Some devices, particularly older ones, work to boost the signal strength of an existing Wi-Fi data pipe.
These devices don’t work very well, and can sometimes be sold as Wi-Fi extenders.
To get started setting up your extender, you will need to consult its manual.
Often, the manufacturer will offer an app or a website to walk you through the initial setup process.
Either way, you’ll need access to a phone or a computer.
But chances are your extender will have some software it wants you to use to set up the gear.
Now you could plug in your Wi-Fi extender and follow along with its setup instructions.
Without a solid connection to your original Wi-Fi web link, an extender won’t do much good.
Once everything is set up and connected with a strong signal, you’re good to go.
However, some of the more premium, expensive extenders support seamless roaming.
Wi-Fi extenders and mesh networksboth extend your Wi-Fi signal, but they work at different scales.
Bridging can be achieved with Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
On Mac, the Wi-Fi indicator is located in the upper-right corner of the screen.
On Linux, use the commandiwconfig wlan0 | grep -i –color signal.