Superboost WiFi booster: Faster WiFi internet speed or a scam?

“Is the Superboost wifi booster a scam?” That is how the email started. That obviously got my attention and turns out that many people are asking the exact same question. So now that got me curious.

What I expected was to purchase this Superboost WiFi device and do a WiFi booster review on it. What I didn’t expect was the weird and unexpected twist this took.

Before we start, I have to say that as usual, everything I am going to show you is my personal opinion. At the end of the day, you have to decide for yourself if you think this is a good device or not and if indeed this is a scam or not. 

What is Superboost WiFi?

The Superboost WiFi looks like a WiFi extender that you plug into the wall socket. The extender than picks up your WiFi signal and extends it so you are able to cover more of your property with WiFi connectivity.

Why is Superboost so popular?

Superboost seems to be everywhere. They are engaging in some serious Google Ad campaign and therefore people who are searching for “fast wifi” or “how to boost your WiFi” are shown those Google Ads.

When you click on the ad, you are taken to the Superboost website. One the site I visited, and there are several “superboost” sites, there was a note about how Superboost started.

Apparently, and I am paraphrasing, this device was invented by someone who worked at an ISP and was tired of seeing ISP rip off customers with slow wifi just so they can charge them more in ISP fees. He created this WiFi booster which will solve all your WiFi connectivity issues.

So far so good.

Testimonials on Superboost website

As I scroll down beyond the usual marketing gumf, I see a section where there are testimonials. This is not unusual, but the pictures they used are. Simply right-click on Keith’s face  and I select Search Google Images. I then see that “Keith” actually appears on multiple sites as the image seems to be from Stock Photography.

Red Flag number 1.

What is Superboost speed?

What is very curious is that the websites don’t actually mention the speed. This is arguably one of the biggest selling points of these extenders. I did find a link for a manual which was a PDF. In the Superboot manual, I saw that the Superboost Speed is up 300Mbps.

Red Flag number 2.

How much does Superboost cost?

After clicking on the button, you are greeted with a menu that shows you a 50% discount if you buy three, and 40% discount if you buy 1 at $49.99 + $8.95 for shipping and handling.

That. Is. A. Lot.

For devices that can extend up to 300Mbps, you should be paying much less.

A quick Google search reveals that the Superboost can actually be purchased at various prices at a fraction of the price on the “official websites”.

Red Flag number 3.

Superboost Facebook

After ordering one, I found the Superboost Facebook page where I discovered even more troubling news: complaints. Loads of complaints from people saying they ordered it, but have not received it.

The response seemed to be the type of “we will get back to you in 24 hours” or “DM us”. So at this stage, I am not going to hold out much hope that my unit will arrive.

I also discovered that the same unit is available on Alibaba.com where I looked to see what the packaging would be.

To be clear: there is nothing wrong with a company ordering on Alibaba and white labeling their solution and selling it on eBay or Wish or Amazon or other websites. This is common practice. From Alibaba to qualify for major discounts, you do have to order in bulk, and on this unit, the minimum order was 100 unites.

Red Flag number 4.

Superboost WiFi Arrived!

Just as I was giving up, the unit arrived. I was not expecting that at all.

Since it arrived, I moved onto phase 2 which was testing the unit…

I will note that the packaging or the device does not say Superboost anywhere so I have no way to tell if this is the same product. However, the Superboost pics on their website also don’t have any branding on the units. So just felt its worth mentioning.

Does Superboost WiFi actually work?

I set it up, connected my computer, and connected my phone to it. The results were not good. In fact the results were so bad that after running multiple speed tests and signal tests, it just couldn’t maintain a decent connection.

When I tested it, I was in the same room as the unit, which was in the same room as my router. My download speeds were less than 30Mbps. I typically get around 450Mbps so this is far far less and definitely isn’t going to “boost my wifi”

The WiFi signal continuously fluctuated and the data connection continuously timed-out. This means serious frustration for any user and it just a horrible experience.

I also discovered that there is nowhere to update the firmware! There is no downloadable link and the website doesn’t have any links to the download section.

Red Flag number 5.

So in summary:

There are way too many red flags.

Ignoring the weird seemingly fake testimonials, the customer service seems to be very sketchy. The fact that there is no place to upgrade your firmware is a deal-breaker.

The fact that it didn’t boost anything and ridiculously expensive compared to other brand-name units, I personally can not recommend this at all.

I am sending my unit back and hope to get my money back…(do I sound hopeful?)

Read this next:

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• Why EVERYONE must enable the WiFi Guest Network right now!