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The scope of wireless information transmission technologies is constantly expanding. At home and at work, WiFi is required for high-quality and reliable operation of a smartphone, tablet, laptop or computer with a WiFi adapter on the Internet. In a situation where, due to the low power of the router or a small antenna in remote areas of an apartment or office, Internet reception is deteriorating, a WiFi signal amplifier will help. In another way, this device is called a repeater.

What is a WiFi signal booster

To increase the area of ​​​​work of the router, it is necessary to pick up the signal emitted by it, amplify and transmit further. This is the principle of the WiFi signal amplifier. Most older routers operate on the 2.4 GHz transmission frequency. More modern routers use the 5 GHz channel. If the same devices are still operating in the coverage area of ​​your router, the signals emitted by them in each frequency channel reduce the speed of receiving information by all subscribers. The WiFi signal repeater is capable of receiving on one frequency and retransmitting it on both frequency channels.

How does it work

The Wi-Fi signal amplifier for the router is a device that plugs into a 220V outlet. The WiFi signal repeater, when the router is turned on, receives its signal, amplifies and transmits it to its radiating antenna. The repeater does not increase the speed of the Internet, but increases the transmission range. The repeater has a received signal strength indicator. If it is lit red, this indicates a low signal strength and you need to move the repeater closer to the router. In case of reliable reception of a signal from the router, the indicator lights up in green or blue.

Types of WiFi Signal Amplifiers

Technical means of receiving and transmitting differ in their power and additional functions. According to this parameter, repeaters are divided into three main classes:

• Personal - to work in a wireless Internet network with a weak reception level, it is possible to use a compact amplifying repeater in the form of a usb device.
• Home repeaters are designed to work in wireless networks of 1-5 receivers, the radius of the coverage area is no more than 10-20 m.
• Industrial or office repeaters are complete access points. These are modules with several antennas and are designed to provide a stable signal to up to 50 consumers, connect computers, phones to the Internet.

The sale of router signal amplifiers is carried out by computer stores in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia. Internet users have the opportunity to order for promotions, sales, discounts and buy a WiFi signal amplifier in online stores. Delivery of all goods is carried out by courier services or cheaper - by mail.

WiFi amplifier TP-Link

One of the leaders among the manufacturers of communication equipment is ТМ TP-Link. To solve the problems of dead zones and provide wireless and Internet in places where cabling is difficult, TP-Link offers a WiFi router signal booster:

• name: TL-WA860RE;
• price: 1,750 rubles;
• specifications: speed 300 Mbps, frequency 2.4 GHz, security WEP, WPA, WPA2, types
• WiFi 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11g;
• pluses: two antennas increase the coverage area;
• cons: not noted.

The use of dual-band repeaters can reduce the interference (mutual overlap) of router signals. The TM TP-Link line has a WiFi signal repeater, which on a 5GHz channel is capable of providing a data transfer rate of 867 Mbps:

• name: RE305;
• price: 2 690 rubles;
• characteristics: Wi-Fi 802.11a standard, in the 2.4 GHz band, the speed is 300 Mbps, in the 5 GHz channel - 867 Mbps;
• pluses: high data transfer rate;
• cons: expensive.

Zyxel repeater

ZyXEL holds one of the leading positions in the market of wireless communication devices. In addition to expensive models, its product line includes cheaper products with good characteristics:

• name: ZyXEL Keenetic Lite III;
• price: 1 927 rubles;
• specifications: 802.11n, MIMO, 300 Mbps, router, 4xLAN switch;
• pluses: Wi-Fi hotspot;
• cons: not noted.

TM ZyXEL offers a universal Internet center that can operate as an access point, amplifier or router. The proposed model has a lot of additional features and is able to automatically detect the type of receiving devices, select the channel for working with them and amplify the WiFi signal:

• name: Internet Center ZyXEL Keenetic Extra II;
• price: 3 590 rubles;
• characteristics: managed Ethernet switch, Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz - 300 Mbps, at 5 GHz - 867 Mbps, four 5 dBm antennas, support for IPTV and Smart-TV, Yandex.DNS and SkyDNS protection;
• pluses: universal model;
• cons: high price.

