Find solution
Is Wifi hotspot really different form repeater?

Is Wifi hotspot really different form repeater?

  • Somewhere on the net says repeater is to extend the wifi signal where the signal is weak. It also says hotspot is to create your own private network. My real question is: Can't hotspot also extend the wifi signal where the signal is weak? I heard using a wifi repeater makes the speed of internet slower than not using it. However, I didn't find anyone saying wifi hotspot will make the speed of the internet slower. If that's the case, I want to use wifi hotspot to extend the wifi signal to my room without slowing the speed of the internet down. Am I understanding the difference between Hotspot and the repeater correctly? I am talking about the hotspot mode and the repeater mode of devices such as this http://products.ncix.com/detail/d-link-dir-505-wireless-n-travel-88-72550-1020.htm

  • Answer:

    A hotspot (access point) needs to be wired to your network. A repeater extends a Wifi signal without being physically attached to the network via ethernet. It just receives Wifi frames and retransmits them, extending the range of an access point which is connected to the physical network.

whiteSkar at Super User Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

As said before, a repeater repeat what it receives. This mean that to transmit a frame from the station to the AP, it has to be sent twice, first from the station to the repeater, then from the repeater to the AP. However, most repeaters repeat on the same radio channel. This mean that the repeater cannot send and receive at the same time. So when it transmit a frame to the AP, it cannot receive a frame from the station. This essentially halves the data rate, since you need twice the time to transmit a frame and nobody can transmit anything else on the same channel at the same time. If you add another wired AP and set it to a different non-overlapping channel, then it will not slow down the previous AP at all. You will double the total capacity of the network while extending the coverage. If the added AP uses the same channel as the previous AP, then it will extend the coverage, but because both AP share the same channel, it will not increase the total capacity of the network, but rather reduce it, because of radio issues like the hidden station effect, among other things.

BatchyX

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.