WiFi extenders can work for gaming in the sense that they will boost a WiFi signal to give you better coverage in a house or room. But you will lose some bandwidth and might not get as good of a gaming experience when using an extender.
This post will explore WiFi extenders for gaming. I’ll share some pros and cons of using an extender when gaming and what you can expect if you choose to use one. The goal is to help you dial in your ideal gaming experience.
Let’s jump in.
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Using a WiFi Extender for Gaming
If you are a gamer, then chances are you do some sort of online gaming. And to have the best online gaming experience, you need a strong WiFi signal that will keep you connected and ready for action.
WiFi extenders help boost a wireless signal in your house or wherever you want to use one. They can be set up to extend the signal to a room that doesn’t get as much WiFi from the primary router, and allow you to game better.
Looking at this question objectively, the answer is yes, a WiFi extender will work for gaming. But it’s not always the ideal situation, depending on what level of gaming you are doing and how much signal you need to play.
A WiFi extender will allow you to get online and play in a room or basement that isn’t directly near a primary WiFi source. This is a common situation in larger homes and something to keep in mind when putting a gaming room together.
If you don’t have a WiFi signal in a room, but you have a router somewhere in the house, an extender is one way you can get signal to the room you want or need it. But you need to know that this signal won’t be as strong as the main signal from the router.
That can be an issue for gaming purposes. Just because you can technically use an extender to get signal into a room doesn’t mean that’s the best solution to enhance your gaming experience.
If you are playing a demanding game with expansive graphics, you might need an excellent WiFi connection for seamless gameplay. This may or may not be possible when using an extender. It depends on the game and the wireless signal available from your router.
So, just because an extender can work for gaming doesn’t mean it’s the best option. You might need another hard-wired router or wireless connection if you are trying to get the fastest speeds possible for the highest-level gaming experience.
Best Way to Boost WiFi for Gaming
Using a WiFi extender isn’t necessarily the best way to boost WiFi for gaming. While it can help get signal in areas of your house that don’t have it, an extender won’t increase speeds to give you a better overall gaming experience.
You might want to consider upgrading to a faster wireless speed or getting a new router before using an extender. This will give you increased bandwidth that will be useful for most intensive gaming applications.
You can also get another hard-wired internet connection in your gaming room. This is an expensive option but is ideal if you are looking for the fastest possible internet speeds to improve your gaming setup.
Routers can also be switched from 2.4GHz to 5GHz to improve speeds and boost WiFi signal. And you can move the position of your router and its antennas to help boost WiFi without an extender as well.
Which WiFi extender is Best for Gaming?
Many different WiFi extenders can work well for gaming. Ideally, you want an option that offers the best speeds, so you don’t experience lag or gameplay interruptions. Linksys and Netgear are good options to look into. Here are a few good models:
1. Linksys RE7000
- Wireless Standard: AC1900
- Antennas: N/A
- Ethernet Port: Yes
Linksys is known for its business class and professional networking products. The RE7000 shows why that is, providing rock-solid WiFi performance in an area up to a whopping ten thousand square feet.
If you have an AC1900 router, this extender might just be the most powerful small unit out there. It doesn’t feature any adjustable antenna, but when you have the range this thing does, it simply doesn’t need them.
Do note, however, that it does have an ethernet port if you want to run a cord to your console or computer.
2. NETGEAR EX7300
- Wireless Standard: AC2200
- Antennas: N/A
- Ethernet Port: Yes
NETGEAR is the leader in home networking devices, which is why they make some of the best extenders on the market. The EX7300 is one such device, giving you a powerful extender that can cover a whopping 2,000 square feet!
This extender provides you extremely fast speeds to all parts of your house. It also features an ethernet port if you want a more stable connection than what your normal WiFi can offer.
3. TP-Link RE220
- Wireless Standard: AC750
- Antennas: N/A
- Ethernet Port: Yes
If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a WiFi extender, but you need to boost your internet, the TP-Link RE220 does the job just fine. While this isn’t the most blazing fast or feature-rich extender out there, it does exactly what you expect it to do.
This device’s white finish and small footprint make it very discreet. It doesn’t have any external antennae. While that can hinder performance a bit, it makes the overall aesthetic much more pleasing to look at.
The AC750 standard is not top of the line by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s quick enough to have you fragging enemies with ease.
4. TP-Link RE590T
- Wireless Standard: AC1900
- Antennas: 3
- Ethernet Port: Yes
TP-Link has somehow managed to create a high-end WiFi range extender for a bargain price, while still maintaining fantastic performance.
The RE590T is a shining example of how great their products are, and it stands above the rest thanks to its impressive feature set.
This bad boy features AC1900, comes with three adjustable antennae to get the signal in just the right place, and four ethernet ports.
On top of all those high end features, it has a digital display along with a touch screen that allows you to change the settings on the fly. There may be no better range extender on the market.
How to Choose a WiFi Extender for Gaming?
Here are some factors that we recommend you look into when buying a WiFi extender for gaming.
Ethernet Port
The way to get the most out of your WiFi extender is to connect it to your home network via WiFi and then connect it to your device with an ethernet cable. That will provide your game console or computer with a much stronger signal.
Number of Antennas
As a general rule, the more antennae on an extender, the more powerful the device will be. If it has articulation antennas, you can move and point them in all directions to get the signal to exactly where you need it.
Always make sure you get the amount you need here. Getting too few simply erases the point of an extender.
Wireless Standard
Matching the wireless standard to the one your router outputs will give you the best overall performance from your WiFi extender. If you have an AC1900 router, try to get an AC1900 WiFi extender for maximum compatibility.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some commonly asked questions relating to if WiFi extenders work for gaming.
Will WiFi extender help with lag?
A WiFi extender won’t always help with lag issues. While you can get a boost in connection with an extender, it will also limit the top speeds from your hard-wired connection. Extenders can fix lag in rooms with limited connection but might still lag under demanding situations.
How can I boost my WiFi signal for gaming?
You have several options if you don’t want to boost your WiFi signal for gaming without getting another router or extender. You can move the router to extend the signal a bit and explore repositioning the router’s antennas.
Do WiFi extender work on consoles?
Nearly all modern gaming consoles can pick up the signal from a WiFi extender. The extender functions just like any other wireless source as far as your console is concerned. You can connect to the extended network just like a wired network.
Other Useful Tips
Buying a good gaming router can be the best thing you can do for your WiFi when it comes to gaming. Those models prioritize gaming traffic, so they will allow your games to feel more fluid and less laggy when the signal is weak.
Try this if you are still experiencing issues, even with a WiFi extender.
If you’re trying to boost the signal to another computer on the other side of your home, try getting a better WiFi card for your laptop.
That will boost how well your computer receives the signal from the router or extender and often leads to much more stable internet speeds.
Final Thoughts
WiFi extenders can help you boost wireless signal in areas of your home or gaming room that need it, but they won’t necessarily give you a better gaming experience. Extenders technically reduce bandwidth, so consider that when looking for improvements.
If you have fast internet speeds from your router, then using an extender can improve your gaming setup. But if you have slow speeds, an extender might lead to issues with lag and performance.
Have you ever used a WiFi extender for gaming? Did it work well and solve any issues you were experiencing? Let me know in the comments below.
