I have a router supplied by my ISP. A Sagemcom. It’s Ok, just about. No doubt it’s bottom end of the market as I get it free.
We have solid brick walls so wifi coverage is patchy. After much searching and checking with other folk, I was recommended a netgear AC1200 Range Extender. When I try to set it up it asks me to press the WPS button on the router. There isn’t one! There is a light, so I thought that maybe it was automatic. But nothing happens. Either it doesn’t work, or it doesn’t recognise the Netgear.

The blurb tells me that I can set it up without a WPS key and set it on it’s own network. When I try that the extender isn’t seen. I’ve tried connecting with an ethernet cable into the router, but that too has no effect.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the Netgear extender and my router are incompatible, so it looks like a new router, which I will have to buy. So what is best. Obviously I will need a WPS button, unless the new router is way more powerful than the Sagemcom. Don’t do gaming. Just use it for general phone/tablet browsing and watching iPlayer, which we do quite a lot.

I’ve set one of those Netgears up for someone – don’t think an Ethernet cable will help. From memory you turn the extender on, then use a laptop to connect to its own NETGEAR_EXT WiFi network and configure from there using its own config webpage. Should work with any WiFi router?

There are other options of course – how much of your house is getting coverage from the ISP router?

That’s a good point. I was using a PC. Don’t have a laptop but maybe a tablet will do the job. That will/should pick up the extender wifi.

Upstairs gets good coverage, except spare bedroom. Downstairs lounge gets good coverage but router is in the room above it.

Kitchen, garage/workshop, anywhere in the garden not in a straight line with the window of the router room are patchy.

Range extenders are a bodge, and are either passable at best or actively terrible.

Invest in a proper mesh AP with a few nodes, lots of people make these now. My natural suggestion is the Amplifi, but BT and Google and no doubt others do them too.

They’re typically just wifi, so disable the wifi in the provided router and plug one of them into it to join the wifi to the Internet.

Thank you. I presume you know what you are talking about. That is way above my pay grade!!!

I’m prepared to consider anything at all, but could make it a little easier for a total humpty like me to understand?

Do you use an iPhone ? Apple Airport is very simple to set up and works great.

In the spirit of justifying what you’ve just bought yourself: I’ve just bought a Synology Router to replace my (very old) Apple airport. Coverage is much better (as you would expect).

It’s a bit more involved than just plugging it in and switching it on, but the user interface is very good, so a somewhat tech-savvy amateur like me had no problem getting it all working.
I got it because they also make a mesh “node” which can connect directly to it and form a mesh network, as we are looking to move houses within the life of the router, and this seemed like a nice feature.

The parental controls are also supposed to be quite good, as are the security features – but I haven’t really gone-to-town on setting these up yet.

Downsides are that it’s pricey, and chuffing massive (something that I hadn’t really appreciated until I opened the box!

Router: https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/RT2600ac

Mesh thingy (also works as a stand-alone router I think): https://www.synology.com/en-global/products/MR2200ac

Try logging into the existing router first. Though I’m suprised there is no physical button you may find there is a virtual WPS button.

Does the range extender not allow manual setup. I.e turn it in and connect to it’s WiFi then access it’s control panel and tell it to use your WiFi.

As above though extenders are a bodge. Mesh networks are better (multiple WiFi points that work seemlessly as a single WiFi network). We’ve a Google WiFi which I’m happy with and is very simple to configure.

Thanks guys for all the help.
I “think” I’ve got it working although the instructions at times seemed contradictory. Somehow the extender is now showing as being available with two different addresses, but only one works. I presume that is my fault!

We will see how this goes, but if things are no better I may get a man in. I just don’t understand some of the language involved here.

We invested in the Netgear Orbi system (A Wi-Fi mesh solution) rather than the Virgin Media Superhub V3 and a Netgear range extender. The difference is huge. Consistent Wi-Fi performance through out the house, a single SSID regardless of 2.4 or 5 GHz and easier to manage. Not a cheap (there are others that are cheaper) but delivers what I want. The SH V3 plugs into the outside world, with no Wi-Fi and the Orbi plugs into that. Turn off the SH V3 Wi-Fi and everyone is happy.

We’re getting a garden building to use as an office/second living room and I’m thinking of using Google WiFi to extend our WiFi out into the garden, for streaming NetFlix, Spotify, etc out there. Sounds like some of you have had good experiences with a mesh system.