The 5 best repeaters from AVM and TP-Link

When it comes to routers and WiFi repeaters, manufacturers advertise support for WiFi 6, also known as WiFi-ax. The new radio standard brings more speed and can supply more devices at the same time. Up to 4,800 Mbit/s are possible via Wifi 6. If you have a fast Internet connection from 100 MBit and a device with Wifi 6, then a WLAN repeater with Wifi 6 is also worthwhile. All new iPhones and the top models from Samsung now support the new wireless standard. Older devices, on the other hand, do not benefit from the increased speed in comparison. If you are interested in a device with Wifi 6, the Fritz repeater 6000 from AVM a good choice.

A WLAN repeater consumes between 2 and 10 watts in stand-by and up to 15 watts in operation. Our recommendation, the Fritz Repeater 2400, consumes an average of 4.3 watts in comparison – a good value. In continuous operation, almost 38 kilowatt hours (kWh) accumulate throughout the year. That’s 10 euros electricity costs per year or just three cents per day. The WLAN amplifiers are therefore not a big power guzzler.

The highest speed is achieved when routers and repeaters are capable of “crossband repeating”. The two frequency bands can then be used in parallel, which speeds up data transmission. The individual devices such as tablets or notebooks are only connected to the repeater via the 2.4 or 5 GHz band, but the crossband communication increases the overall data throughput.

Some WLAN repeaters are equipped with a connection for a LAN cable. Then you can also connect the repeater to the router with a cable and use it in a place where the router’s WiFi network can no longer be received. You can also use it to connect network-enabled devices without WiFi to the repeater, such as a printer.

A WLAN router and the repeater emit the signal in an approximately spherical manner: The further away you are, the weaker the signal and the slower and more unstable the connection. The optimal location of the WiFi repeater is crucial for a larger WiFi range: It needs a good wireless connection to the router. But not every location with good reception can plug all dead spots. A narrow concrete staircase, for example, is often difficult to bridge. The only thing that helps is trying it out – sometimes it takes a lot of patience until the optimal position is found.

In larger houses, a cleverly positioned WiFi repeater on the first floor is often the right decision to provide good speed on the second floor as well. Above all, the repeater needs a clear path: no armchairs or sofas in front of it, not hidden in the wall niche, not too low on the floor.

The connection between the WLAN router and repeater is established simply by pressing a button. The prerequisite is the WPS function (“WiFi Protected Setup”), which all newer repeaters and routers have on board – including the WLAN repeaters we have presented here.