# WiFi Booster why for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347 "2011-07-17T14:11:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/1 "2011-07-17T14:11:56Z")
I currently have computer access through Comcast cable, and have hooked up a belkin wifi for the lap top. However, the wifi seems to have a fairly limited range and I’m told that I can get a wifi booster. My question is do these boosters work or would I be better off getting a more powerful wifi hook up at the source in the first place? Any suggestions and/or experience that you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/2 "2011-07-17T14:31:08Z")
Boosters (Range Extenders) work, but there are several options that might solve your problem. You might look into networks over power line. I’ll see if I can find a good link – there are many models. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/3 "2011-07-17T14:42:21Z")
Here’s a quote from a column that I subscribe to, Brian Livingston, describing an installation where the primary purpose was a fast video interconnection to a large house: > [@](#): > > By using powerline gear, which turns home electrical wiring into an Ethernet network, we turned a sketchy wireless network backbone into a rock-solid wired one without having to run new Ethernet cabling all over the house. > > Although older 75- and 200Mbps powerline gear has been around for years, it has never really broken through to the mainstream due to both cost (about $75 per adapter, far more than Wi-Fi adapters) and the relatively slow throughput compared to Ethernet cabling. > > The new 500Mbps standard finally breaks the elusive “Ethernet-equivalent” speed barrier, with real-world transfer rates of 70–80Mbps in one direction and more than 100Mbps in both directions at once, thanks to built-in gigabit Ethernet ports. > > Perhaps more to the point, 500Mbps powerline gear can comfortably deliver 40Mbps streaming 1080p video (as from a ripped Blu-ray disc), the current gold standard. And it doesn’t suffer the vagaries of wireless reception. > > Thus far, only Netgear and TRENDnet are shipping 500Mbps adapters, with Netgear being the best performing, according to a SmallNetBuilder review. But expect many more products soon from other powerline vendors such as D-Link and Cisco Linksys. > > The Netgear Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit XAVB5001 we used (about $140 retail) consists of two adapters. One plugs into your main router via Ethernet as well as into a wall power outlet, and the other plugs into a power outlet in the remote location where you’d like to deliver an Ethernet port. > > \ > > The kit is plug-and-play — no setup is required. You can also buy adapters individually. You can use up to a total of 16 adapters around the house, although you probably need them only in strategic locations such as your home theater or basement office. Here are the links, which did not transfer when I copied & pasted: > **[NETGEAR XAVB5001 Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit Reviewed - SmallNetBuilder](https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-reviews/netgear-xavb5001-powerline-av-500-adapter-kit-reviewed/)** > > http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=4707,NETGEAR,XAVB5001,Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit, Powerline adapter > **[Powerline Networking | Powerline Ethernet | NETGEAR](https://www.netgear.com/home/wired/powerline/)** > > Powerline networking products from NETGEAR use existing electrical wiring to easily add ethernet ports, supercharging network speeds. [Here is the complete article.](http://windowssecrets.com/newsletter/get-wired-performance-from-your-wi-fi-network/) ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/4 "2011-07-17T23:37:55Z")
They do work. But (a) you need a suitable place for it, and (b) speed will not be as good as for a simple wifi network. It’s worth trying a few simple fixes first. Adjust the antennas on the router if they are external. Move the router - even a few feet might make a difference, particularly if it is close to something metal or electrical. Use the router setup program/page to change the wireless channel. That might not help, but it’s worth a shot before buying something that might not solve your problem either. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/5 "2011-07-18T00:12:56Z")
If you don’t like my previous suggestions, along the lines of what tellyworth says, there are high-gain antennas that can be used as replacement for standard antennas, directional antennas if that suits your situation, and RF amplifiers, all pretty cheap fixes. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/6 "2011-07-18T04:44:40Z")
It is not clear whether these are things to go on the router or on the computer. So I will raise the question that really interests me. Assuming the router is fixed and not subject to my control, is there anything I can put on my computer that will strengthen a very weak and often indetectible one? ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/7 "2011-07-18T06:17:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Assuming the router is fixed and not subject to my control, is there anything I can put on my computer that will strengthen a very weak and often indetectible one? Unlikely, since your laptop probably doesn’t have an external antenna connector. A range booster might work - you’d put it part way between your laptop and the router, and it will re-broadcast the signal. Alternatively you might find a wireless card compatible with your laptop that supports an external hihg-gain antenna. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Uncle\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Goat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/8 "2011-07-18T14:28:16Z")
Thanks to all, especially Musicat. Of course, it’s not like I have time to rush out and get anything right now, but in the article I found this part especially helpful: > [@](#): > > Although powerline gear is plug-and-play, that doesn’t mean it’s infallible. Because it’s dependent on your home electrical system, line noise from hair dryers, cell phone chargers, and the cycling of microwaves and refrigerators (as well as certain AFCI breakers) can all affect performance. > > In addition, if you have very old wiring (I still have a bunch of knob-and-tube wires in my 100-year-old house) or a mixture of wiring and breaker panels, you could have problems. > > So always buy powerline gear from a vendor with a good return policy, and test it immediately after you get it to be sure it works in your particular environment. I’ll let you know how it works out. But first… it appears I need a new oven. It just never ends, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/9 "2011-07-18T15:46:49Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Assuming the router is fixed and not subject to my control, is there anything I can put on my computer that will strengthen a very weak and often indetectible one? > [@tellyworth](#): > > Unlikely, since your laptop probably doesn’t have an external antenna connector. > > A range booster might work - you’d put it part way between your laptop and the router, and it will re-broadcast the signal. > > Alternatively you might find a wireless card compatible with your laptop that supports an external hihg-gain antenna. This sounds similar to [this caller’s problem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0zt4opqL18) on Leo Laporte’s Tech Guy show. (Link goes to Youtube video.) ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-booster-why-for/589347/10 "2011-07-19T13:12:02Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > Alternatively you might find a wireless card compatible with your laptop that supports an external hihg-gain antenna. \*\*Uncle Goat \*\* could get something like the Wi-Fire from [http://www.hfield.com](http://www.hfield.com) It’s a USB WiFi card with a built in high gain antenna. Very simple and portable and works great without the need to buy any extra antennas.