Slow Internet speeds, dropped WiFi signals or limited coverage are all symptoms of a weak Internet signal. All of these issues can be solved with an Internet booster. Internet boosters extend your Internet connection to all areas of your home. Internet boosters can be a wired or wireless solution, which we will get into discussing later in this article. When your Internet connection is not satisfying your needs, then you need to give it a boost.
What is an Internet booster?
Sometimes the term Internet booster and WiFi booster are used interchangeably. Whichever term you use, you are, in essence, talking about the same thing: a device that improves your home Internet coverage. Some Internet boosters can help your wired Internet connection. WiFi boosters tend to focus on your wireless (WiFi) connection. There are a few different types of Internet boosters and WiFi boosters. On a wireless home network, you could use a WiFi repeater, WiFi range extender or WiFi network extender to get better WiFi coverage in your home. The one you choose depends on your situation and needs. To boost your wired Internet connection, you can run additional Ethernet cable or you could create a wired MoCA network connection using your existing Coax TV wiring. MoCA technology is a unique and viable option to extend your Internet connection where ever you have coax wiring, including extending the reach of your WiFi.
Types of Internet boosters
There are several different types of Internet boosters you can choose from:
- MoCA adapters– MoCA technology is an Internet booster that converts your coax wiring into a wired Ethernet-like connection (also called Ethernet over coax) and can provide speeds up to 1 Gbps! It’s ideal for homes that don’t have Ethernet or limited Ethernet, such as older homes or even apartments where you cannot run Ethernet.
- Wireless (WiFi) extenders – these are used to extend your WiFi signal reach and coverage throughout your home. They re-broadcast existing signals without affecting the network’s bandwidth.
- Mesh WiFi– similar to MoCA technology because it is also wired, Mesh WiFi is a whole-home WiFi system. Mesh consists of a mesh router that connects to a series of satellite pods.
How Internet boosters work
So, let’s take a look into how each of these boosters work. Each of these Internet boosters are placed in between your Internet connection and the areas in your home that need a better Internet connection or WiFi signal. Depending on the booster device you use, the booster takes your existing Internet or WiFi signal and redistributes or re-broadcasts it to other areas of your home. For WiFi boosters, it is important to note that these types of boosters will use the existing WiFi signal, so if your WiFi signal is weak from your router, they will only be re-broadcasting a weak signal. So, make sure your signal is strong before trying to extend its range.
Mesh WiFi is a whole-home, or whole-house system Internet booster. Mesh WiFi requires investing in additional devices, including a mesh router and nodes that you place throughout your home.
Choosing the right Internet booster
The Internet booster you choose depends on your situation and needs.
Choose MoCA if you:
- Have devices that require a wired connection
- Have devices with heavy bandwidth use, such as streaming, online gaming and video calling
- Are unable to run Ethernet
- Have existing coax TV wiring in your home
Choose a WiFi Extender or WiFi Mesh if you:
- Have a strong WiFi signal but need it to reach farther
- Have devices that need a wireless connection
- Need to move devices room-to-room in your home
- Have WiFi dead zones
Choose BOTH MoCA and WiFi Extenders if you:
- Have existing coax TV wiring and you want to create a fast, reliable network backbone throughout your home
- Want to connect your WiFi Extender to the MoCA network to greatly increase the coverage and reach of your WiFi
- Want to harness the benefits of both wired and wireless options in your home
- Want a reliable connection and faster overall speeds throughout your home
If you’re struggling with internet and WiFi connection issues in your home, consider purchasing an Internet booster to extend the coverage of your Internet and WiFi connections. Hitron’s HTEM4 MoCA Adapters are available for purchase on Amazon. If you want to read more about MoCA adapters, MoCA technology, WiFi Extenders or WiFi Mesh, check out our Learn pages or our Blog.