A repeater is a network device that retransmits a received signal with more power and to an extended geographical or topological network boundary than what would be capable with the original signal.
A repeater is implemented in computer networks to expand the coverage area of the network, repropagate a weak or broken signal and or service remote nodes. Repeaters amplify the received/input signal to a higher frequency domain so that it is reusable, scalable and available.
Repeaters were first introduced in wired data communication networks due to the limitation of a signal in propagating over a longer distance and now are a common installation in wireless networks for expanding cell size.
Every operational computer or data communications network has a specific boundary in which it can service the connected and authorized hosts/nodes. It is a planned network scope, but sometimes the network needs to extend its routing domain further to accommodate a new/existing host, or to improve the service level in a specific topological domain. In such scenarios, a network uses the service of a repeater, which amplifies the received signal to an ideal or near-ideal strength so that destination/receiving nodes can receive the data.
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