How do range extenders work ?

[Denna]

I have a mobile hotspot that needs to connect to a router through an extender.

Hotspot <Wi-fi> Range Extender <Ethernet> Router

The hotspot, extender and router are placed next to each other.

Since the distance between the hotspot and extender is less than 3 feet, 5 GHz should be the better frequency for performance.

According to the manufacturer, the hotspot supports AC1750 and MU-MIMO. Does that mean 433 MHz is for the 2.4 GHz frequency and 1300 MHz is for the 5 GHz frequency ?

When a range extender connects to the hotspot, does it use one 5 GHz stream or multiple streams ?

When deciding on which one to buy, would an extender that supports greater than 1300 MHz for the 5 GHz frequency be a waste ?

 

[thiggins]

You would be better off getting a router that supports a wireless WAN connection. But assuming you can't do that..

5 GHz will provide higher speed, yes. But the throughput you get will depend on the extender's wireless class.

What hotspot are you using? I know of none that support AC1750, which is a 3x3 design.

AC1750 routers support up to 450 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 1300 Mbps in 5 GHz. But that is only with a device that also supports those rates.

 

[Denna]

thiggins,

The hotspot is an LG V521WG and according to LG customer service it supports AC1750.

When a range extender connects to the hotspot, does it use one 5 GHz stream or multiple streams ?

When deciding on which one to buy, would an extender that supports greater than 1300 MHz for the 5 GHz frequency be a waste ?​

 

[thiggins]

LG V521WG is a tablet, not a hotspot.
http://www.lg.com/us/support-mobile/lg-LGV521WG

Extenders connect on only one band at a time.

The slowest device determines best-case throughput.

 

[Denna]

thiggins,

The LG V521WG is a tablet that acts as a mobile hotspot.

 

[thiggins]

The LG V521WG is a tablet that acts as a mobile hotspot.

Ok. I cannot find any reference to Wi-Fi spec other than 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. I can find no reference to supporting AC1750. This would require a 3x3 radio, which would be highly unlikely in a tablet or mobile device.

 

[Denna]

thiggins,

The AC1750 reference came from LG customer support.

After some research, I read the tablet uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip. In the product brief for this chip, connectivity is supported by VIVE 1-stream 802.11n/ac. VIVE 1-stream 802.11n/ac supports up to 433 Mbps on a single stream.

That LG customer support got this wrong doesn't surprise me.​

 

[thiggins]

1x1 AC sounds much more likely. So an AC750 class extender would be a proper match. Anything higher will be a waste of money unless you can get a good deal on an AC1200 extender.

 

[Denna]

Can you explain how extender speeds are specified ?

If an extender shows a 1300 Mbps speed for the 5 GHz frequency, does that mean it has (3) 5 GHz streams each running at 433 Mbps ? Or is it (1) stream running at 1300 Mbps ?

If an extender will act as an Ethernet to Wi-Fi media bridge between (1) hotspot and (1) router, is more than one stream used ?

I've seen the Netgear EX6150 priced at less than $50.

It has a dual core CPU, more 5 GHz speed than is necessary, but it's two years old.

Can the Netgear EX6150 be used as a media bridge ?

For a home network that will be routing (2) HD Netflix connections, (1) HD Youtube connection, online console gaming and web surfing, is the Netgear EX6150 up to the task ?

 

[thiggins]

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/basics/wireless-basics/32175-how-fast-can-your-wi-fi-go

As I said before, slowest (least # of streams) sets the maximum speed.

The EX6150 has an Ethernet port and can be used as a bridge.

Will it work? Depends on your devices, distances and traffic from surrounding networks.

 

[Denna]

thiggins,

So one 5 GHz stream is equal to 433 Mbps ?​

 

[pege63]

 

[Denna]

How do you find out the channel width of an Android tablet's Wi-Fi capabilities ?

 

[pege63]

Go to wifi setting, dubell tab om your network SSID and info comes up about its status, signal strength, speed, freq, security, ip.

 

[Denna]

pege63,

Thanks for the help.​