The Digester

Best Wi-Fi Extenders of 2026: Linksys Leads as TP-Link Recommendation Paused

Mar 20th 2026

CNET lab tests at a 5,800 square foot Smart Home rank the Linksys RE7310 as the best overall Wi‑Fi extender, flag TP‑Link hardware as paused for recommendation amid a US probe, and highlight the TP‑Link RE220 as the best budget option.

  • CNET testing names the Linksys RE7310 the best overall extender with average Wi‑Fi 6 speeds around 132 Mbps download and 124 Mbps upload across a multistory 5,800 square foot test home.
  • The TP‑Link RE605X delivered top upload and strong Wi‑Fi 6 download performance but CNET paused its top recommendation after a US government security investigation into TP‑Link that could lead to restrictions but has not resulted in a ban.
  • The TP‑Link RE220 is the standout budget pick, regularly available for about $15 and offering reliable basic performance without Wi‑Fi 6.
  • Tests were run at the CNET Smart Home on a 150 Mbps fiber plan using a Netgear R6700AX control router and at least 96 speed tests per extender across Wi‑Fi 5 and Wi‑Fi 6 client devices.
  • Wi‑Fi extenders are effective for fixing single room dead zones but are not a full replacement for mesh systems when you need whole house coverage.
  • Wi‑Fi 6 extenders showed the biggest gains on upload speeds, which matters for video calls and cloud uploads.
  • Most extenders cost under $100, often create a separate "+EXT" network by default that can be renamed to match the main SSID, and modern models increasingly include Wi‑Fi 6 support.

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