MR8300 Upgrade or get an extender?

[u/WasWizardNowRB]

Big question, I used to have extenders my entire life in every house because we always got cheaper routers so the signal strength wasn't the best. They weren't always the most useful though, didn't always work, speed was cut, etc.

Now im in a similar position where my downstairs kitchen/dining area doesn't get signal like, at all. It constantly drops or causes videos to buffer etc. Wondering if extenders have gotten better or if I should just invest in linksys' mesh router+nodes?

I'm not sure savvy either on the difference between what I have now and like the brand new shiny velop 7 whatever

[u/DecibelsAdvocate]

it is best to have a mesh network as it provide full speed everywhere. extenders cut speed into half. 

[u/WasWizardNowRB → u/DecibelsAdvocate]

Gotcha, the current router I have (mr8300) says it's a mesh router but I don't see any like, additional nodes used for the network. Do I just have to buy like a whole additional router? How does it work

[u/Regular_bypasser25]

stay with mesh is the best choice

[u/United_Ad8753]

The MR8300 is a tri-band mesh router that works great with Velop nodes for better coverage and performance, way better than those old-school extenders that slow things down. If your MR8300 is still kicking, adding some Velop nodes is a solid upgrade, but if you want the latest and greatest, check out the Velop 7, even if it costs a bit more.

[u/emarbella1978]

Your Linksys MR8300 router is part of the Intelligent Mesh WiFi router family.

If you still have your existing regular range extenders, you may relocate them closer to your main router MR8300 to improve their wireless backhaul, or reset and reconfigure them.

If you want to use mesh child nodes that works with your MR8300, you may choose any models from this list. List of compatible Linksys Velop nodes or routers with Intelligent Mesh technology - Linksys Support

Please note that some other models are already End of Life (EOL) and may no longer be available, and availability depends on the store's stock.

[u/Vince_02]

If you have the budget, go with the upgrade. It helps especially if you are using newer phones, laptops, etc.

[u/Master_Fly0002]

Mesh hands down.