Best that I've got while connected to the back door of my home is 15ft outside...I was able to use my insignia 19 inch 1080p tv and roku... with perfect reception and clarity.. anything passed that..it showed unconnected to wifi..
I found it is not compatible with Spectrum. I tied both the "easy" way to connect and with the help of tech assistant who called me when I registered to use the more complex / on line method. The tech walked me through it several times and then took control and tried himself and finally said there was some "virus" (English was not his first language) in the system that would not let me connect it. Good luck.
The device needs to be set up on the network. This is typically done in less than five minutes. Then, yes, you can plug it in anywhere it can receive the signal and it will boost it.