Wi-Fi extenders do need to be plugged into a wall socket to draw power and work, but can they also be plugged into power extension cords or power strips? Can we plug them into a sub-socket in one of these extensions instead of going directly into the main wall socket and still get them to work?

Wi-Fi extenders can be used in extension cords or power strips without any issues. As long as they are drawing some kind of AC power source, and positioned in an optimal location between the router and Wi-Fi “dead-zone”, they should work fine.

In other words, yes, you can plug your Wi-Fi repeater/booster in anywhere, including in strips and extensions, and they still work.

Using Extenders In Extension Cords Or Power Strips

If you don’t have any wall outlets left, you can plug your Wi-Fi booster into any outlet on a multi-plug strip or extension, and it should work just the same as if you plugged in into the main wall outlet.

• Wi-Fi extenders still remember any custom setting when unplugged, so you can move them around and try them in different sockets and in extensions/strips, and they still retain their settings fine. You might just need to wait 30-60 seconds for the connection to restore after moving them.
• There are no reported safety issues plugging Wi-Fi extenders into extensions or strips.
• Performance should not be affected using them in power strips/extensions, since they don’t transmit data through electrical wiring and instead transmit signals via wireless connections. As long as they have a power source, they should work without a problem.
• Performance of extenders is more determined by their position relative to the router and devices that need to connect to it. Try to get it installed in an optimal mid-point

Therefore the power socket they use doesn’t really have any impact on how extenders work. This is in contrast to powerline adapters, which ARE affected by power circuitry and may not work so well when plugged into strips or extensions. But extenders are unaffected by this, so plug them in anywhere you like!

One reason you may want to use an extension cord with a Wi-Fi extender is if you just can’t get a reliable signal using it in any of the main wall sockets. This can definitely happen, since home layouts always differ, and Wi-Fi is very fickle and unpredictable.

You can try a repeater in all the power outlets, downstairs and upstairs, and still find you either can’t get a consistent signal, or it keeps dropping out and stops working.

In these cases, you might be able to use an extension cord to place the extender in a location where it CAN deliver a reliable signal to where it’s needed. You might want to run a long extension cord up/down the stairs, and tack the extender to the wall somewhere where the signal stays consistent and doesn’t drop out.

It might not always be an elegant solution, but can allow you to place the extender somewhere where you don’t have any standard power outlets, but where it actually works and delivers reliable coverage to a Wi-Fi “dead-zone” that you can’t service using your other wall sockets.