Repeaters are very useful devices for short distances, for example, if there is a distance of about 6 meters from the router to where we have the connection problem and a wall or two, it will work very well. We must bear in mind that a repeater has to receive the wireless signal from the main router, and then emits new WiFi so that the different wireless clients can connect. If the repeater receives a bad signal from the router, clients will have maximum coverage but less speed than expected, for this reason, it is always recommended to place the repeater halfway between the router and where you want to improve coverage.
For these reasons, repeaters are very good for short distances or when we do not have many obstacles, and an important advantage is that they are much cheaper than other solutions such as Powerline adapters. The manufacturer devolo currently has two models of repeaters, depending on your Internet connection and the contracted speed, it will be advisable to buy one model or another.
Features of the devolo Wi-Fi 6 Repeater 3000
The devolo Wi-Fi 6 Repeater 3000 is a simultaneous dual-band WiFi amplifier with Wi-Fi 6 and AX3000 class. In the 2.4GHz band we can get up to 574Mbps speed, in the 5GHz band we can get up to 2402Mbps speed. The highlight of this repeater is the incorporation of Mesh to go from the router to the repeater and vice versa without interruption in the wireless connection, something essential to have the best user experience.
Another important feature is that we can configure it as an AP if we have a network outlet in the room, perfect for maximum wireless speed because the backbone network will work through the wired network. The network port is Gigabit Ethernet, the usual in these devices.
Features of the devolo Wi-Fi 6 Repeater 5400
This model is the high-end one, it is a WiFi amplifier that incorporates simultaneous dual band with Wi-Fi 6 and AX5400 class. In the 2.4GHz band we can get up to 574Mbps speed, in the 5GHz band we can get up to 4.804Mbps speed. This model also incorporates Mesh functions to move from one node to another in the most transparent way possible.
In this case, we have two Gigabit Ethernet ports for the LAN, it can be configured in AP mode to have the best possible performance.
However, for very large apartments, or houses with several floors, a WiFi repeater will not be enough to have coverage in all places, because you have to cover too much space. Placing several WiFi repeaters is not a good idea because we will lose real speed in the connection, in addition, it is likely that it will work even worse than before. In cases where we have a long distance, or obstacles such as a mezzanine have to be passed, PLC devices are what you should buy.
Use PLC if the distances are very long or with obstacles
Powerline or PLC devices are the equipment that you should buy if you have a very large house, in these cases it is ideal to use the house’s own electrical wiring as if it were an Ethernet network cable. The advantage of PLCs over repeaters is that we can go through walls and mezzanines without any problem, because they are not an obstacle to the electrical network. In this way, if we place a PLC next to the router, and another PLC where you need to have an Internet connection, you will be able to obtain great performance and low latency, because the trunk link will go through the electrical network without depending on obstacles. , interference with neighboring networks etc.
The installation of this type is really simple, it is simply necessary to connect both PLCs to the electrical outlet of the room, without using power strips or other devices such as UPS or electrical appliances that consume a lot of energy. In this way, we will achieve the best possible performance, being able to achieve real speeds of more than 800Mbps. Current devolo models incorporate WiFi Mesh, therefore, if we have several PLCs with WiFi spread around the house, wireless clients will be able to move from one node to another without interruption in the wireless connection, something essential to have the best user experience.
A PLC model that is highly recommended is the devolo Magic 2 WiFi 6, a high-performance device both through the electrical network and over WiFi. Depending on the rooms you need to cover, we will have to buy the Starter Kit consisting of a PLC for the router and another with WiFi 6 for the room.
If you want something more basic, you can always resort to the devolo Magic 1 mini Starter Kit model, it is the entry level of your Powerline devices but it will also work very well for you.
As you have seen, depending on what your home is like and the distance between the router and the room where the wireless connection does not work, you will have to resort to repeaters or Powerline devices.
