Access Point Vs. WiFi Range Extender: Which is best for You?
Of all the devices designed to extend wireless networks, wireless access points, and WiFi range extenders are the two most sought-after solutions to meet this need. They are affordable and feature-packed, enabling network administrators to extend WiFi signals to hard-to-reach areas. Both wireless access points and WiFi range boosters come in various specs and several brands offer these devices, meeting to tailored needs of users. For instance, our WAP and WiFi extender collection features a variety of network solutions, offering value-added access points and range boosters, and helping our valued customers eliminate all dead zones within the given premises. Having said that the fact that range extenders and APs are available in large variety, can lead to confusion among users as they don’t know how to make the best decision. In this article, we are going to make a comparison between WiFi access points and WiFi extenders so that you can make the right and well-informed decision regarding which device best serves your network needs.
We first start by understanding the basics.
What is a Wireless Access Point?
Simply speaking WiFi access point is a device that helps WiFi-capable devices access wired networks through WiFi signals. It helps devices such as laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, and IoTs to access the network wirelessly. In this way, WAPs are deployed to extend the capabilities of wired networks and cater to the needs of given devices within large areas.
Wireless access points work by creating their own Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN. In this way, they are capable of better connection and signal strength. This makes them better suited to busy office or home networks, crowded with a large number of users and devices.
What is a WiFi Range Extender?
Unlike Wireless Access Points that create their own WLAN, WiFi extenders take the existing signals of a router, amplify them, and rebroadcast them to a new area where the router cannot provide enough WiFi signals. This allows range extenders to eliminate dead spots and expand the network coverage.
We have now understood that both AP and WiFi extenders are for extending network coverage. But both devices offer a unique set of pros and cons. Understanding the differences between the two can help you make a decision regarding which AP is most suitable.
Wireless Access Point vs WiFi Range Extender: Which One is Best for Your Need?
Here are some major differences between WAPs and WiFi extenders.
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Access Point vs Extender: Performance:
WiFi range extenders act as a bridge between devices and routers. They just take existing signals and retransmit them to an area that is beyond the capacity of the router to cover. While doing it, they can downgrade the signal strength.
The wireless access point takes signals from the router through an Ethernet cable. They create their own area of wireless connectivity. In this way, they are central transmitters, providing much better signal strength and network performance.
Even based on several devices covered by the network, wireless APs are superior and capable of supporting up to 60 devices. Whereas, range extenders can hardly support 20 devices at a time.
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Access Point vs Range Extender: Setup and Implementations:
WiFi range extenders connect to the router wirelessly. They don’t require any Ethernet cable, making them essentially plug-and-play devices. This makes the installation and deployment of WiFi extenders simple.
Access points require Ethernet cables from the router. Though it leads to better signal strength and improved performance, it makes their installation a complicated matter. You need some technical expertise to set up and deploy an access point solution. But in some special cases, you can connect Access Point with WiFi Router Wirelessly.
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Access Point vs WiFi Extender: Network Coverage:
Both AP and extender differ also when it comes to network coverage. Normally, the access point can provide coverage to as wide an area as 2200 square feet. You can also combine various access points for a comprehensive range of coverage.
WiFi extenders on the other hand are capable of covering an area up to 1600 square feet. They can also suffer from disruption in coverage due to physical obstacles and placement.
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Access Point vs WiFi Range Extender: Network Efficiency:
Network efficiency is another area where wireless access points and range extenders differ significantly. Thanks to superior antenna design and robust rebroadcasting capabilities, access points are capable of delivering better throughput and strong signal quality without any adverse impact on network performance and speed.
WiFi range extenders, on the other hand, use the same bandwidth for both receiving signals from the router and delivering signals to connected devices. This results in a halving of bandwidth and additional latency, all leading to deterioration in network quality.
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Access Point vs WiFi extender: Cost:
When it comes to cost, both access points and WiFi range extenders don’t differ much. You can find budget options, that meet your needs within your allocated budget. Therefore, cost should not be a factor in prioritizing one device over another. For instance:
If you have made up your mind to install a WiFi extender having WiFi 6 capability, you may install an affordable TP-Link RE605X WiFi 6. Alternatively, if you are interested in a WiFi extender with advanced features such as seamless roaming, you can go for more expensive solutions such as Netgear Nighthawk X6S.
Likewise, there are both budget and high-end access point solutions. Go for TP-Link TL-WA1201, if you are looking for an affordable access point with MU-MINO technology. Alternatively, you can purchase Zyxel Nebula WiFi 6, supporting 6 streams, four of which are over 5GHz.
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Access Point vs. Extender: Tech Specs:
Access points and extenders differ considerably when it comes to technological specifications. Wireless access point comes with multiple antennas, support for 2.4GHz, and 5GHz bands, MU-MIMO, and Beamforming technologies. All these tech specs enable them to sustain higher data transfer rates and improved network coverage.
WiFi range extenders don’t have much advanced features. Equipped with fewer antennas with limited coverage, they support mainly 2.4GHz frequency, restricting further their ability to deliver high data.
How Can We Help You?
Morgan Ingland Ltd is one of the most prominent IT firms in the UK, specializing in offering the widest range of networking equipment including routers, modems, WiFi range extenders, network cables, and more. We deal in every brand manufacturing WiFi range extenders such as TP-Link, Netgear, D-Link, Linksys, and more. Contact us and enhance your internet experience with our top-rated and cost-effective WiFi Signal Boosters.