I've always heard this whole repeater like feature. Is that a physical link via Internet from the AP to the router? It's still weird to me all these years I've always seen the two devices in two categorys but never really explored why they were so different.
A repeater does just that, repeats. It receives a wireless signal (either the closest one in range, or a constant that you set) and then retransmits it, so that the range of the signal is greater. Range boosters should be the exact same thing, so I don't know the difference. Maybe because a repeater is a router that can repeat (our repeater is just a small, normal wireless router), and a range booster is just a repeater.
Actually just googled it.
"A wireless router is basically a router and access point all in one.
You would buy an access point if you had an existing network and wanted to
add wireless capability. You would plug the access point into an existing
router, hub or switch.
Going back as this stuff was emerging there was a price advantage to just
buying an access point. But as things progressed wireless routers sold in
greater numbers and the prices became more competitive. To the point that
now in many instances a wireless router will cost you less than an access
point.
There is very little reason any longer to buy an access point as most
wireless routers now can function as an access point."
So paying more for an access point is complete nonsense, it's one step down.