I use quite a few D1 Minis (all knock-offs as far as I can tell) and don’t have any major issues.
The one time I did have a problem it turned-out to be caused by a dodgy wireless access point that eventually killed all of my network.
Here’s a good example of a re-connection routine:
If signal strength is an issue then you could go for a D1 Mini Pro with an external antenna. Make sure you turn the zero ohm SMD resistor around to activate the external connection though.