WiFi repeater for dummies, please.

So I got ILOX, and went out and got a repeater at Steren to make sure I can use it on my porch. Followed instructions, and it seems to work. Now I have two networks. One is the first one off the router, network, and now a second, network_EXT.

The app WIFI shows "network speed" at 70 on network as opposed to 50ish on EXT..
Speedtest, on my office MAC, shows download of 87 and up of 23 with network, and 30 / 23 on EXT
Fast.com has EXT at 30 and regular at 80.

So I'm assuming I should stay with network, but then what is the repeater doing?

Sorry for being a dummy, but.. I am.
(About this, anyway.)

Repeaters always lose download speed, the host will always have the most. I have two repeaters connected in series via cat5 cable to the ilox modem. The first one is about 100 feet away. It loses about 10%, the second is another 100 feet away from the first repeater and it loses about 20%.

But even though I'm not logged into the EXT netork, it's stilll expanding, right?

CBob hits it. An extender cannot improve the Internet speed, only the distance that the WiFi can travel. And the farther the extender/repeater/whatever is from the original modem, the weaker the Internet is going to be. Consider: if your laptop is 40 feet from the modem, and you are losing Internet strength there, a repeater in the same spot is losing probably almost the same. The extender takes that Internet signal, whatever it is, and throws it farther.

Network_EXT is the same network but via the extender. So you know which one to connect to when you are out there. It is also possible with true extenders/repeaters to give them both the same name, with no EXT at the end, so the device auto-switches to the best signal. Not knowing the make or firmware of the one you bought, I can't tell you any more, as they are all different. And the Steren stuff is notorious for being difficult to manage.

If you are far away and don't log into the EXT signal, you are not taking advantage of the device.

thanks to you both.