Got fast broadband but a room where your Wi-Fi seems to give up entirely?
You might have a Wi-Fi dead spot.
And while upgrading your broadband package can give you more speed, it won’t necessarily fix poor Wi-Fi coverage around your home. That’s where a Wi-Fi extender can help.
But before you buy or add one to your package, it’s worth understanding what an extender actually does, where to put it and whether it’s really the right solution for your home.
First things first: Broadband and Wi-Fi aren’t the same thing
This is an easy one to confuse.
Your broadband connection is the internet connection coming into your home. Your Wi-Fi is how that connection gets from your router to your devices wirelessly.
For example, you could have a very fast Full Fibre connection coming into your home but still struggle to get a strong Wi-Fi signal in the bedroom upstairs.
That’s because the issue isn’t necessarily the speed of your broadband. It could be Wi-Fi coverage.
What does a Wi-Fi extender actually do?
A Wi-Fi extender, sometimes called a Wi-Fi booster, takes the wireless signal from your router and extends its reach.
Think of it as giving your Wi-Fi a helping hand to reach parts of your home where the router’s signal is weaker.
It doesn’t increase the speed of your broadband connection coming into your home. It only helps improve the coverage of the connection.
For example, if you’ve got a 250Mbps package, adding an extender won’t turn it into 2000Mbps.
The aim is to make your existing connection perform more consistently throughout your home, particularly in areas where the signal isn’t great.
How does a Wi-Fi extender work?
The basic process is fairly simple.
- Your router sends out a Wi-Fi signal
Your router broadcasts Wi-Fi around your home. The further you get from the router, the weaker that signal can become.Walls, floors, furniture and other sources of interference can make this worse.
- The extender picks up that signal
The extender needs to be placed in an optimal position to work as intended. Putting an extender in the room where your Wi-Fi already doesn’t reach isn’t going to magically bring it back.This is important. The extender needs to be placed close enough to the router to receive a reasonably strong signal.
- The extender extends the coverage
Once connected, the extender rebroadcasts the Wi-Fi signal so devices further away can connect. Depending on the device and setup, it may use the same Wi-Fi network name as your router or a separate one.
The result? Better Wi-Fi coverage in areas that were previously struggling.
Where should you put a Wi-Fi extender
This is where a lot of extender setups go wrong.
Don’t put the extender in the dead spot.
Instead, place it somewhere between your router and the area you’re trying to reach, where it can still receive a strong enough signal from the router.
If the extender can barely connect to the router, it doesn’t have much signal to work with.
A few placement tips:
- Keep the extender within a good range of your router
- Avoid hiding it behind furniture or in cupboards
- Keep it away from sources of interference where possible
- Avoid placing it right next to thick walls or large obstructions
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Moving an extender a few metres can make a surprisingly big difference.
Do you need an extender if you have Full Fibre?
Not necessarily.
Full Fibre can provide a fast, reliable broadband connection to your home, but the Wi-Fi experience around your property still depends on how that connection is distributed wirelessly.
If you’re getting great speeds next to the router but much poorer performance upstairs or at the other end of the house, the problem could be Wi-Fi coverage rather than your broadband connection.
That’s why it’s worth checking where the problem actually is before blaming the broadband.
If your connection is slow everywhere, that’s a different story.
If it’s fast next to the router but struggles in certain rooms, improving your Wi-Fi setup could be the answer.
Your options for a Wi-Fi extender with Grain
If you need a little extra help getting your Wi-Fi around your home, there are a few ways to add an extender to your Grain package.
- Pick your broadband speed and upgrade to a Boost package to get a Wi-Fi extender included, for an extra £3 per month.
- If you’re a more advanced user. Pick your broadband speed and upgrade to a Pro package to get a Wi-Fi extender and static IP included, for an extra £5 per month.
- Prefer to keep things flexible? Rent a Wi-Fi extender on a rolling monthly basis for £4.99 per month.
- Buy a Wi-Fi extender outright for a one-off cost of £59.99.
Whether you want it bundled into your package, added temporarily or bought outright, you can choose the option that works best for you.
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