WiFi extenders are kind of a mixed bag in my experience. They’ll boost the signal, sure, but I’ve noticed they can cut your speeds in half if you’re not careful about placement. Had one in my garage for a while—worked okay for streaming music, but anything heavier and it choked. Honestly, running a proper Ethernet cable (even if you have to get creative with baseboards or crawlspaces) has saved me more headaches than any plug-in gadget. The “smarter” my house gets, the more I end up crawling around with tools anyway...
Funny, I’ve had the same experience with extenders—they’re helpful in theory, but I always end up frustrated by the lag.
That’s been me lately too. It’s weirdly satisfying once you get a cable run just right, though. Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone in feeling like your house is outsmarting you!The “smarter” my house gets, the more I end up crawling around with tools anyway...
I get what you mean about the satisfaction of running a cable, but honestly, I think extenders get a bad rap. Most of the time, the lag comes from placement or interference—like, if you’ve got them behind a metal cabinet or near a microwave, it’s game over. I usually map out where my devices are and try to keep extenders in open spots. Sometimes it’s less about crawling around and more about playing detective with your floor plan... not always glamorous, but it beats tearing up drywall every time you want better WiFi.
Yeah, totally get where you’re coming from. I used to think extenders were junk, but once I actually moved mine out from behind the TV stand, it made a big difference. Not gonna lie, I’ll take a cheap extender over drilling holes any day.
Can’t blame you for skipping the drilling. I ran ethernet through my attic once and swore I’d never do it again unless I had to. Moved my extender up on a bookshelf and suddenly the smart lights stopped dropping out. Sometimes it’s just about placement, not price.
