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.