5 Best Outdoor WiFi Extenders in 2023 [No Signal Drop]

No matter how good your WiFi router placement can be, a sub-par device won’t provide seamless wireless coverage outside your house. So, outdoor devices like doorbells, security cameras, smart lights, and door openers would often slug.

Although physical obstructions like thick walls are also miscreant in this, getting a WiFi extender suitable for outdoor use should be a perfect solution. But which one?

Well, I got 11 different WiFi extenders meant for outdoors, put them in different places like the garden, backyard, garage, etc., and tested each for about a week. Below are the top 5 devices that performed well:

1. Best with Multi Modes: Wavelink WN572HP3
2. Best Traditional Extender: TP-Link RE550
3. Best for Orbi Mesh WiFi: Netgear Orbi RBS50Y
4. Best for TP-Link Mesh WiFi: TP-Link Deco X50
5. Best Budget Extender: Linksys RE7000

5 Best Outdoor WiFi Extenders in 2023

While there aren’t many weatherproof options available, the models featured in this list sport a robust build quality. So, rest assured, they’ll last longer.

The featured devices are arranged in the order of best to minimalistic yet reliable options. So get your smart glasses on to read the reviews and ascertain which works best for you!

1. Best with Multiple Modes: Wavelink WN572HP3

If you don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on outdoor WiFi range extenders yet need reliable and decent signals throughout your space, Wavlink AC1200 with multiple operation modes is my top pick.

It includes AP (access point) mode, mesh extender mode, repeater mode, and PoE (power over ethernet) mode. Versatile enough, isn’t it?

Aside from modes, IP65-rated heat and water-resistant rating ensures continued operations in harsh weather conditions.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Wavlink AC1200 entails four detachable external antennas with a 2,000 Sq Ft maximum theoretical range. Judging by it only, the extender seems well capable of enveloping your entire yard space with transmitted signals.

In my test, the signals travelled through my fence line to cover some part of my neighbour’s yard, adding to around 1,700 Sq Ft.

Such high-amplifier antennas with an enhanced receiver design make the extender ideal for providing WiFi service in large areas. Besides that, the Wavlink has a great device handling capacity of up to 45 by integrating MU-MIMO technology.

Wireless Speeds

Compared to the below recommendations, its speed rating is much less at 1200 Mbps, with its respective band-wise speeds as follows:

5 GHz: 867 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 300 Mbps

I used this extender in repeater mode, and it gave me ample speeds with a Cox Gigablast connection. At 10 feet, the downloads and uploads were carried out at the rate of 167 Mbps and 24 Mbps, respectively.

While at 40 feet distance, the respective speeds dropped by 30%. Other than that, there’s an AP mode where you connect the extender to the router using an Ethernet cable to ensure interference-free signal transmissions and, in turn, greater speeds.

Conclusion

Wavlink AC1200 is a versatile outdoor range extender with multiple operation modes to add a convenience quotient. Its range is great, and MU-MIMO lets you connect multiple devices at once. But it comes with an older Wi-Fi 5 standard.

2. Best Traditional Extender: TP-Link RE550

TP-Link RE550 is a traditional WiFi range extender with a long-range capacity and decent throughput capacity. Despite not featuring an IP rating or weatherproof material, the build is quite sturdy and fares well for outdoor use.

When it comes to speeds and overall performance, it’s quite an increment over its predecessor, TP-Link RE450.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

TP-Link RE550, with its powerful antennas, its standalone coverage in ideal settings is 2,800 Sq Ft. This, combined with any decent wireless router, should easily envelop your mid-sized yard and garage.

I used my staple Netgear RAXE500 beast to pair with it for the test, as the signals emitted from the extender could successfully cover around 2,500-2,600 Sq Ft.

And combined with my router, I could relax poolside without worrying about any interruptions in my HD audio streaming. But what lets it down is a lack of a mesh tech, so signals in the outskirts were a bit weak.

Moving on, the MU-MIMO integration helps the extender connect over 30 devices simultaneously. Although running high-end tasks are not an option, HD audio or video streaming, video conferencing, and web surfing should fare well.

