Which device should an engineer use to act as a repeater in a network?

A wireless range extender is designed specifically to extend the coverage area of a wireless network by taking the existing signal from a wireless router and amplifying it or repeating it to reach further distances. This functionality aligns with the role of a repeater, which is to receive and retransmit signals to extend their reach beyond the original transmission range.

While other devices have certain overlapping functionalities, they don’t serve the role of a repeater in quite the same way. A hub can also broadcast signals to multiple devices but does not specifically amplify or extend the range of a network. A network switch operates at a more intelligent level, directing traffic efficiently but primarily within a local area network without extending range. Similarly, a router is designed to manage traffic between different networks and provides routing functions rather than merely repeating signals to extend network reach.

The choice of a wireless range extender therefore accurately reflects the need to repeat and amplify wireless signals, ensuring that devices further away from the original source can still access the network effectively.