NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX3700 Review: Improved Internet Connection

NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX3700 review

Do you ever have problems with your Wifi Connection? Some areas in your house may be perfectly fine, but if you have an office or do a lot of work online it can be inconvenient when your connection is shaky in certain areas you desire to do your work.

It can be inconvenient regardless of whether you work online or you are just searching the web for entertainment. Fortunately, there are wireless range extenders available to the public to solve those issues.

The Netgear EX3700 (AC75) is an effective option to ensure your internet reaches everywhere you want it to. It is also a more affordable option as opposed to buying a premium mesh router which is designed to do the same thing as the extender.

This is definitely a wise choice if you are on a budget to boost your wifi connection in your home. It will improve your signal for up to 80 feet, so it works best in smaller homes. NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX3700 supports 2.4 GHz(longer range) and 5 GHz(faster speed).

Design

The design is nothing to brag about with its big body and casing. It is shaped like a cube and has two antennas sticking up on the left and right sides. The front is a matte silver, with Router, Device, Power, and WPS indicator lights facing towards you. On the left side, there is a factory reset button which is surrounded by triangular air vents, WPS, and On/Off buttons.

The antennas on it are not sturdy and tend to not stay in place at times. The Ethernet port on the right side will be completely covered by the antenna on that side if you leave it pointing towards the floor. Although the design is a bit bulky, it does not cover two outlets which is a good thing.

Software

The Netgear EX3700 (AC75) provides an online source to make the setup procedure as simple as possible. There are no programs to download, and managing this device online is great for users that want to keep things easy. However, there are plenty of choices for power users to log in and change up should they choose to after setting up a Netgear account.

Setup

Setting up the extender on your laptop can be an easy process. To start off you need to plug in the extender to an outlet close to your router. You can move it closer to the area you are having a weak signal after the initial setup. You will be able to start the setup process once the indicator light turns green after plugging it into the outlet.

Now you’ll need to make sure you’re logged into the same wireless network you’ll be using the extender for (that’s your home Wi-Fi network). Now go online and copy this into your search”www.mywifiext.net“. You will be taken to the setup page where you will see the phrase “New Extender Setup”. Click on that and you will be taken to the Netgear Genie which will walk you through setting up your account.

When you’ve entered all the required information, the Netgear Genie setup will ask whether you want to set up your device as a range extender or access point. The range extender will show a bunch of network connections, and just like accessing your Wifi you will have to go on the network you are operating on. After logging in with your username and password, the Netgear Genie will connect to the WiFi and begin to extend your wireless signal.

After getting through the initial setup, there are options you can tweak which is not bad for an extender you can get on a budget. If you lack knowledge of programming in this aspect, it would be wise to leave the settings alone. Simply put, the fact that there are options to tweak is a plus and can come in handy for more advanced users.

If the router you have supports a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) then you can simply press the WPS button on the router and then the one on your extender. You must wait a few minutes until the lights turn amber, and then green. Not all routers work with this setup process and in some cases, it’s disabled by default (unless you’ve gone into ipconfig), but it is a nice to have if your router gives you that option.

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Customer Reviews

This is not the perfect Wifi extender by far. There are close to 8,000 positive reviews and close to 4,000 negative reviews as well. Customer experience with the Netgear-EX3700 WiFi extender will vary depending on the individual, but at $30 it is an affordable option and is a quality product for those looking to save some cash.

Alternatives

While the Netgear EX3700 Wi-Fi Range Extender (AC750) is a good option if you are looking to get a better signal in your home, there are other affordable options you can look into as well.

Here is a list of affordable alternatives

CONCLUSION OF NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX3700 Review

If you are are on a budget then the Netgear EX3700 Wi-Fi Range Extender (AC750) is a useful device for you to invest in. With that said, this range extender is not as good compared to similar and more expensive devices. It is more than enough for a smaller home, but if you live in a more spacious area then you will probably want to go with the NetGear Orbi Tri-Band Whole Home Mesh to get a stronger WiFi connection.

20 Comments

  1. Hi. I’m a student and live by myself in a very small house so I think Netgear EX3700 Wi-Fi Range Extender would meet my needs. But I still have concerns and it’s about their quality. Are they sturdy? Do they last a long time?