Wireless Speeds

The AC1900 dual-band WiFi range extender has its speeds distributed over its two bands as follows:

5 GHz: 1300 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 600 Mbps

When paired with a Cox Gigablast connection, my Dell XPS laptop could reach 175 Mbps of download and 21 Mbps of upload speed. Of course, it’s slower than what you get on the mesh extenders. But reliable & stable signals throughout the day compensate the same.

Over 30 feet, the speeds almost dropped by 35%, so you can surf the web or send emails in the outskirts. Other than that, it entails an AP mode, but a single Gigabit port limits its ability, and connecting a long Ethernet cable can be inconvenient for some.

Or you can use the port to establish a wired connection with any of your high bandwidth-consuming devices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, TP-Link RE550, despite not being a specialized outdoor WiFi extender, brings a great range to cover most of your outdoor devices. At just around $70, it’s a steal deal and gets you great performance.

3. Best for Orbi Mesh Networks: Netgear Orbi RBS50Y

Orbi RBS50Y, courtesy of its extensive list of features, offers solid throughput across a large area. Despite its outdated Wi-Fi 5 standard, this Netgear mesh WiFi extender comes with a tri-band & IP66 rating to breeze through the devices installed outside.

Besides, compared to Orbi RBS40V, its predecessor, it makes upgrades in large chunks in areas like speed, coverage, and even device-handling capacity.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

The Orbi outdoor extender houses six high-performance internal antennas (more than most traditional long-range WiFi extenders). The high-powered amplifiers transmit signals to up to 2,500 Sq Ft at a stretch.

Installed at my client’s vestibule, the mesh WiFi extender alone could envelop an area of around 2,100 Sq Ft, which should include the yard, garage, pool, and any extremities of your large house.

It creates a mesh network with any Netgear Orbi system and transmits strong signals to all corners, just as with my previous recommendation. However, it doesn’t work with traditional WiFi routers.

With MU-MIMO, around 40 of my client devices in backyard patios, detached garages, and poolside locations stay connected without jitters or lags. Besides, it has an IP66 water resistance rating that ensures it can withstand snow, rain, or sprinklers.

Wireless Speeds

The waterproof WiFi extender with tri-band frequency, comes with a speed rating of 3000 Mbps, with its individual band speeds are as follows:

5 GHz (1): 1733 Mbps

5 GHz (2): 867 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 400 Mbps

An excellent speed cap combined with powerful hardware led RBS50Y to turn in solid scores in my throughput tests with the Xfinity Gigabit connection. A point to note here is, like all Orbi devices, it features a band steering feature that automatically connects you to the less congested band.

The RBS50Y’s respective scores of 741 Mbps and 21 Mbps for downloads and uploads in close proximity, around 10 feet. And at around 40 feet, its score of 634 Mbps was higher than most Orbi components.

Even at that distance, I could play games on Nintendo Switch without any chop or lag. But what takes it a step back from my top recommendation is the inculcation of a single Ethernet port, providing limited wired connection possibilities.

Conclusion

Netgear Orbi RBS50Y makes sense for those who want to extend their Orbi signals to outside areas so they can stay online without any issues. It had a solid performance in my throughput and range tests. But all this goodness comes at a steep price, which is its major limitation, alongside its limited wired connectivity options.

4. Best for TP-Link Mesh: TP-Link Deco X50-Outdoor

Do you own a TP-Link mesh WiFi system? Bring a Deco X50-outdoor unit to extend the coverage outside your place. Note: It’s not a traditional WiFi extender.

TP-Link Deco X50-Outdoor is a top-tier weatherproof mesh WiFi unit to satiate strong WiFi signals outside your home. Even in the harshest of outdoor conditions, it transmits a high-speed and lag-free internet connection to your external smart devices.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Tagged as a “whole home mesh unit”, the Deco X50-outdoor encases two internal antennas that can possibly transmit signals over 2,500 Sq Ft in ideal settings. It means none of your outdoor smart devices remains void of signals.

And the results conform to that as the mesh extender installed in the foyer could pair with my TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro to transmit steady signals on my 15 devices present outside. The numbers can go as high as 50, with its maximum capacity standing at 60.

And creating a mesh network, alongside the integration of MU-MIMO, makes for a stable connection. Aside from that, what sets it apart from traditional mesh units is can endure even the harshest of conditions to transmit stable signals to your devices.

