Reddit reviews TP-Link N300 WiFi Extender,Covers Up to 800 Sq.ft, WiFi Range Extender supports up to 300Mbps speed, Wireless Signal Booster and Access Point for Home, Single Band 2.4Ghz only(TL-WA855RE)

So I recently set up some wifi range extenders in my house. I've had some issues connecting to my 2.4 network with my laptop and phone, but once I reenter the password, it seems to work. 

But then I logged into it using my desktop tonight. I got a "secured, no internet" status after connecting. Weird. 

Anyone have an idea what might be causing it? It's really slowing down my downloads/install of all the steam summer sale games I bought.

This is the cheapest, most straight forward, and permanent solution. Put it in your garage. TP-Link N300 WiFi Range Extender with External Antennas and Compact Design (TL-WA855RE) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wi-Fi-Extender-Supported-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483901405&sr=1-4&keywords=wifi+range+extender

Hi there, I'll give you a rundown on how I did it: I had the ticketmaster website with on my computer, made sure I was all logged in and my credit/debit cards were saved on there. I recently bought this wifi extender/router thing (so I could stop lagging in overwatch) and put it in my room where I bought the tickets. I also have xfinity internet, idk if that matters? Just to test it out, I used my wifi router on my computer and had the mobile apps ready on my iphone and ipad but these were using my regular wifi. I refreshed exactly at 4pm est, my computer was notably much faster than my ipad/iphone. I think it might have been a mix of my router, internet provider, a stroke of luck and a blessing from the kpop gods and jesus. I don't know, it couldve all been 100% pure luck and the router might not have made a difference, but this is what I did. Hope that helps!

edit: update! for kicks, I was able to also get P1 GA tickets for Anaheim doing the same thing I did for Newark. so I guess it works! fyi I probably can't afford to go to both, but I live in Chicago so its nice to have the option to go to either, now its a matter of choosing where.

If you want to do it because you want to learn, then go for it. Otherwise, the Pi doesn't make a great WiFi Access Point. You can get something like this cheaper that will do a better job.

But if you want to learn...
https://learn.adafruit.com/setting-up-a-raspberry-pi-as-a-wifi-access-point/overview
http://www.elinux.org/RPI-Wireless-Hotspot
https://frillip.com/using-your-raspberry-pi-3-as-a-wifi-access-point-with-hostapd/

Or just google Raspberry Pi WiFi Access Point Hotspot.

I've got one of these to extend the WiFi out to my garage and it works great. Try that first. Worst case scenario, you're out 20 bucks.

So this is a Tp-Link wireless extender that instead, functions as a repeater when it's not connected to the LAN via Ethernet.

N300

I was having similar issues except my camera was offline more than it was online despite having great wifi strength (90%), high voltages (23v), and good upload speeds (33 Mbps). I spent over an hour on the phone with Nest and found no solution. I also have Unifi gear (2x AC Lite) and I seemingly tried everything but in the end what got things to work was a little TP-Link 2G extender. There is just something about the Unifi APs that the Hello just doesn't like. Putting the extender between the two solved my problems.

If Wi-Fi is indeed the problem, a wi-fi range extender might do the trick. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195Y0A42/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

(BTW I've never actually used one of these so dunno if they work).

Then just buy a wifi repeater.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Extender-External-Antennas-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3MTOHAZIBCCSN&keywords=wifi+repeater+wireless+signal+booster&qid=1555688183&s=gateway&sprefix=wifi+repeater%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Extender-External-Antennas-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wifi+repeater&qid=1574369765&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-3

Keep in mind of course it needs to be a truly open network or one with a password that you have.
A cheap one like this is fine for proof of concept but long term you'll probably want something higher quality.

I have a Verizon Mifi 7730L. I used a TPlink MR3020 Travel Router that I flashed with OpenWRT. I connect the MiFi to the router with USB the the Ethernet port to my firewall or computer. I did need to load some drivers to make the USB connect to the MiFi after flashing OpenWRT. The only limit I have seen is the 100Mbps ethernet.
Vzw and tplink https://imgur.com/gallery/Yup39fl

Also, most wireless extenders offer a bridge mode that can connect to the hotspot with wifi then use their ethernet port to run to a main firewall or router. Like this: TP-Link | N300 WiFi Range Extender https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2.dNDbXKD6BPC

Ok so I'm not too big on Networking but I still have knowledge of it. Also that is a good question. I'm not too sure if a wifi adapter will extend the wifi signal. Though from what I know, I would think that it won't improve wifi signal for other devices other than the one it's connected to. I know you can buy a extender/repeater/booster so that you are able to basically extend the network and prevent dead spaces for wifi. It's only worth it though if you are going to connect more than one device (Keep in mind that you will still need a wifi adapter for devices that only work with Ethernet)

About the shipping, it's going to be shipped from a different company other than Walmart.

