Hi Gang,
Because summer finally got here where the temperature is finally above 70 degrees, I found myself outside in the yard a lot more. Now I'm not really the geek that all of you think I am. I enjoy the outside things too. But, I also enjoy playing with my computer toys as well.
We have a screened gazebo in our backyard and it's really nice to just sit and watch the turkey's wander past as well as the deer and so forth, but it's also a very nice place to just take your computer and read as well.
I have a Kindle account and I do like my satellite radio too. So, as you can image, I need a very good/strong signal from my WiFi units in order to do what I want to do. I have two WiFi units inside the house and have full coverage no matter where in the house I am. But when it comes to the outside my signal strength is almost nothing. That's where WiFi Extenders / Repeaters really come into play. These little devices will extend your WiFi signal by as much as twice the range and they are cost effective. By not having to hardwire a new router outside this little box gives me almost full coverage in my back yard.
I looked at a lot of different makes and models and then let my fingers do the walking on the internet to see which ones had the best customer satisfaction. I found that the more expensive units ($90 - $100) have the best satisfaction, but I also found out that the less expensive ($40 - 70) ones will work well if you're not trying to cover the plant. So, for my pick I chose the middle of the line Netgear unit.
I found that getting hooked up was as simple as just pushing the wps button my main router and doing the same on this little box. They mated quickly and that's all there was to it. I then messed around for about an hour or so trying to find the best location in the house so that I would maintain a good strong signal to the repeater, yet cover the areas of the backyard the way that I wanted. I finally found that "sweet spot" and left it there. Now I have coverage inside and out and it's all secure.
Need extra coverage for your house or yard? Do what I did and get a range extender.
Scott..