with a £50 Amazon voucher - ends today but no doubt other offers will follow on. (Pro equivalent is £31/m + same £50 voucher).

https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/providers/vodafone-broadband?feature=transitiveTrust 

[THG3000-IPv6]

This is all nonsense and rip-off! = Boosters/Extenders!

Get an Access Point(s), that you run a decent quality "ethernet" cable to it and you have adequate coverage everywhere and speed would not be a problem.

For example Mikrotik - cAP XL ac
https://mikrotik.com/product/cap_xl_ac

It can do Power over Ethernet (PoE) so you can power it over "1" cable, the ethernet cable and much, much more for a one off price £96
https://linitx.com/product/mikrotik-cap-ac-xl-wireless-access-point---rbcapgi-5acd2nd-xl/16866

Or get the older model cap ac for £67
https://mikrotik.com/product/cap_ac
https://linitx.com/product/mikrotik-routerboard-cap-ac-wireless-access-point---rbcapgi-5acd2nd/15369

No need to pay every month for an extender/booster etc.

What happens whet it's done over Wi-Fi is one part of the wireless 2.4/5 GHz connects the devices between router/extender and another part is as access point, if you are living in a densely populated area there be plenty of interference.

With direct cable from your router to the access point, it will pick up the less congested spectrum on 2.4 or 5 GHz bands and you will have all the speed to that device can give you and from that device data will go over the "ethernet" cable to router without any interference