1. They Halve Your Bandwidth

• Wi-Fi extenders work by receiving a signal from your router and rebroadcasting it.

• Because they use the same radio to both receive and transmit, they cut your available bandwidth in half (or worse due to overhead).

• This means slower speeds, especially for devices connected to the extender.

2. Increased Latency (Lag)

• Every hop (router → extender → device) adds latency.

• This is terrible for real-time applications like gaming, video calls, or streaming.

3. Unreliable Connections & Roaming Issues

• Many extenders create a separate network (e.g., "MyWiFi_EXT"), forcing devices to manually switch between networks.

• Even if they use the same SSID, devices often cling to a weak signal instead of switching seamlessly.

• This leads to dropouts, slow speeds, or devices getting "stuck" on the wrong network.

4. Interference & Signal Degradation

• If the extender is placed in a spot with a weak signal, it will amplify a poor-quality connection.

• More Wi-Fi signals in the air can cause interference, making performance worse overall.

5. Incompatibility with Modern Wi-Fi Features

• Many extenders don’t support advanced router features like MU-MIMO, beamforming, or band steering.

• Some older extenders even force the whole network to downgrade to slower Wi-Fi standards.

Better Alternatives to Extenders

If you need better coverage, consider these instead:

✅ Mesh Wi-Fi Systems (e.g., Mornington Command Centre Plus, Google Nest Wi-Fi, Eero, TP-Link Deco)

• Nodes communicate efficiently, maintaining speed and seamless roaming.

• No bandwidth halving (if using a dedicated backhaul).

✅ Powerline Adapters (with Wi-Fi)

• Uses your home’s electrical wiring to extend the network.

• Better than Wi-Fi extenders in some cases, but performance depends on wiring quality.

✅ Ethernet Backhaul (Best Solution)

• Run a cable to a second access point (AP) or mesh node.

• Provides the strongest, most reliable connection.

✅ Upgrade Your Router

• A modern Wi-Fi 6/6E router with better range may eliminate the need for an extender.

When Extenders Might Work

If you must use an extender:

• Place it in a strong signal area (not where the signal is already weak).

• Use a dual-band extender and connect devices to the 5GHz band if possible.

• Set it to a different SSID to manually control which devices connect.

Final Verdict

Wi-Fi extenders are often a quick fix with long-term headaches. Mesh systems or wired solutions are almost always better. If your extender is causing problems, replacing it with a proper mesh setup will likely solve them.