    I know I could have a good WiFi device at an affordable price with Netgear, but how long will it last?

    • If you have concerns over the Netgear extender then I advise you to look into the alternatives mentioned.  As far as how long it will last, my guess would be for a long time unless you spill some juice on it or something.

  2. Hi Max

    An interesting review of a product that those with a dodgy wifi connection cannot do without. Some people are lucky and they got good connection and others not much so, when the signal keeps dropping. My question is does the product work no matter who your internet service provider is and what router they give to you?

    Thanks

    Antonio

  3. This review is a good resource if you are looking for bettering your network if you are on a budget. I do not have any experiences with Netgear routers or extenders, but from your review, it would seem like a good choice. The only thing I would comment about the router is its bulky frame. Netgear should try to do something about that. And in order to not losing one power socket, a pass-through for connecting power should be provided in the design.

     Do you know if Netgear has plans for implementing such modifications or do they have other alternatives that provide such a feature?

    In my home, we bought a mesh system from TP-Link, the Deco M9 Plus Mesh system. And it is a dream to set-up and use. We have no problems with our WiFi at home anymore with it.

    • There are different models available from Netgear that have better designs and features. The mesh system from TP-Link is definitely of better quality for extending your Wifi connection and you made a good choice with that.

  4. I found this product interesting as we have a large house and also use our laptops outside the home in other buildings (we have a farm) Is this something that could be used by more than one user (more than one laptop)? Or is it pretty much a single use item? You mention a range of about 80′ but our house is a bit more than that. Do you think it would still work? Or is there a better product you recommend?

    Many questions, I know. But internet is so important! Thanks!

  5. Hi Max

    I have had positive experiences in the past with Netgear’s products, so I would be more likely to purchase their budget wi-fi extender, rather than any of the other alternatives you suggested. Apart from my familiarity with Netgear’s wares, I also prefer the compact design and the fairly simple set-up procedure you describe.  

  6. I have always been a fan of Netgear product. They have been around for the longest time. I guess the big body of Netgear WiFi Range Extender EX3700 may have to do with it’s antenna so we can get faster internet anywhere in the house? I love the fact that it is easy to set up, has good reviews and so affordable? Is there a warranty on this?  

  7. hey,

    i really hated my internet and i used to get awful net speed from it. until i came to this site and read about this Netgear Wi-Fi range extender and i found it to be very useful and i immediately tried it out and it seemed to be very strong and enhanced my network and made it very fast.

    the site provided me with a lot of information such as design, setup and software 

    this is a very useful site.

    Aparna

  8. There’s noting like have your wifi connection every in the hose and even out the house around the compound and even to the streets i must say this is the best product, although they were some others i tried but noting really worked until i tried this and i would like everyone to try it out. i have been using this for like a month nad i have been noticing some awkward reactions….is there any side effect by any chance?

  9. wow! I never thought i would see a review on this product. I needed a Wifi extender for the back yard as the family spends a lot of time out there. This extender was perfect for the job and ever since I purchased it, I have had no reason to regret what so ever. I highly recommend this for everyone.

  10. Great review on the netgear wifi extender. I have a two story house and I have difficulties to get wifi signal upstairs, especially in some corners of the house. Do you know the range of the wifi extender and would you need cable to connect from my base wifi? Or could be connect without cable?

    • As long as you have a plan where you pay for the internet it will extend the range up to 80 ft.

  11. This is such a great product to have around as work from home becomes more of the standard. There are corners of my house that just aren’t sufficient enough in the wifi to work in but are otherwise fantastic home office locations. I’m intrigued by this product, but do you know if the systems has any indicator to let you know where the wifi signal is the weakest in order to place the extender there? Or is there another NETGEAR product that helps gauge such a thing? I just want to make sure I’m placing it in the best location possible.

    •  The Wi-Fi extender grabs the existing signal and then re-broadcasts it on a different channel from its position which will increase the range of wireless signals. The main concern might be finding the right location for your Wi-Fi extender. It needs to be close enough to your router that it can grab the signal but far enough away that it can re-broadcast that signal to the room or area where you need stronger Wi-Fi.

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