consumer associationWhat is the best WiFi booster? And which one has the best price-quality ratio? The Consumers’ Association provides an answer.
A weak WiFi signal in your home causing your internet connection to be poor? A WiFi booster can offer a solution. Or better yet, a set of at least two or preferably three of these devices can give your Wi-Fi signal a big boost.
We are talking about WiFi extenders with mesh technology. These are multiple amplifiers that communicate with each other wirelessly. This way they form a good wireless network with smooth and stable WiFi throughout your home. You don’t have to pull any cables.
You can buy WiFi boosters from your internet provider, for example. The disadvantage of this is that they only work with this provider’s network. If you switch once, you can purchase new WiFi amplifiers. So it is useful to buy a non-provider-bound model that you can continue to use if you ever change providers.
The Consumers’ Association tests WiFi extenders for speed, range, options, ease of use, energy consumption and safety, among other things.
A total of thirty readily available WiFi boosters were tested. A set from Asus came out Best in the Test. More sets are coming as Best in the Test. We describe the Asus set because it is the cheapest. A TP-Link set is Best Buy.
Best in Test: Asus ZenWiFi XD5 (3-pack White)
Best in the Test: Asus ZenWiFi XD5 (3-pack White). © Consumers’ Association
Price: 239 euros
Test rating: 7.6
WiFi version: WiFi 6
Parental controls: yes
Number of WiFi points: 3
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View all tested WiFi extenders
The Asus ZenWiFi XD5 amplifies the WiFi signal over a considerable distance. At 12 meters, in a shed, a speed of 71 mbs is measured, which is quite decent. You can place the three WiFi boosters in different places in your house. But you can also attach them to the wall if you prefer.
It is very useful that the system itself indicates during installation where it is best to place the points. What some people also like is support for parental controls. This allows you to manage children’s internet access.
Even if you use this system to access the World Wide Web with multiple devices at the same time (for example a tablet, PC and smartphone), the connection speed per device remains very good. It doesn’t even use much energy.
So is everything fantastic about the Asus ZenWiFi XD5? No! Downsides are the manual and the quick start guide. Both of these do not score particularly high.
You can also buy these Asus boosters with two WiFi points, or just one.
Beste Koop: TP-LINK Deco X20 (3-pack)
Best Buy: TP-LINK Deco X20 (3-pack). © Consumers’ Association
Price: 184 euros
Test rating: 7.2
WiFi version: WiFi 6
Parental controls: yes
Number of WiFi points: 3
Find the lowest price
View all tested WiFi extenders
The TP-LINK Deco X20 scores slightly less than the Best in the Test, but still offers more than sufficient range and speed. It is also a lot cheaper than the Best in the Test. This system also indicates during installation where it is best to place the amplifiers.
This model is also very economical with energy. And you can also use the internet with multiple devices at the same time. The range at longer distances (12 meters) and in a shed is no longer particularly large. But if you are surfing the internet no further than 10 meters from the TP-LINK Deco X20, you will have more than enough range and speed.
The downside of this amplifier is that it does not have a single physical button. Quick WiFi or turning off the entire device with a button is not possible. This is only possible via the app. And here too, the manual and quick start guide leave much to be desired.
Accountability
In this section we write weekly about household and technological appliances that have been tested by the Consumers’ Association. This is a collaboration between the independent editors of this site and the Consumers’ Association.
The Consumers’ Association tests thousands of products every year, together with qualified technicians in specialized laboratories at home and abroad. The products being tested are store-bought, so they are not pre-manipulated by manufacturers.
New models are tested as soon as possible after introduction. How fast that is varies per product. The Best in Test is the product with the best test rating. This could also be an older model, because a newer model is not always better. The Best Buy is the product with the best price-quality ratio.
The stated price of a product is the lowest current retail price as far as known to the Consumers’ Association. But prices may vary per day. If no recent retail price is known, the target price is mentioned.
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2024-02-17 12:15:00
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