One of the features that guests look for in an Airbnb is the availability of Wi-Fi. These days, Wi-Fi has become a necessity that any place of business needs to provide. It’s up to you as an Airbnb host to deliver the latest and best in technology, especially if you want to be level with or ahead of the competition. Technology is a must, and when it comes to Wi-Fi, you can’t shortchange your guests. The truth is poor Wi-Fi capability often results to poor reviews, and the only way to remedy that is to have good enough Wi-Fi. If you’re not willing to shell out too much on a more powerful router, there’s a way you can provide better Wi-Fi service for your Airbnb guests. By using Wi-Fi extenders, you can improve your router’s coverage area and even provide extra access points throughout your Airbnb rental.
Buying Guide
Don’t go shopping for a Wi-Fi extender without considering a few factors. First, you need to make sure that a Wi-Fi extender is what you actually need and not an additional router. If you have a rental that’s too big or if you have space in your rental that’s just completely unreceptive to any Wi-Fi signal, you might need an additional router. Otherwise, an extender should work fine.
If you’re looking for an extender, you should never spend anything more than $100 because you can get an additional router for that price. The goal is to improve your Wi-Fi coverage to areas that have poor reception, so in some cases, you might need more than one Wi-Fi extender.
Finally, make sure that you get dual-band extenders. Single-band extenders will compromise your router’s performance because they connect and broadcast signal on the same band. Dual-band extenders, on the other hand, connect to your router on one band and broadcast on a different one, making sure it works as efficiently as possible.
Best Wi-Fi Extenders
1. NetGear EX3700 Wi-Fi Range Extender – $35
[amazon box=”B00XYEPLXU” template=”widget-vertical-fixed”]Featuring two external antennas for an even more enhanced coverage, the NetGear EX3700 offers up to 750Mbps of throughput using dual-band Wireless-AC technology. You can use this extender either as a new Wi-Fi access point or a hotspot. It uses a wired Gigabit Ethernet port, which can be useful if you want your guests to have their own separate network. It plugs directly into a wall socket and comes with an analytics app, which you might find useful as an Airbnb host. Through this app, you can monitor the status and signal strength of your Wi-Fi or even check on channels that are too crowded. These are extra features you might not ever need, but they’re available for you just in case.
2. Linksys RE6500 Wi-Fi Range Extender – $80
[amazon box=”B00M0G4FE4″ template=”widget-vertical-fixed”]If you have more in the budget for more coverage, the Linksys RE6500 will offer you just that. It even has better security features compared to other extenders. You’ll have to contend with a more involved setup process, but once you’re through it, you’ll appreciate the performance. This extender has Wireless-AC compatibility, and it can give you an impressive throughput of 1200Mbps. This particular extender will increase your coverage area by up to 10,000 square feet, an extremely generous number that’s likely to exceed your Airbnb rental needs. The four Gigabit Ethernet ports included will allow you to use this extender as another wired access point. As an extra feature, you can even use this device as a speaker system as well with its built-in audio input jack.
3. D-Link DAP-1520 Wi-Fi Range Extender – $20
[amazon box=”B00PVCXB4Y” template=”widget-vertical-fixed”]This affordable Wi-Fi extender checks all the boxes: dual band, Wireless-AC tech, and a sufficient throughput of up to 750Mbps. That being said, this wall socket Wi-Fi extender is as basic as any extender can get. It doesn’t have all the extra features that other systems might have such as Ethernet, audio inputs, or USB ports. However, most Airbnb hosts will not care for any of those extras, and if you’re simply looking to just extend Wi-Fi coverage, this D-Link extender might be all you’ll ever need. You’ll also appreciate the simplicity of this device if you’re not at all tech-savvy. All you’ll need to know is that this device plugs into a socket and works at the push of a button.
4. TP-Link AC1200 RE305 – $40
[amazon box=”B01N8ROH7G” template=”widget-vertical-fixed”]Another wall plug-in option, this TP-Link range extender will give you the best long range coverage, but it might not be the best option when it comes to speed. However, it does have a fast Ethernet port you can use to connect to a wired device. This dual-band extender can give you a throughput of up to 860Mbps. The TP-Link is easy to set up, and it even comes with 24-hour technical support. Not that you’ll ever need it; this device is something that you’ll plug in and be done with. For its price, you really can’t go wrong.
5. NetGear EX6200 Wi-Fi Range Extender – $80
[amazon box=”B00I4UPYFO” template=”widget-vertical-fixed”]If you need to extend your Wi-Fi coverage by several hundred feet, this NetGear device should do sufficiently. The NetGear EX6200 is a dual-band extender that can give you up to 1200Mbps of throughput. It can also double as a Wi-Fi access point and even features five Gigabit Ethernet ports. This extender also has a dual core processor for faster and more optimal performance. It’s a standalone device that will require a little bit of work to set up, but it’s definitely worth it because you’ll surely get the coverage you need for your Airbnb.
Editor’s Choice
Taking everything into consideration, we believe the best Wi-Fi extender for Airbnbs is the NetGear EX3700 range extender. It may not be the most attractive one out of all the choices here, but the features you get for the price are just unbeatable. The best selling point for this device is the analytics app that it comes with. For such an easy-to-use device, having the capability of monitoring your system is a huge plus. It’ll help you keep track of what your guests are experiencing as far as signal status and strength are concerned. In addition, these range extenders are quite easy to set up. You won’t have to spend too much time figuring out how they work. Plug in the extender into a wall socket, and you’re basically done. Also, if ever your guests end up tampering with this Wi-Fi extender device in any way, you’ll be glad you didn’t spend more on it than necessary. All in all, the Netgear EX3700 is more than sufficient for extending Wi-Fi coverage for any Airbnbs.
