Here's why your mesh Wi-Fi feels like one step forward, two steps back
…Most users suffering from poor Wi-Fi coverage are tempted to invest in an expensive mesh system instead of Wi-Fi extenders to make up for a subpar router. While a mesh…
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Why not buy a proper Wi-Fi extender?
Budget Wi-Fi extenders for $20-$40 seemed like an obvious fix, albeit not without flaws. Those Wi-Fi extenders create a separate SSID, need a strong signal to repeat, and deliver less than half the bandwidth. Placing it to repeat the signal enough in a dead zone to help out while maintaining a usable uplink is trickier than it sounds. The ESP32-S3 sidesteps most of that. I flashed the ESP NAT Router firmware and set it up to act as a NAT router — bridging my main network and working as an access point. No subscription, no cloud account, or dedicated app required. The ESP32 costs $10 while the
I extended my Wi-Fi network with this cheap $10 ESP32Top stories
Wi-Fi 7 will not fix what's actually wrong with your home network
…Your network infrastructure should be ready for Wi-Fi 7 before you go and buy a fancy new router. This extends from your Ethernet cables, switches, and access points to your devices…
4 networking roadblocks I've faced over the years, and how I fixed each of them
…That's why I refused to spend money on a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh network . I just wanted the router to work as it should. After spending six years with…
I stopped blaming my ISP for bad Wi-Fi as the real culprit was right in front of me
…Sign in to your XDA account Whenever I run into Wi-Fi issues, I follow a familiar, frustrating routine: staring at a spinning loading icon, resetting my router for the third time…
I'd do these 5 things differently if I were setting up my home network from scratch
…I tried a Wi-Fi extender with mixed results, tried (and failed) to route Ethernet to every part of the house , and upgraded to a Wi-Fi 6 router only recently. For…
I avoided powerline Ethernet for years, but it solved the one connectivity gap nothing else could
…better connectivity with a mesh router kit or a managed switch with many wired Ethernet ports. The one thing I don't recommend is Wi-Fi extenders, which tend to cause more…
I revived my old router with OpenWrt after the package manager rewrite, and it took ten minutes
…Related I turned my old router into a Wi-Fi extender with OpenWrt, and it was easier than I thought OpenWrt isn't as much of a nightmare as I expected Why…
Your home network is only as fast as its slowest cable, and most people have at least one bad one
…Related Wi-Fi 7 routers are finally here, but most homes aren't wired well enough to take advantage Your home is probably not ready for Wi-Fi 7, and won't…
I ignored IPv6 for years, and now my home network is paying the price
…BE800 is a powerful WI-Fi 7 router that sports a blazing-fast tri-band BE 19000 connection and multiple 10Gbps wired ports. Supported standards Wi-Fi 7 $392 at Amazon $600…
Most people ignore their router's USB port, but it's perfect for one surprisingly useful thing
…Most consumer routers, even modern Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E models, run modest CPUs that were designed to route packets, not process file transfers. When you start pushing data through…