Asus

One of the leading manufacturers of computer equipment, the Asus brand creates models of routers and repeaters in the price range affordable to most buyers. The proposed model will provide good reception and amplification of the WiFi signal in any room of an apartment or small office:

• name: Access point with repeater mode Asus RP-N12;
• price: 649 rubles;
• characteristics: LAN speed 100 Mbps, WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, frequency band 2.4 GHz, 2 antennas;
• pluses: good value for money;
• cons: only the 2.4 GHz band.

A large office requires powerful amplifiers and antennas capable of operating over long distances. TM ASUS has in its arsenal a model for large enterprises:

• name: Access point Asus RP-AC68U;
• price: 4 390 rubles;
• characteristics: access point, 5 LAN ports, speed 1000 Mbps, WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, frequency bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 4 antennas;
• pluses: design in the form of a black column;
• cons: not noticed.

Xiaomi

Manufacturers of Wi-Fi signal amplifiers advertise their products in different ways. Xiaomi TM simply indicates the gain parameter by 2 times. If your router worked at 20 meters, with this repeater the maximum range will be 40 meters:

• name: Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier 2;
• price: 649 rubles;
• characteristics: double gain;
• pluses: does not require settings;
• cons: not noted.

TM Xiaomi offers a lot of products in the economy class. A similar device is the following repeater model:

• Name: Xiaomi Wifi Access Point Amplifier;
• price: 289 rubles;
• specifications: WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, 2.4 GHz frequency band;
• pluses: low cost;
• cons: not noted.

Netgear

Communication equipment manufacturer Netgear pays great attention to the design of its products. Many computer users will be interested in the model:

• name: Netgear WAC120;
• price: 5 263 rubles;
• specifications: LAN speed 1000 Mbps, WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, frequency band 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 1 antenna;
• pluses: black stylish vertical design;
• cons: high price.

When purchasing computer equipment, many people like universal models. The proposed model from Netgear is both a repeater and an access point:

• name: EX6200;
• price: 3 917 rubles;
• characteristics: 5 LAN ports, LAN1000 Mbps speed, WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 2 bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 2 antennas;
• pluses: stylish black body with red trim;
• cons: not noted.

D-Link

One of the best-selling router models on the market are D-Link routers. For those who use the equipment of this company, a repeater is well suited:

• name: DAP-1353;
• price: 3 335 rubles;
• characteristics: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 3 detachable dipole antennas, antenna power 13 dBM, 2.4 GHz;
• pluses: 3 antennas will provide more consumers with the Internet;
• cons: high price.

If you need to purchase an access point with an amplifier function, a multifunctional device will do. D-Link offers a repeater with a good increase in power:

• name: DAP-2360;
• price: 2 884 rubles;
• characteristics: WiFi 802.11g, 802.11n, frequency band 2.4 GHz, 2 antennas;
• pluses: can work as an access point;
• cons: high cost.

Totolink

Totolink products are known for both cheap and more expensive models. In the category of publicly available there is a repeater - a Wi-Fi extender:

• name: TOTOLINK EX300;
• price: 497 rubles;
• characteristics: speed 100 Mbps, WiFi: 802.11g, 802.11n, 2.4 GHz, transmitter power 20 dBM, 2 external antennas;
• pluses: high power;
• cons: not noted.

For professional use, Totolink produces broadband routers with four antennas. The proposed sample provides WiFi speeds up to 1167 Mbps.

• Name: TOTOLINK A850R 1200M Wireless Router Repeater;
• price: 2 247 rubles;
• characteristics: QoS, 4 LAN ports, speed 1200Mbps, protocols 802.11ac, 802.11b, Wi-Fi 802.11g, Wi-Fi 802.11n, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 4 powerful antennas;
• pluses: high transfer rate;
• cons: not noted.

Netis

To create a highly efficient mobile office or entertainment network with a wide coverage of users, TM Netis equipment is used. The model shown below increases the coverage area by 100 meters:

• name: Netis E1+;
• price: 1,190 rubles;
• specifications: 1 port 10/100Base-TX, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n 2.4GHz, 300Mbps;
• pluses: good gain;
• cons: not noted.