>Any Google Home in the living room connecting directly to the main router has no problems.

When you say connected I assume you mean that the google home in the living room is associating it's self with the non apple wireless access point?

>Any Google Home in the living room connecting directly to the main router has no problems.

The first step in troubleshooting is to determine whether that apple AP is actually bridging/extending that network into your living room, or is it creating a new network. To answer that I suggest getting a laptop and associate your laptop with the wireless AP in your living room and get your IP address. If its windows open a cmd prompt and type ipconfig. Do the same thing in your bedroom to the airport.

What we want to see is that both of the IPs you get are in the same broadcast network. If they are you may actually get the same IP address when you connect to both APs. so here is an example.

When you connect to the living maybe you get something that looks like this

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.60
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

When you connect to the apple you get this

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.100.32
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.100.1

If you notice the third octet in both of the IP addresses is different. That means that these are separate networks/broadcast domains. This tells us that your airport is creating a new network and not extending your living room network.

This isn't to say that this is bad... I'm just trying to show you how to figure out whether you are actually bridging your living room to your bedroom. I'm not an apple hater or fanboy but I will say that Apple tends to march to the beat of their own drum and not play nicely with others.

If you believe that this creation of two networks could be the cause I would suggest taking a look at TP-links range extenders. That could be the answer for you. On paper that extender should pick up that weak signal, your archer is sending out and amplify it.

Now if both of your IP address are in the same network. Meaning that both ips have the same 3 octets. Then it may be an issue beyond your network.

Edit: Just found this on amazon. Good ratings and relatively cheap. I would suggest dropping the airport and putting this in. remember this doesn't not need to connect back to the archer with an ethernet cable. It will pick up your original wireless signal and amplify it. I would suggest playing with it by plugging it into different areas of your home. Or download a network analyzer app on your phone and look at the strength of the signal as you walk around. I can help you read that if you need it.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B0195Y0A42?th=1

I bought one of these wireless extenders for my apartment, and while I've never used it for this function, in the instructions it says that you can use it as a wireless receiver for ethernet wired devices that don't have wifi built in. Might be worth a try.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wi-Fi-Extender-Supported-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1498268504&sr=1-1&keywords=TP-Link+N300+Wi-Fi+Range+Extender%2C+AP+mode+Supported%28TL-WA855RE%29

The easy way is to get a wireless extender. But in my experiences those things don't work well. here is an example

The Hard way is to get a wireless access point and connect it via Ethernet to your router (yes, making holes in walls and ceilings/floors). here is an example This will deliver the best quality and result but its more of a pain to do.

I don't know too much about these unfortunately, and it also depends on availability where you live.

I'm personally using a Xiaomi Wifi Repeater 2. It's cheap and works really well.

You can also browse Amazon to see what have good reviews and reasonable price. This one for example.

Some routers may also have repeating function, but a repeater is usually cheaper.

I got this and hooked it up to an actual router via ethernet:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195Y0A42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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This is the cheapest one. Im sure you could get something more powerful if you're willing to spend the extra dough.

It says it's not rated for the distance I need, but that's horse shit. I'm about 300+ feet, through brush and forest, away from my parents 10 year old router and I can stream and game just fine. I've been playing Destiny 2 and Overwatch with up to 11mb/s download, and 10ms ping. This is from shitty satellite internet

I've never had luck with Wi-Fi extenders working. What kind did you get? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195Y0A42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the product I purchased, and it gave me no further reach. I put it in an area with 3 bars, but I can't get any further from my base router than i could normally (in the area I would expect the extended network to be).

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I named the wifi network from the extender the same as the normal network so I would have a seemless connection. maybe that is wrong.

I'm wanting to use an antenna like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0054MLMLA/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_504_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NSKFCY9QSNQCAK0YM1TT&dpPl=1&dpID=41N7agILD-L
With something like this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0195Y0A42/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1523151076&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=wifi+repeater&dpPl=1&dpID=41FVKkuTC-L&ref=plSrch

To connect to a Wi-Fi source approximately 200 feet away.

