Routers that have more coverage than normal routers are called long range routers. These routers have several technical factors that increase their coverage level, including radio power, number and type of antennas, signal booster, etc.
These routers are used in places that normal routers cannot cover, such as large halls, yards or multi-story houses where it is not possible to install several routers.
Usually, the first characteristic that is considered when choosing a wireless router is its coverage strength. Users tend to buy routers that have more coverage, but do all users really need such a router? Definitely not.
As it’s obvious, a long-range router covers more area compared to a regular router. You can cover a large house or office using a long-range router or several regular routers.
As you can see below , you can use one Long Range Router to coverage a large house (with more than -65dBm signal level everywhere):
You can also use two or more regular routers instead of using one long-range router to cover this house, but consider in mind :
Using Two Regular Routers for full WiFi Coverage (with more than -65dBm signal level everywhere).
Important Note: In WiFi networks, users are served in turn. This means that as the number of users increases, the overall quality of the service also decreases. So, be careful not to use long range wifi router in crowded places such as movie theaters and stadiums so that one router does not have to serve a large number of users.
you can check the signal strength at any area of your house or workplace by using “WiFi Analyzer” applications on your tablet or smartphone. This apps display the WiFi signal strength in real-time using visual methods and charts.
Read More : Best WiFi Analyzer Tools
From a technical standpoint, there are several differences between a long range and regular router:
The output power of regular router is usually between 100mw(20dBm) and 250mw(23dBm) while in long range wifi router, it’s around 500mw(27dBm) to 800mw(29dBm).
Normally, the antenna in regular router has a gain of 2dBi (dBi is the unit for measuring antenna strength) while the antenna in long range router has a gain of 5dBi. The higher the gain in an antenna, the larger the size, so you can easily distinguish a 2dBi antenna from a 5dBi one.
More antennas on on a router increases the signal strength and overall speed of the router. A long range wifi router serves a high number of users. So, it should have more antennas compared to a regular router to guarantee the connection quality of all users. Regular router has one or two antennas while long-range routers have more than three.
Beamforming is a special technology that greatly increases the coverage and speed of the network. Not all long range routers support this feature but high-level brands use this technology. This technology increases the coverage up to 40%.
Read More : What is Beamforming ?
Since a long range wifi router covers a larger area than a normal router, it can serve a higher number of users and devices. For this reason, most of them are equipped with a more powerful processor (and memory ) than regular routers.
Wireless Standard: WiFi 6
Overall Speed: 6600Mbps
Range: Very Large House
Concurrent Clients: 60
Features: Onemesh/HomeShield
Ports: 3 * 1Gbps LAN / 1 * 2.5Gbps + 1 * 1Gbps WAN / 1 * USB 3 / 1 * USB 2
This Wi-Fi router is the best long range wireless router. This router is one of the few routers that can cover a 4-bedrooms house. The premium security service guarantees the best security level for your home network. This router is fully compatible with IoT devices.The reporting system and parental control features are very useful, allows you to control your whole home network ( wired and wireless clients). Read More : TP-Link Archer AX90 (AX6600) Review.
Wireless Standard: WiFi 5
Overall Speed: 5300Mbps
Range: Very Large House
Concurrent Clients: 50
Features: AiMesh/AiProtection/AiRadar
Ports: 8 * 1Gbps LAN / 1 * 1Gbps WAN / 2 * USB 3
This Wi-Fi router is a 802.11ac ( WiFi 5) long range wireless router. This device has several capabilities, such as the number of LAN ports, which eliminates the need to buy an extra switch. The number of antennas has a great impact on the quality and strength of coverage. The port aggregation capability also allows you to have 2Gbps LAN connections.Read More : Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Review.
Wireless Standard: WiFi 5
Overall Speed: 1750Mbps
Range: Large House
Concurrent Clients: 30
Features: Onemesh
Ports: 4 * 1Gbps LAN / 1Gbps WAN / 1 * USB 2
This is the best budget long range wifi router. Due to its excellent coverage, this wireless router is very popular among home users. In addition to having 3 high performance antennas, it is also equipped with a signal amplifier. Low price has made this router one of the most widely used router among home users. Read More: TP-Link Archer A7 (AC1750) Review.