Having slow and spotty Wi-Fi is the absolute worst. To help solve the problem, we're constantly trying to find the best Wi-Fi extenders to bring a solid connection to your hard-to-reach office or bedroom. Today, we're comparing the Netgear WN3000RP and TP-Link RE200 to find the best reasonably priced Wi-Fi extender.
Unlike a more heavy duty mesh network, Wi-Fi extenders plug into your existing wireless infrastructure and simply extend that coverage to distant places. If you have really thick walls, a huge home, or want the fastest possible internet, we'd recommend looking at a mesh network over an extender.
For everyone else, a Wi-Fi extender will do the job just fine, boosting your existing Wi-Fi into new places and requiring only a few moments to set up. Pretty much everyone at T3 towers has an extender in their home – because they work.
So, let's jump into our comparison between the Netgear WN3000RP and TP-Link RE200 to find out which Wi-Fi extender will suit your needs better.
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Netgear WN3000RP and TP-Link RE200: Features
The first thing to say about these two Wi-Fi extenders is that they're broadly aimed at the lower-end of the market. If you're looking for a really high-end extender, we'd recommend the Linksys RE6500, which is practically a new router.
This isn't to say that either the Netgear or TP-Link models are bad. In fact, both of them offer great range, fast speeds, and – perhaps most importantly – don't cost the earth. Unless you have severe coverage problems, it's likely not worth spending hundreds on a Wi-Fi extender.
When it comes to raw specs, Netgear's WN3000RP offers single-band coverage with a maximum speed of 300 Mbps and one Ethernet port, guaranteeing fairly comprehensive and fast coverage throughout. TP-Link's RE200 offers dual-band coverage with top speeds of up to 750 Mbps alongside a solo Ethernet port.
On this basis, TP-Link's is the more powerful and capable Wi-Fi extender of the two, offering faster speeds over both Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5GHz). When paired with the cheaper price, it's hard not to recommend the TP-Link RE200.
- Netgear WN3000RP vs Linksys RE6500: which Wi-Fi extender is better?
Netgear WN3000RP and TP-Link RE200: Coverage and design
So, the TP-Link RE200 wins on features but what about coverage and design?
In our testing, TP-Link's RE200 extends your existing Wi-Fi coverage by up to 2,000 square feet while Netgear's WN3000RP works for up to half of that, although the manufacturer itself is somewhat cagey about the exact figure. On balance, we think the TP-Link has the better coverage areas.
In terms of the design, the two models offer something quite different: Netgear's has the very traditional Wi-Fi extender design with the dual antennas while TP-Link's is enclosed in an attractive boxy outer shell, similar to an air freshener.
Whichever design you prefer comes down to personal preference but we think TP-Link's is the more attractive of the two, having moved beyond the dual antenna design.
Netgear WN3000RP and TP-Link RE200: Verdict
As you might have guessed, the TP-Link RE200 is the best Wi-Fi extender for most people in our testing, offering the broadest coverage areas, the fastest speeds, dual-band connectivity, and the lowest price.
While you might prefer the design of Netgear's WN3000RP, we wholeheartedly recommend TP-Link RE200 on its merits, especially with some of the deals we've seen going around on Amazon and elsewhere.
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