I would like to do something similar to this but would less components since I will only be using 2.4 WiFi (PS3 PS4 couple of tablets and some cell phones)

https://youtu.be/Bc7OdTRTaDE

There's good advice from others regarding setting up a router using a computer, so I'll focus on a different and probably simpler option (you'll learn more doing it with a computer, but this will get you up and going).

You could get a WiFi range extender that has an Ethernet port built in to connect to your switch. I did that for a while using a Netgear AC1200, but there are cheaper options as well. This one uses 802.11 N instead of the newer AC standard, but is cheap and might work fine for you since you mentioned your internet was slow: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0195Y0A42

Ah haha..

Btw I just noticed that TP link has another model for both of these extenders with the suffix “performance” with a price difference of around $5-10.

1. N300-Performance:
   
   TP-Link TL-WA855RE Wi-Fi Range Extender (White) https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Y38QCbYYS551R
   
   
2. AC750-Performance:
   
   TP-Link RE205 AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (White) https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0783PHTJJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D48QCb7C8WEHQ
   
   Any idea what’s the difference between the regular vs “performance” models? Tysvm

TP-Link N300 WiFi Range Extender... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is what I use just about everyday. Excellent range, just make sure you set its own static ip so when you are bridging your subnet so it’s not giving out DHCP addresses, even for a second on connection can give a duplicate up conflict and take something down. Also be sure to add a password.

Not that you can put in your Switch. If signal is weak where your Switch is you can put a wifi extender halfway between where the Switch is and the router is.

get a cheep ap like this https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wi-Fi-Extender-Supported-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1506731321&sr=8-6&keywords=wifi+ap

if you can wire it to the wall

Hey man would something like this work? https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Extender-Ethernet-Supported-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1504466818&sr=1-1&keywords=wifi+range+extender+ethernet
I can't seem to find the AC1200 TP-Link access point on any canadian websites.

I have one and it's terrible. Pages take 10x longer to load when I'm right next to the extender and connected to it. Might be a router setting or something but I cannot for the life of me get it to work properly. It's this one

> Powerline adapters

Are those basically the same as a wifi extender with an ethernet port? I have one of those https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wi-Fi-Extender-Supported-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485977703&sr=1-4&keywords=wifi+extender

I had WiFi problems with my switch and couldn't play Splatoon 2 undocked online. I got a WiFi extender and I have a much better connection now with no problems. Here is the wifi extender I bought.

TP-Link N300 WiFi Range Extender with External Antennas and Compact Design (TL-WA855RE) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JPl3BbQC4XQCC

No that is not the one I'm using. I have the N300

You could buy a Wi-Fi range extender like this one: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Extender-External-Antennas-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42

I personally recommend a wired connection if possible though.

N300 isn't very useful on its own.

Are we talking about this? https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/WNR2000.aspx

or this? https://www.netgear.com/support/product/EX2700.aspx

or perhaps this? https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Extender-External-Antennas-TL-WA855RE/dp/B0195Y0A42

Would you say that is significantly better than an option like this? I’m just trying to save as many bucks as possible! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JFUwDbSVA22SF

Would this be better? Or is there any you recommend?

I personally have this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42 and it does the job nicely. Should work in your situation too.

If you don't get good signal in your kitchen, a WiFi repeater will only amplify a poor signal. The ideal solution would be to run ethernet to your kitchen, and use a normal router as an access point. Another option would be to use something like this and place it between your Airport and kitchen.

There's nothing that will make your signal faster, but you can buy range extenders that work decently. I can't find the one my family uses, but this one is similar and has good reviews.

This would be called an access point or repeater.

You follow the instructions to configure it to the ssme wifi network and itll essentially extend the wifi network further out at your place. Then you connect it to your ps4 via ethernet

My brother just got this and it worked.

TP-Link | N300 WiFi Range Extender | Up to 300Mbps | WiFi Extender, Repeater, Wifi Signal Booster, Access Point | Easy Set-Up | External Antennas & Compact Designed Internet Booster (TL-WA855RE) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DFqqDbNCWCZMY

You can get a wifi range extender. Should help in the areas of your home with a weak wifi signal.

Then I would activate wifi calling which should help with the weak cell signal by allowing you to call through your home internet connection.