In IEEE 802.11 standard, Mobile Station (MS) such as laptop and smartphone are connected to Access
Point (AP) to have a wireless connection. However, setting up AP to cover the whole area is costly and
complicated. Limitation in signal capacity causes out-of-coverage area, where the MS cannot connect to
the AP. In this paper, a portable wireless range extender (PWRE) is developed to assist MS that is located
out of coverage area, or at the cell edge area connected to the internet. Development of PWRE involves
two processes, which are connecting to existing wireless LAN (WLAN) network, and broadcasting a new
WLAN network. The paper discusses development process of PWRE and analysis of its performance.
PWRE was developed using a low power consumption microprocessor, known as Raspberry Pi.
Performance of the developed PWRE is evaluated by comparing signal strength received by an MS
located in the cell edge from an AP using two scenarios; with and without the PWRE. Results showed
that the MS signal strength improved significantly with the deployment of PWRE. Other advantages
offered by PWRE include being portable and energy efficient as it uses only 5V of power to operate.