Wi-fi repeaters are low-cost and fairly simple devices. In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a Wi-Fi extender using a Raspberry Pi Zero W, which is the smallest traditional Pi with built-in wi-fi. The process is basically the same for any other Pi with wi-fi capabilities when using BalenaOS. For all setups, you’ll need a wi-fi dongle in addition to the built-in wi-fi – one will connect to your router’s SSID, and the other will broadcast the extender SSID. You’ll also require a power supply for the Pi (micro-USB for a Pi Zero) and either a USB drive or a MicroSD card. That’s all the hardware you need.

All of the software setup is connected to Balena. BalenaOS and Balena Cloud are a Docker-based system for deploying fleets of IoT devices, but you don’t need to worry about that. Balena allows free usage for your first 10 devices; you can consider other uses later on. The setup is generally straightforward, but not necessarily quick. Balena’s ecosystem will help you avoid dealing with 200 complex Linux command-line instructions, but it does require some setup of its own. Rest assured, they’ve made it as user-friendly as possible. First, get everything organized with Balena Cloud, then flash the USB drive or MicroSD card and set up your Raspberry Pi. Set up the project and push it to your Pi, and you’re finished.