Best Wi-Fi Extenders in Canada

Our passion is helping Canadians make the best choices in lifestyle and household products from their homes and their families. For years, we have made it our goal to evaluate products in nearly every category so we can help Canadians get the most from their purchases.

We evaluate every product in our very own test lab. Then, we send the products to our team of dedicated testers for even further evaluation and feedback. Based on the combination of these observations, we compile a list of the products that we feel Canadians would benefit from in their daily lives. When putting together this list of the best Wi-Fi extenders in Canada, we looked for the following features:

• Compatibility. If a product isn’t compatible with your current network operating system or cable modem/router, then it won’t do you any good. We looked for Wi-Fi extenders that offer universal compatibility and will work well with virtually any existing system, so you won’t have to worry about purchasing a product that you can’t use.
• Speed. The speed of the signal is just as important as the coverage area because a slow network signal is nobody’s friend. Slow internet speeds translate into lagging video, freezing pictures, glitchy gaming, and dropped signals. We looked for Wi-Fi extenders that offer blazing-fast internet speeds so that your network will perform well no matter how you use it.
• Security. There’s nothing more important in today’s world than keeping your personal information safe. Adding a Wi-Fi extender to your network increases the chance that dishonest people could hack into your system and steal your data. But that possibility is reduced or eliminated when the products you choose employ the most advanced security protocols, so that’s what we looked for when choosing our recommendations.
• Easy Setup. Understanding your internet network and devices is confusing enough without adding another complicated product to the mix. We looked for Wi-Fi extenders that offer super-easy setup options, so all you need to do is plug in the device and hit a button to get things up and running.

Why Use a Wi-Fi Extender in Canada?

A Wi-Fi extender is designed to improve the signal of your wireless network throughout your home or property. There are many things in and around your home that can weaken the signal as it travels throughout your home. Certain types of metal, thick walls or floors, and the environment, in general, can prevent the signal from reaching certain areas of your home. These areas are referred to as “dead zones,” and you may have noticed a few in your home already – places where the Wi-Fi- simply doesn’t work or runs slower.

Adding a Wi-Fi extender to your system will increase the coverage area of the signal in your home, strengthening it along the way, and providing a boost of speed. Canadians who use their Wi-Fi network often or use it for work will benefit from a Wi-Fi extender. They’re cheaper than adding a second router to your home, and easier to set up.

What’s the Difference Between a Wi-Fi Extender, Wi-Fi Booster, And a Repeater?

When shopping for a new Wi-Fi extender, you may hear a variety of terms used in the product names. Wi-Fi extenders, boosters, and repeaters are designed to improve your network signal in different ways but often are used interchangeably to describe products that serve this purpose. Let’s look at a few differences between these three monikers.

Wi-Fi Extenders

A Wi-Fi extender or Wi-Fi range extender does exactly what the name infers: it extends the coverage area of your network signal, which improves the performance of Wi-Fi-capable devices in all areas of your home. It does this by boosting the signal, which increases how far it can travel and remain strong. A Wi-Fi extender connects directly to the router via a coaxial cable, an ethernet cable, or by using the power lines in your home (called powerline networking). A Wi-Fi extender that is directly connected to your router provides a stronger and more stable connection.

Wi-Fi Repeaters

The terms repeater and extender are often used to describe the same process, but in reality, they are slightly different. A repeater doesn’t require a hard-wired connection to your router, for one thing. It connects via a Wi-Fi band, which is another component of your router. This means you have more freedom to choose where you will place the repeater in your home. The downside of using a repeater is that it uses the same frequency to both send and receive data, which means a loss of bandwidth. Many newer Wi-Fi repeaters rely on dual-band technology to help alleviate this problem.

Wi-Fi Booster

A Wi-Fi booster is another type of device that is designed to increase the strength of your network signal and increase its reach. It’s also a term you may hear used interchangeably with “extender” and “repeater.”  A Wi-Fi booster is different from an extender or a repeater because it works directly with your router, instead of between the router and a connected device. But essentially, it provides the same benefits such as a stronger signal and faster speeds.

How to Choose a Wi-Fi Extender for Canadians

Before you can decide which Wi-Fi extender to buy, it’s important to look at the different options that are available to you. Before you make a final purchase, here are some of the features you should consider.

Coverage Area

The entire point of a Wi-Fi extender is to widen the area where you can use your network signal. Some homes and businesses have very large properties in terms of square footage and need the largest coverage area available. Others may have medium or smaller-sized properties and would benefit from a stronger signal spread across a comparable area. We looked for Wi-Fi routers that offer a wide variety of coverage areas to match differing needs.

You should make sure to choose a coverage area that works for your home and not beyond it. If your Wi-Fi extender pushes your signal past where it is needed, it can dilute the speed and strength of users in your home. If you have a smaller home, choose an extender with a smaller range. In this case, a larger coverage area is not always the best choice.

Multiple Device Compatibility

Most households use more online devices than they realize. There are smartphones, computers and laptops, live-streaming TV and movie devices, game consoles, and much more. Multiply those devices by the number of users in the household living together and sharing the signal, and it’s easy to see why a Wi-Fi extender that can connect to many devices at once is so important for many Canadians. We looked for Wi-Fi extenders that offer the most connections to make life easier for Canadians like you.

Transfer Speed

As we explored above, the transfer speed of your Wi-Fi extender can affect signal strength and speed to the devices connected to it. Transfer speed is measured in Mbps, and a transfer rate of about 750 Mbps is considered normal. However, you may want to choose a faster Wi-Fi extender if you plan to use it to its full potential, especially if you have many family members with lots of devices.

The transfer speed can be variable, and it is rarely fixed and guaranteed. Even so, choosing a faster transfer speed is always preferable.

Wired Port

Usually, wired internet connections are faster and easier. A Wi-Fi extender may be able to connect to your modem or router with an ethernet cable, which will allow for a quicker signal when it broadcasts it to the rest of your home. If you’d prefer not to connect your extender with a cord, this may not be an important feature for you. However, it’s always nice to have this option on hand in case you need to update your extender or troubleshoot problems down the road.

Dual Band Technology

Dual-band technology allows a Wi-Fi extender to use both 5GHz and 2.4GHz signals. It might not seem important to have both options, but it can be extremely important. If you have older devices (or if your router or modem is on the older side), you will need access to the slower signal speed. Even if you have faster hardware that can handle 5GHz connections, a 2.4GHz signal can help your wireless signal be more compatible with older devices.

While dual-band technology is not essential for your Wi-Fi extender, it’s better to have it when you need it. Otherwise, you may find that some of your devices can’t use the internet at your home because they cannot connect to the faster (or slower) signal.

Easy Setup

Even if you aren’t the most tech-savvy Canadian, your Wi-Fi extender should be easy to set up. Most of the best Wi-Fi extenders in Canada use simple setup options and easy-to-use modes that help you get online quickly. If you are unsure about whether you’ll be able to set up your Wi-Fi extender, check the listing carefully. Some options may include instructions or information about how to set up the extender. If this doesn’t look like something you’re comfortable doing, you should find an option that may work better for you.