You can install this weatherproof WiFi extender anywhere to experience a seamless internet connection every time.

Wireless Speeds

Using an ever-effective Wi-Fi 6 standard, the maximum throughput capacity is as high as 3000 Mbps. The respective speed values on respective bands are as follows:

5 GHz: 2402 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps

Courtesy of its ability to create a mesh network, the speeds would rather be identical on the signals imparted by the wireless extender to that of the router. Staying up close to the extender (i.e., 10 feet), the speed values cap at around 747 Mbps and 23 Mbps, respectively, for downloads and uploads with an Xfinity Gigabit connection.

At the same time, values at a distance (40 feet) weren’t very far, with download and upload raking at 675 Mbps and 18 Mbps. So staying in the garage, the gaming consoles with heavy online games like Destiny 2 and Valorant ran fine.

It could also breeze through tasks like streaming, video conferencing, and others. Aside from that, there are two Gigabit Ethernet ports for even faster and lag-free wired connections.

Conclusion

TP-Link Deco X50-Outdoor is the best mesh WiFi range extender with a plethora of top-notch features. Weatherproofing sets it apart from others, along with the ability to create a mesh network for outside devices to run at speed similar to inside ones.

5. Best Budget Option: Linksys RE7000

As I have reached the end of my list, presenting you with a high-range wireless extender that, similar to TP-Link RE550, works well in imparting signals in the backyard and garage. However, it also misses out on weatherproofing.

Some of its notable upgrades over RE6300 include more antennas with increased ability, greater throughput, and device-handling capacity.

WiFi Coverage & Devices Capacity

Amongst the WiFi extenders for exterior use, RE7000 stays on par with my top-tier options with a theoretical range of 2,500 Sq Ft. Note that you can’t install it in an unsheltered place as it can’t withstand tough weather.

Keeping it closer to your yard and garage should get the task done. In a similar setup with Linksys MR9610, the signals travelled up to 2,100 Sq Ft. At the furthest end, signals swang between one and two bars but never ran out once.

With this extender in place, most internet-bound tasks should be a piece of cake. Furthermore, similar to most devices, RE7000 instills MU-MIMO tech, which makes it capable enough to handle 25 devices at once.

Wireless Speeds

The Linksys extender has a maximum throughput capacity of 1900 Mbps, with the speeds allocated to each band as follows:

5 GHz: 1300 Mbps

2.4 GHz: 600 Mbps

As far as its real-time speeds are concerned, paired with Linksys MR9610 and Cox 500 Mbps connection, it allows you to reach a maximum of 86 Mbps and 11 Mbps, respectively, for downloads and uploads. Such were the speeds when my Dell XPS was kept around 15 feet away from the extender.

At the same time, moving it as far as 40 feet caused its download speeds to drop up to 62 Mbps while upload speeds stayed at 8 Mbps. It’s a decent performance considering it lacks any mesh tech.

Besides, it lacks any AP mode, so the Ethernet port should just be used to connect with any bandwidth-intensive home device.

Conclusion

If you’re on a tight budget yet need a reliable WiFi extender to use outdoors, Linksys RE7000 is a worthy consideration. With its impressive speeds, coverage, and the implementation of MU-MIMO, it can sustain stable signals while simultaneously transmitting to multiple devices.

Anyway, it’s not a typical outdoor wireless WiFi extender but it does a decent job of transmitting signals to most of your exterior space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

Outdoor range extenders are easy to install, but you must identify a perfect place outside your home for that. I hope I was able to help you decide on the perfect one. However, if you still can’t pick one, here are my final suggestions:

• If you need one with multiple operation modes, Wavlink AC1200 is a great option. It costs around $115 and should cover most of your backyard with reliable signals.
• If you have a TP-Link mesh system, Deco X50-outdoor should be your go-to pick with Wi-Fi 6 support, great range, and throughput capacity.
• Finally, if you need a standard option, TP-Link RE550 is the best you can get.

Concluding my guide, I invite you to share your experience with the extender you eventually selected and provide feedback on its usage in the comments section. If you have any queries, feel free to ask. Take care and stay safe until we meet again!