You can use a wireless repeater, for example FRITZ!Repeater, to increase the range of your Wi-Fi network. The repeater is connected to the Wi-Fi network of your FRITZ!Box (or a different router) and then itself makes a further Wi-Fi network available to which your wireless network devices can connect. The wireless repeater does not amplify the signal of the existing Wi-Fi network, it repeats it.

In this guide, we answer the most frequently asked questions about the wireless repeater.

Can I use any wireless repeater with my wireless router?

Yes, wireless repeaters that use "Universal Repeater Mode" behave like conventional wireless devices towards wireless routers. Pure wireless repeaters like the FRITZ!Repeater can therefore be used with any standard wireless router.

In the FRITZ! Mesh, you can also use current FRITZ!Box models as wireless repeaters. Wireless routers from other manufacturers use different methods and therefore cannot be connected to a FRITZ!Box as a wireless repeater.

Can I use more than one wireless repeater?

Yes, you can connect several wireless repeaters directly to the FRITZ!Box. You can also cascade additional repeaters as Mesh Repeaters in the FRITZ! Mesh to increase the Wi-Fi range in a specific direction.

Which wireless repeater should I choose for the best Wi-Fi speed?

If you just want to surf the internet, any repeater is fast enough. On the other hand, if many wireless devices connect to the repeater and the repeater must meet high throughput requirements, using a dual-band or tri-band repeater is recommended:

Single-band repeaters like the FRITZ!Repeater 600 have a single radio unit and can therefore only alternate between sending and receiving. Although this halves the maximum possible throughput, in practice a single-band repeater still offers higher speed because it improves the Wi-Fi quality at the place of use.

Dual-band repeaters like the FRITZ!Repeater 2400 have one radio unit for the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and a second radio unit for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. If you have a FRITZ!Box that also has two radio units (for example FRITZ!Box 7590), dual-band repeaters connect over both Wi-Fi networks and use crossband repeating. With crossband repeating, data is simultaneously received on one Wi-Fi network and sent on the other, allowing data transfer without loss of speed.

Tri-band repeaters like FRITZ!Repeater 6000 have one radio unit for the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and a two radio units for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, although one of the 5 GHz radio units is used exclusively for communication with the FRITZ!Box. This way tri-band repeaters achieve the best possible throughput for the highest demands.

Do I need to change the settings of my wireless devices because of the wireless repeater?

No, normally you do not have to adjust any settings of your wireless devices after setting up the wireless repeater because the wireless repeater adopts the wireless router's Wi-Fi network name and the network key after setup. Your wireless devices then automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network with the best signal strength and can use Wi-Fi roaming to switch from the Wi-Fi network of the FRITZ!Box to the Wi-Fi network of the repeater.

In the FRITZ! Mesh, the FRITZ!Box uses Mesh Wi-Fi steering to even seamlessly steer your wireless devices to the wireless access point with the best reception.

Where should I position a wireless repeater?

If the wireless repeater is connected to the wireless router via Wi-Fi, it must be located approximately in the center within the range of the Wi-Fi network so that the two Wi-Fi networks overlap. Since the repeater is connected with the wireless router's Wi-Fi network, position it where the quality of the router's Wi-Fi signal is good.

Many wireless repeaters also have a LAN port, for example the FRITZ!Repeater 1200. In addition to offering a way to connect devices without Wi-Fi support, the LAN port allows the wireless repeater to also be placed outside the Wi-Fi range of the wireless router. This way, wireless devices can gain Wi-Fi access to the home network even at a great distance from the wireless router. Unlike Wi-Fi connections, the LAN connection is not subject to interference. For the connection between the wireless repeater and wireless router, you can use a LAN cable up to 100 meters long, or you can also use powerline adapters, such as FRITZ!Powerline.