Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review

Our Verdict

Inexpensive and economical to employ, at $40 Netgear's EX2800 is one of the all-time Wi-Fi buys today. It may not be the fastest extender around but it does a good job of filling Wi-Fi dead zones without costing an arm and a leg.

For

Small
Easy fix process
2FA and Touch ID security
Inexpensive and economical to utilise

Against

802.11ac just
No Ethernet port
No setup app

Tom'due south Guide Verdict

Inexpensive and economical to utilise, at $xl Netgear'south EX2800 is one of the best Wi-Fi buys today. It may not be the fastest extender effectually only it does a good chore of filling Wi-Fi dead zones without costing an arm and a leg.

Pros

+
Pocket-sized
+
Easy set upwardly process
+
2FA and Touch ID security
+
Inexpensive and economical to utilise

Cons

-
802.11ac only
-
No Ethernet port
-
No setup app

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800: Specs

Wi-Fi Rating: AC750
Size: 2.viii x two.8 x 1.eight inches
Number of Antennas/Removable: two internal/No
Wi-Fi Specs: 802.11ac dual ring
Ports: None
Operation at 15 feet: 170.9Mbps
Extender Range: 90 feet
Est. Almanac Costs: $ane.10

Netgear's WiFi Range Extender EX2800 may be i of the simplest Wi-Fi extenders to prepare and use, but it can assist fill up your home with data for just $forty.

While it doesn't offer an Ethernet port for additional wired access, this inexpensive range extender has excellent security, and features the ability to use 2-factor authentication and Apple's Touch ID.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Design

Netgear's EX2800 plugs right into an AC outlet, but at ii.7 ten two.7 ten 1.8 inches, information technology won't block an adjacent outlet. It has a two-prong plug, but lacks adjustable antennas to bring in the strongest signal.

Its blueprint, however, does without an Ethernet port, so the EX2800 can't be used equally a wired access betoken. There are four LEDS up front for Power, Router, WPS and Device, which acts like a crude point strength meter to help with optimal placement. They glow green when everything is OK but there'southward no way to plough them off.

The extender's top and lesser have cooling holes. Its side has a reset button for and at that place are WPS and Power buttons.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Performance

The Netgear EX2800 extender works by wirelessly connecting to the host router and retransmitting stronger ii.4- and 5GHz signals. It uses WiFi-5 technology and under ideal weather condition it is theoretically capable of moving up to 750Mbps.

Based on testing with a TP-Link Archer C5400X and Ixia's IxChariot networking performance criterion, the EX2800 does a lot with a piffling just was left in the digital dust by Wi-Fi 6-rated Netgear AX1800 Mesh Extender (EAX20), notwithstanding. With a 90-human foot range, the EX2800 moved 170.9Mbps to our receiving system 15-feet away. This is just slightly below what we saw in the Stone Infinite AC1200 WiFi Extender review (175.4Mbps) at the aforementioned distance. Both were blown abroad by the Netgear EAX20'south 375.4Mbps.

When the EX2800 was fix on the same floor 40-feet from the router and the exam organisation some other l-feet abroad, it delivered 24.4Mbps, one-half that of the Rock Space Wi-Fi Range Extender and one-5th that of the Netgear EAX20. It did better when the extender was placed a floor above the router and the test machine xl-feet away. Information technology delivered 124.4Mbps versus 173.1Mbps for its Wi-Fi six cousin the EAX20.

During my calendar week using the EX2800, it used an amazingly low 1-watt of power. If it'southward left on 24/7, it will cost virtually $1.10 per year if you pay the average toll of electricity in US of xiii cents per kilowatt-hr. Clearly, it's for misers with Wi-Fi dead zones.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Features

The EX2800 dual-band extender uses 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) applied science to push both 2.4- and 5GHz networks into new parts of a home; information technology can't combine them into a single network name, though. Information technology has the power to fill an actress 1,200 foursquare feet of a Wi-Fi habitation, according to Netgear.

There are extensive customization options available that range from backing upwardly and restoring the extender'south settings to allowing a device to sus scrofa the extender'south entire throughput. Chosen Fast Lane, it's like shooting fish in a barrel to gear up but it only works with a single band and might antagonize the family.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Setup and software

Forget about using an app to setup and configure the Netgear EX2800 considering it requires an old-school connected browser and Netgear's Genie software to install and make changes. Using my ThinkPad T470, I typed "mywifiext.net," created a new business relationship and picked that I wanted to use the EX2800 as a range extender.

Next, the software scanned for the device and institute my networks. I picked the two networks I wanted to extend and entered their passwords.

The software took a minute to set up the extension. Finally, I entered the names and passwords of the extended networks. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to consolidate them into a single network name. Everything worked on the first try and the extension yielded 116Mbps out of my 200Mbps connection. With everything working fine, I moved the extension to a spot 50 feet abroad. Kickoff to finish, it took 5 minutes.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Warranty and back up

Netgear backs the EX2800 with a one-year warranty merely only 90-days of support. If you have problems later on, y'all'll need to pay for additional customer support. Thankfully, Netgear'due south site is chock full of DIY material to help get the most out of the extender, including assistance setting information technology upward and enhancing its security. If you need assistance, the Netgear staff is continuing by 24/vii.

Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 review: Verdict

The Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX2800 does the trick for those with lots of Wi-Fi expressionless zones past speedily and hands filling in gaps. At $40 it'south a good buy but lacks the features offered on something like TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Wi-Fi Range Extender, which boasts a wired Ethernet port for converting it into a wired admission indicate and has superior performance. Even so, it's a small and inexpensive Wi-Fi extender that can help fill a dwelling with data.

Brian Nadel is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in engineering reporting and reviewing. He works out of the suburban New York City area and has covered topics from nuclear power plants and Wi-Fi routers to cars and tablets. The former editor-in-chief of Mobile Computing and Communications, Nadel is the recipient of the TransPacific Writing Award.