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What is a WiFi booster and how does it work?
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A WiFi booster can be a great way to boost your broadband if you’ve got connection issues. Here’s everything you need to know about WiFi boosters, including what they are, how they work, and how to order a Virgin Media WiFi pod
By Virgin Media Edit
- Published
- 24 April 2025
What is a WiFi booster?
A WiFi booster is a device that helps make your internet connection stronger in areas where the signal is weak. It helps fix a weak connection by picking up the signal from your router and spreading it farther so more areas in your home get a strong, steady connection.
WiFi boosters are easy to set up and can be plugged into a wall socket in a spot between your router and the area with poor signal. Simply plug a booster in where the wireless signal is weak and it’ll take the wireless signal from your router, 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.
How do WiFi boosters work?
WiFi boosters take the signal from your WiFi router and send it out again to cover more space. This helps bring internet to places in your home where the signal is weak or where your phone or laptop might keep disconnecting.
Your devices connect to the booster instead of the router, which gives them a stronger signal if they’re closer to your booster than your router. Some WiFi boosters also come with extra features too, like Ethernet ports, which let you plug in a device directly for an even stronger connection.
If you’ve got a WiFi booster but aren’t sure how to set it up, be sure to check out our WiFi booster setup guide to find useful tips to connecting your booster to your Virgin Media hub.
Types of WiFi boosters
The way WiFi boosters extend your signal depends on the type you’ve got, but most connect to your main router’s signal and extend it so that it can reach farther.
Here are some common types of WiFi boosters and how they work
WiFi range extenders connect to your existing WiFi signal and then create a new signal to cover more space. You place them in a spot where the signal is still good, but close to the area where the signal starts to get weak. They help bring internet to areas like upstairs rooms, garages, or basements. However, since they create a new signal, you might have to switch between networks as you move around your home.
WiFi repeaters work similarly to extenders, but instead of creating a new network name, they copy the signal from your router and send it out again using the same network name. This means your devices can stay on the same network as you move from room to room. Repeaters are easy to set up, but sometimes the speed can drop a little because they use the same channel to receive and send the signal.
WiFi access points are devices that are usually connected to your router using a cable (Ethernet). They create a new WiFi signal in areas that your router can’t reach well. Access points are often used in bigger homes or buildings where a strong, stable connection is needed in multiple areas, and since they’re wired in, they usually offer faster and more reliable connections than extenders or repeaters.
Mesh WiFi systems are a group of devices that work together to cover your entire home with one seamless WiFi network. You have a main router and several smaller devices called nodes or satellites. These nodes talk to each other and spread the signal evenly throughout your home. With mesh systems, you don’t have to switch networks as you move around, and the signal stays strong everywhere. They are more expensive than other types, but they work really well for large or multi-story homes.
Powerline WiFi adapters use your home’s electrical wiring to carry the internet signal from your router to other parts of the house. They come in a set:
One adapter plugs into the wall near your router and connects to it with a cable
The other adapter plugs into a wall socket in the room where you want better WiFi. That second adapter can then provide a strong wired or wireless connection in that area.
This type of WiFi booster is useful if thick walls or long distances make it hard for regular boosters to work well. Just keep in mind that powerline adapters work best in homes with newer electrical wiring.
At Virgin Media, our intelligent WiFi Pods are a type of mesh WiFi booster that wirelessly pass the Hub’s signal from Pod to Pod. 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 WiFi, so your experience is always tailored to your needs.
WiFi booster vs WiFi extender: What's the difference?
WiFi booster and a WiFi extenders are both devices that help improve your internet signal, but they're not the same thing. Both help spread your WiFi further, but WiFi extenders often make a new network, while WiFi boosters usually strengthen the existing one.
A WiFi booster is often a general term people use to refer to many types of extenders or a repeaters, while a WiFi extender is a specific type of booster that works by taking he signal from your router and rebroadcasting it to areas where the signal is weak.
Do WiFi boosters make your internet faster?
WiFi boosters don’t actually make your internet speed faster, but they can make your connection feel faster in certain areas of your home. That’s because they help improve the strength and stability of the signal, especially in rooms where the WiFi is weak or keeps cutting out.
