You don’t want your Wi-Fi extender hogging a power socket. Andy Shaw tests one with a pass-through option
Network dead zones are the most annoying thing about Wi-Fi, but wherever you put your router, the chances are that there will be places in your house that your network can’t reach. One answer is a range extender. This new model from Linksys is as fully featured as they come, operating across both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, and even boosting the latest 802.11ac routers.
The device has the best setup tool we’ve seen to date. Once you’ve plugged it into a wall socket, you can access its own network using a tablet, phone or laptop – whatever device it is you’re trying to extend the internet for. You then connect to a very simple and clear website, which takes you step-by-step through the process of setting it up, one stage at a time. The highlight is the visual range indicator, which shows you whether you’ve positioned the device too near, too far or just the right distance away from your router. If it’s within the green bars, then it’s fine. It takes all the guesswork out of positioning the device, and the rest of the setup is equally straightforward.
The RE6700 is very well equipped. It has a Gigabit Ethernet port, so you can connect a compatible wired device at maximum speed, bridging the gap between your Wi-Fi and your Ethernetonly device. It has external antennas, which you can adjust the positioning of, to see if it can improve your signal. It also has a standard 3.5mm audio jack socket, which you can use to connect some speakers – the device can then stream music from a PC connected on the same network that has either Windows Media Player or iTunes installed.
Perhaps most importantly, though, it has a pass-through socket, so you can still use the wall socket it’s plugged into to power another device. This might be the set of speakers that you’re using with the 3.5mm jack plug, but even if you don’t have an associated device to plug in, it’s always a bonus to be able to plug something else in without disconnecting the Wi-Fi.
We tested the device using a single-band ISP router that doesn’t reach particularly far into our test house. Trying to access the internet in the bedrooms is an unpleasant experience. We get 36Mbps (using Ookla Speedtest at www.speedtest.net) in the same room as the router, but moving through to the worst bedroom sees the connection become very flaky, with the best speed we measured being around 3Mbps. By placing the RE6700 between the router and the dead zone, we saw the speed increase to 13Mbps. This is a dramatic improvement to the quality of the internet connection and will certainly help make your Wi-Fi more accessible all over your home.
VERDICT
There’s nothing missing from this well-equipped Wi-Fi range extender, which covers all the network settings you might need, and throws in a pass-through power socket for good measure. This makes it good value for money. Most importantly of all, it solved the connection problems in our Wi-Fi dead zones with a minimum of fuss.
SPECIFICATIONS
■ 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards
■ Gigabit Ethernet port
■ 3.5mm audio jack
■ 2.4 and 5GHz bands
■ WPS and Reset buttons