Repeater, Extender, PLC, Or Wifi Mesh: Which Is Better For Wireless Network

Key points

• Repeater, Extender, PLC, and WiFi Mesh are great options for an internet connection at home or business.
• You, users, can have confusion in selecting the one, especially when you want to increase your wireless network connections.
• Select the right one after knowing the key differences between these wireless network options

In today’s digital world, the internet is an essential resource for carrying out daily tasks in personal as well as professional life. To fulfill this need, almost every home or business setup has a network connection, such as WiFi network. However, not all of them have the same internet speed and quality. And the network strength, especially wireless one, gets weaker when a user moves away from the wifi router. As a user, you want to know how to solve it. Can a repeater, PLC, extender, or wifi mesh address the issue.

There is a constant increase in the use of smart devices such as tablets, switches, televisions, PCs, cell phones, and locks at homes and commercial setups. These smart devices require constant high internet speed. Further, these devices are installed at several different places within a home or business setup. So, the reach of good signal strength to each corner is crucial.

The signal strength issue is higher in multi-storey buildings as several obstructions come in the way. It gets worse in the construction area as the materials being used accelerate the connection issues. In addition, thousands of devices connected to the internet make the connection issue bigger. Technologies like PLC, repeaters, extenders, and wifi mesh can help you enhance your internet usage experience. However, the basic point is which one is better for you. Before knowing the right options, you must know about these wireless network options in brief and compare them.

Repeater

Also acknowledged as a WiFi amplifier, WiFi repeater, the repeater sends the signal to the one willing to increase the coverage range after receiving it from antennas. According to its name, the repeater repeats the wireless network signal strength coming from the access point or router device that facilitates to increase the speed, quality, and network coverage.

Keeping it at the right location is crucial to make the WiFi Repeater work well. In the case of its installation away from the router, the signal reaching it will already be poor. If installed very close to the router, there will be no proper address to wireless internet connection problems. So, installing such a single device for a large area will not be a good option.

Pros and Cons of the WiFi Repeater

Pros	Cons
Works wirelessly well when plugged into a power outlet	Interference and obstacles in its way affect network connection quality
Creates a new wifi network with password and SSID that you can configure as per your choice	Possibility of speed issues due to high demands and decrease in its bandwidth
Same name and password like the main router	Needs another repeater to increase the internet speed. This can cause latency issue especially when making video calls or playing online games
Availability of ethernet ports for connecting other devices through respective cables

PLC

PLC (Power Line Communications) is also a good option to make your WiFi work better. These devices help set up a connection through the electrical wiring in your home. In this setup, you have two main devices – one connects to your electricity and router, and the other plugs into an electrical outlet where you need a connection. They use the electrical wiring to communicate with each other and send the internet from one place to another using the same cable.

You can then connect any device to the second PLC, which acts like a special access point. Because they use the electrical wiring, this method avoids many obstacles and makes your devices work faster.

Pros and Cons of PLC

Pros	Cons
Easy installation	Costlier than the repeater
Wiring at the same level of electrical panel	Signal strength weakens when there is separation of the electrical panel by rooms, zones, or floors
Simple integration with a WiFi emitter

Extender

Like a repeater, a WiFi extender enhances the signal from your router so it can reach more places. However, unlike a repeater, the extender connects to the router using a special cable. This cable connection keeps your internet speed smooth and does not let it go down as it can avoid obstacles better. In addition, it does not make a new network that you have to log into. You can put it in a better spot, even if the signal there is not strong.

You can also connect other devices to the extender with a cable. It is not too expensive, so you don’t need to spend a lot to improve your WiFi. If you want to cover more areas, you can use multiple extenders.

Pros and Cons of Extender

Pros	Cons
High internet speed via a network cable	Need to run cables that is always not possible
Good option for static installation	Issue with playback of the video you have just watched

WiFi Mesh

WiFi Mesh networks are like a team of devices that work together to make sure you have good Wi-Fi everywhere at your home or business setup. They have a main device and a bunch of smaller ones that are spread out to cover all the areas.

In the past, devices would connect to the closest Wi-Fi device. At present, mesh networks are smarter. They look at things like how many devices are connected and how strong the signal is. After that, they decide which device will give you the best Wi-Fi. This happens automatically, and you do not have to do anything because all the devices use the same Wi-Fi name and password.

Pros and Cons of WiFi Mesh

Pros	Cons
Simple configuration	Possibility of a decrease in the internet speed due the presence of obstacles
An ideal option for large areas	Costlier than Repeater, PLC, and Extender
	Require optimal compatibility. It means all devices must of the same manufacturer

Differences Between Repeater, Extender, PLC, and WiFi Mesh

	Repeater	Extender	PLC	WiFi Mesh
Feasibility	Ideal for daily needs at home Better performance at an ideal distance	Higher internet speed through the network cable Possibility of increasing speed with the utilization of switches	Require to be used in pairs Simple installation Need quality wires and equipment	Ideal option for large areas Simple configuration
Cost	Cost-effective in comparison with WiFi Mesh	Economical	Cost-effective when compared with WiFi Mesh	Costlier than PLC, Extender, and Repeater

Repeater, Extender, PLC, and WiFi Mesh – Which Is Better?

Now, you have a sound idea about the technological solutions such as PLC, Extender, WiFi Mesh, and Repeater that can help you enhance your wireless network usage experience. Further, you know the key differences between them. So, you can easily decide which is a better option for you.