If your internet feels slow because the signal is low, a booster can lead to better performance on your devices. But if your internet is already slow because of your broadband speed limits or too many people using it at the same time, a WiFi booster won’t fix that. It doesn’t increase the speed coming from your provider – it just helps spread the existing signal more evenly throughout your home.
If you’ve got speed issues rather than signal strength issues, it may be time to upgrade your broadband package.
We’ve got a range of superfast broadband deals with speeds to suit every household, so Not sure what speeds you can get? Check out all of our broadband deals and enter your postcode checker to see what’s available in your area.
Do I need a WiFi booster?
You might need a WiFi booster if your internet works fine in some parts of your home but is slow, weak, or cuts out in other areas. It’s especially useful in large homes, places with thick walls, or multi-story buildings where the signal from your router can’t reach every corner.
For example, if your living room has strong WiFi but your bedroom or upstairs office barely gets a signal, a booster might be your solution to helping extend your coverage. A booster helps fix these problems by making the signal stronger and more stable where it’s normally weak.
However, if your WiFi is slow everywhere in your home, the problem might not be the signal strength – it could be your broadband package isn’t fast enough or your router is too old. In that case, getting a faster internet package might be a better fix than using a booster.
Do I need a WiFi booster?
You might need a WiFi booster if your internet works fine in some parts of your home but is slow, weak, or cuts out in other areas. It’s especially useful in large homes, places with thick walls, or multi-story buildings where the signal from your router can’t reach every corner.
For example, if your living room has strong WiFi but your bedroom or upstairs office barely gets a signal, a booster might be your solution to helping extend your coverage. A booster helps fix these problems by making the signal stronger and more stable where it’s normally weak.
However, if your WiFi is slow everywhere in your home, the problem might not be the signal strength – it could be your broadband package isn’t fast enough or your router is too old. In that case, getting a faster internet package might be a better fix than using a booster.
If you’re not sure if you’ve got internet signal issues, use our helpful broadband speed test to see how fast your broadband connection is and whether your speed issues are related to bad signal.
Does Virgin Media offer WiFi boosters?
Of course we do! If your home WiFi signal needs a helping hand, our WiFi Pods are designed to do just that. We pride ourselves on the speed and reliability of our fibre broadband. But there are lots of things that can interfere with your wireless signal. Thick walls, your neighbours’ network, microwaves, baby monitors and even Bluetooth – these can all affect your WiFi performance.
Our mesh WiFi Pods are designed to enhance your home broadband coverage. From setting up your first Pod to getting help with an issue, you’ll find everything you need to know in our WiFi pods guide.
How to order Virgin Media WiFi pods
If you’ve ran a speed test (powered by SamKnows RealSpeed) and found areas in your home no WiFi or weak signal, our WiFi guarantee with WiFi Max might be for you.
This is our promise you’ll enjoy download speeds of at least 30Mbps in every room or get £100 bill credit. We’ll send you your first WiFi Pod to help boost the WiFi signal to those WiFi blackspots. If your home needs more of a boost, we can send up to two more Pods to help strengthen the connection from room to room.
And if you’re a Virgin Media customer with Gigabit Fibre Broadband or one of our Volt packages, your package will include WiFi Max at no extra cost.
If you’ve not sure not to order your pod or you’re not added WiFi Max, read our guide to ordering your WiFi pods and learn how boost your Hub signal today.
How can I improve my WiFi signal without a booster?
If you want to improve your WiFi signal strength without using a booster, you can try putting your router in a better position to improve its reach. Routers work best when they’re placed in a central, open area, so try putting it on a high shelf or table, away from thick walls, metal objects, or appliances like microwaves that can block the signal.
You can also try turning off devices that you’re not using. Some routers let you manage which devices get the most signal – this is called "quality of service" (QoS) and can be useful for giving priority to things like video calls or online games to reduce lag.
Sometimes, just restarting your router can help. Like any machine, routers can get a little "tired" over time, and turning them off and on again can refresh the signal. Also, make sure your router's software (called firmware) is up to date – updates can help it run better and fix bugs.
If you improve your WiFi placement and are still having speed issues, your problem may not be a problem with your signal, but with the speed of your broadband package. If you’re looking for an upgrade, take a look at our broadband deals and find a deal that suits your home.
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