Am I missing anything? Better to buy a $30 router vs a $30 wifi extender?

[tracerit]

I need to connect a device far away and don't want to pull any wires so I'm thinking of getting a TPLink Wifi extender (with ethernet port) to pick up the signal and connecting the device to it. After seeing that it costs $30, I remember I bought this Asus N12 Router for $30 in the past.

Am I missing anything here, should I just get the Asus N12 Router, configure it to repeater mode and know that this will be the better option for the future as well with the additional ethernet ports?

 

[JackMDS]

From a point of view of the hardware it might be that the Asus would do better because it have better Antenna and the flexibility to be put at any spot, the TP-Link need an outlet and sits on the wall.

That said, to realty provide decent function it depends on the enviroment.

In general Odd are Not very Good since Extenders (Repeaters) cut the signal into half after the Repeating.

 

[tracerbullet]

How far away is "far away"? Distance, blockages, line of sight, etc. ?

 

[JackMDS]

There is No standard answer.

Extender unit has to be put somewhere between the source and the destination in a spot where it can get decent signal so it can receive and transmit further.

There is No way to know unless you try in the specific environment.

Instead of asking for speculation at least describe your specific situation.

 

[nerp]

You might want to consider a mesh network. You don't get the hit on the bandwith like an extender. I switched to Google WiFi a while ago and the puck give remarkably good coverage and you can get some strong coverage with just two pucks covering a surprising distance. What I like is not having to worry about running dual networks for 2.4 and 5ghz. You just get both on one network and you're seamlessly moved from 2.4 or 5 depending on your distance and signal quality.

 

[Ezra. W]

Wifi extender may or may not help much cause it will add significant latency and degrade your signals. As for router, there is no way to predict its performance in your house—it largely depends on the size of the house and the obstacles that may exist. In this case, AP could give you the best odds for better coverage.

 

[tracerit]

I'm not looking to boost or extend the signal, just want to connect a device with an ethernet port connection, in this case a meat scale, to the extender. The extender is merely there to pick up the original wifi signal and turn that meat scale into a ghetto wireless device. This way I don't have to drag a cable from the front of the market to the back of the market. The distance is about 200ft and with about eight aisles in the way. Ended up working just fine with the extender.

 

[nerp]

Google Wifi pucks all have Ethernet ports for this very purpose. Works great for things like steam links and NVidia shields, etc.