Wireless bridges and wireless repeaters both are networking devices. You may hear that the wireless version of the repeater is often called the range extender. They both perform very different roles in terms of the network even though both are used for extending the network coverage.
Repeaters usually depend on a Wi-Fi signal and help to extend the range of the wireless network. Whereas, the bridges use the wireless signals to join the two existing networks together to form a comparatively larger network. Here you will see the Wireless Repeater Vs Wireless Bridge below.
Our Top Picks: Repeater(Extender) and Bridge
- NETGEAR Wi-Fi Range Extender EX3700
- TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220)
- TP-Link AC1750 WiFi Extender (RE450)
- Loom WiFi Extender Signal Booster
- TRANGU WiFi Extender, Up to 1200Mbps WiFi Range Repeater
Functions of Repeaters(Extender)
To rebroadcast wireless signals, wireless repeaters are designed. In the case when a repeater receives a wireless signal, it will then again transmit the data that it has sent without changing it in any way possible. This re-transmission process will help all the users prevent any kind of effects caused by attenuation. It is basically a process where the wireless signals become degraded due to air travel.
With the help of a web of repeaters, the signals will only have to travel for shorter hops. This will happen even if it is intended for users a long way away from the primary access point.
Functions of Bridges
Coming to the functions of bridges, the wireless bridges are basically network clients in their own right. With the help of bridges, you can create a wireless link between any two networks and thus, will allow the devices on one network to see the devices on the other. It seems like they were part of the same local network present.
If it seems confusing for you, then take an example here. If an office has separate networks and two adjacent buildings, then if you add a single bridge to each network and then configure it to communicate, the office can easily unify networks into one huge setup.
When to Use Repeaters?
Once you know what are the functions of repeaters, it is time for you to know when to use them. Think about whether you want to add a couple of extra and super long-range clients to a specific network. Or you may want to just improve the performance received by the clients at the very minimal edge of your pre-existing wireless network. If the answers are yes, then repeaters can be a great option to go for.
However, these aren’t any sort of practical ways for performing the extension of the network coverage to several devices. This is because the transmission quality of the wireless signal will surely decrease little by little every time you repeat the signal.
When to Use Bridges?
Do you want to extend the scope and range of the wireless network at a significant point, then the bridges are ideal. If you use the bridge, you can expect to have the best performance than the regular web of repeaters. This can happen only if you divide the machines into two networks and then link them by the bridge.
In fact, you can use most of the bridges to connect any of the wired devices you have to a wireless network. Yes! Bridges can often connect to both wireless and wired clients. In such cases, bridges will effectively work as a great wireless adapter.
Check The Difference Between Bridge and Repeater
|It won’t understand complete frames.||Bridges entirely understand the frames.|
|The repeaters usually operate at the physical layer of the OSI model.||It usually operates at the data link layer of the OSI model.|
|Usually, repeaters can’t recognize the destination address.||To determine the forwardness of a frame, the destination address is used in bridges.|
|It may not perform packet filtering.||Bridges usually perform the filtering of the packets in the network.|
|Repeaters help to expand the limit of the signals in the network.||The bridge will connect the two networks well and in an organized manner.|
|It is often used for extending a LAN and is comparatively less expensive than the bridge.||It is relatively expensive and used for LAN extension only.|
Usually, the range extenders reach areas that are beyond the central router range and they further bounce back all the router’s traffic. Thus, it creates network congestion and slowing as well. One can use a wireless bridge as a transmitter in any remote location in a building. It will carry the signals back by the cable to another bridge that comes within the range of the router. A bridge automatically repeats all the signals it receives. As a result, it eliminates the problem where the router’s signals get repeated back.
The wireless repeater will offer you an exclusively wireless solution that allows you to reach out to a certain range of locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Does a Wi-Fi repeater slow down Internet speed?
The wifi Repeater basically works to transmit the signal from the router to the receiver devices. To be fair, it does not reduce much speed either. Although, it does not gain the lost speed because of the high bandwidth transmission! The repeater will never directly slow down the internet.
Q2. How can I increase my Wi-Fi repeater speed?
If you wish to increase the wifi repeater speed, you need to place it out to a prominent spot. You need to cut off the wifi leeches and then allow the configuration to a new wifi channel. Trying this method will always help you to increase a bit of speed.
Q3. How many Mbps do I need for a Wi-Fi extender?
This completely depends on the speed and the necessity you have. If you play graphic games, you will require at least 300 Mbps speed over the 2.4 GHz and it will be a great result. You can use the wifi extender to increase the speed by at least 100 Mbps and it will give you the best results.
Hoping that reading the article has helped you to understand what are the basic differences between the repeaters and the bridges. Go through the points mentioned above and you will have a clearer idea. If you still have any doubts, then you can comment it down below