Question Macard Signal Booster - - - - is it safe ?

[concernedcarrot]

So I got a Macard Signal Booster from Amazon. It works great.
...but I'm paranoid if the company is secure, because:
1. It needed my router password
2. It's made in Singapore
3. I'm on the email spam list from Macard, and when i tried to unsubscribe, the link went to a nonsecure website....which is weird for a company that makes this sort of hardware.

Questions:
1. Can anyone vouch for Macard?
2. Any alternate booster brand recommendations?

 

[DSzymborski]

I can't vouch for the company itself, but I'm not sure what the first two objections are. Any item of this type is going to need your router password because it has to connect to your router. It's a bit like fretting that the mechanic at the garage has your car key. Also not sure what Singapore has anything to do with this; like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, Singapore is an east Asian country that is a major exporter of consumer electronics. I'm not sure why Singapore is inherently any less trustworthy for manufacturing than, say, China.

 

[bill001g]

From what I can tell these are fairly generic repeaters....not so called "boosters" there is no such thing.

You really should not use a wifi repeater if you have any other options. Some kind of wire with a router running as a AP in the remote room is always the best. Ethernet is you number 1 option if you can do it, then you look at MoCA if you have coax cables, and then even powerline network should be considered. When you run out of options you then use repeaters.

In general the unknown brands of these boxes are just as secure as much better known brands. They likely perform about the same also. The main reason is none of the companies that sell wifi equipment actually make the key chips. There are only 2 or 3 companies than make the chips. The wifi chips themselves are doing almost all the function and security.

You never really know even very large companies can do stupid stuff like have poor passwords. Some like huawei have gotten caught likely doing it on purpose...or on request of the china government. In general these cheaper brands are all using some generic linux image that is fairly secure.

I am not sure why you did not see other brands recommended by amazon. TPLINK tends to be one of the largest sellers of repeaters.

Again any kind of repeater even if you put it in the perfect location in your house is going to cut your transfer speed by at least 1/2 and it will be far worse if you do not find that perfect place. You do not just stuff it in the remote room it needs to kinda go someplace else between.