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Wi-Fi boosters: Everything you need to know

In this article we’ll explain all you need to know about Wi-Fi boosters, including what they are, what they do, and how to use them.

What is a Wi-Fi booster?

Wi-Fi boosters are perfect if you have connection problem areas around your home. Simply plug a booster in where the wireless signal is weak and it’ll take the wireless signal from the Hub, boost it, and retransmit the signal out to all your wireless devices, increasing the range. Whether you need your connection for streaming, gaming or just to browse, with a booster you can get the best out of your wireless broadband, anywhere in your home.

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Reasons to use a Wi-Fi booster

Wi-Fi boosters can help with those wireless signal dead zones around your home. Perhaps your master socket isn’t centrally located in your home, so some of your rooms are out of range of the Hub; or maybe you have an office at the end of your garden and your signal needs a boost to reach it. It could be that devices, appliances or just materials in the building itself are interfering with the signal. Whatever the reason for your connection problems, a Wi-Fi signal booster is an affordable solution that can help the signal from the Hub go further, giving you stronger and more stable Wi-Fi around your home.

Learn how to set up your Virgin Media Wi-Fi booster.

What type of wireless boosters are there?

There are two types of Virgin Media boosters. The older type, like our old Powerline Adapter, uses your home's electrical wiring to carry your broadband connection. Just hook up one Powerline to the Virgin Media Hub and plug another Wi-Fi Powerline in your signal problem spot to boost the signal to your wireless devices.

The newer type, like our new Wi-Fi Pods, don’t use your electrical wiring to transmit the signal. Instead, the Hub’s signal is passed from Pod to Pod wirelessly. Think of it like a relay race, passing the signal to a fresh runner, ready to take superfast broadband out to your device. This lets your signal reach further, giving you a fast and stable connection, wherever you are in your home. Pods also use cloud technology to learn how you use Wi-Fi, so your experience is always tailored to your needs.

Differences between a Wi-Fi booster, Wi-Fi extender and Wi-Fi repeater

Wi-Fi extenders and repeaters are both types of Wi-Fi booster. Boosters are basically any kind of device that extends the range of your wireless router or Hub. Although they are both classed as Wi-Fi signal boosters, Wi-Fi-extenders and Wi-Fi repeaters work a little differently to each other.

Wi-Fi boosters vs Mesh Wi-Fi systems

Mesh is the latest in booster network design, and it’s what our Wi-Fi Pods use. By strategically placing the Pods around your home, you can create one seamless network, giving you better coverage and faster speeds all around the home. The signal hops from Pod to Pod, meaning it can go even further without weakening.

Learn more about Intelligent Wi-Fi on Virgin Media.

Should I use Wi-Fi boosters or Wi-Fi pods?

It depends on what Virgin Media broadband package you have. If you have signed up for our Intelligent Wi-Fi Plus service, you’ll be able to use our new Wi-Fi Pods to create a Wi-Fi bubble that covers your whole home. If you have one of our other broadband packages, then you’ll need to use the older Powerline boosters.

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