TM Netis releases equipment using the next generation WiFi technology 802.11ac. The proposed sample operates in two frequency ranges with signal amplification:

• name: Netis WF2780;
• price: 2 690 rubles;
• characteristics: at 5GHz, the speed is 900Mbps, at a frequency of 2.4GHz - 300Mbps, the transmitter power is 100dBm, 4 omnidirectional antennas;
• pluses: high power;
• cons: expensive.

How to choose a WiFi signal booster

Choosing repeaters when buying is based on your requirements for its power. It is not worth overpaying and buying a powerful transmitter that will give a signal outside your premises. This will interfere with other people's work and cause other signal sources to interfere with your channel. Therefore, choose a repeater according to the scope:

• For an apartment, models from the simplest to dual-band and dual-antenna options are suitable.
• For an office with a wide range of used receivers, you should choose dual-band models with 4 antennas and a power of at least 60 dBm. It is advisable to choose equipment with the 802.11ac protocol to enable new and promising applications.

This article will show you how you can increase the range of your home Wi-Fi network using the TP-Link TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier.

The easiest way to connect is to simply plug the TP-Link TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier into a 220V outlet, then press the button on the front side, and then press the wps button on your home modem, and then on the TP-Link TL wireless signal amplifier -WA855RE the indicator will blink, and when it lights up steadily, the network will be duplicated and strengthened. But this method does not always work, so this article will show detailed manual settings.

Note: in order to connect to the TP-Link TL-WA855RE, for its subsequent reconfiguration, it is necessary to establish a network connection with it via a local area network. When setting up the repeater, Windows 7 was used with the Google Chrome browser. Please note that to enter the TP-Link TL-WA855RE settings, the ip-address " 192.168.0.254 ", or " tplinkrepeater.net.»

Step 1

After connecting the wireless signal amplifier to the network card of the computer, open the browser and enter 192.168.0.254 in the address bar and press Enter, as shown in Figure 1. Next, in the window that opens, enter admin in small letters in both fields and click the Login button, as in Figure 2 .

Figure 1 - Entering the settings of the wireless signal amplifier Figure 2 - Entering the settings of the TP-Link TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier

Step 2

Now let's go directly to the settings. The TP-Link TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier offers us the ability to quickly configure, for this we select the top tab "Quick Setup", select the region "Belarus" and the modem specify the time zone, and then click "Next".

Figure 3 - Setting up the TP-Link TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier

After clicking on "Next", the TP-Link TL-WA855R Wireless Signal Extender will scan for available wireless networks and then display all available on the screen.

Figure 4 - Scanning process
Figure 5 - List of available wireless networks

Step 3

Now you need to select your network that you want to expand and enter a password. The password must be exactly the same as for the Wi-Fi network itself that you want to strengthen. After entering the password, press the "Next" button.

Figure 6 - Connecting the TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier to the network

In the next window, you can set the name of the new access point, but it's better to leave everything by default and then there will be no confusion.

Figure 7 - Connecting the TL-WA855RE wireless signal amplifier to the network

If you entered the correct password and everything went well, then you will see such a window in which you need to click "Save", after which the settings will be saved.

Figure 8 - Saving settings
Figure 9 - Saving settings

Now we see that the setup was successful and it remains only to agree that we did everything right, for this you need to put a bird in the "I am connected ..." field and click the "Finish" button.

Figure 10 - Saving settings

Now you can use Wi-Fi in those places in your home where there was a weak signal before.

Note: The TP-Link TL-WA855RE Wireless Signal Amplifier should be placed where your wireless network signal begins to fade.

02/08/2020 at 15:22 (1 month ago)

Good afternoon. In order to ensure a stable signal throughout the three-room apartment in a panel house, I decided to amplify the signal from the budget TL 740N using 850x repeaters in the amount of three pieces. But already when connecting the first of them, I ran into the following problem: the repeater receives a signal from the router, the indicator on the repeater steadily shows three divisions, but:
1) devices fundamentally do not want to connect to the repeater on their own, being in close proximity to it. Connection occurs only after turning off and on wi-fi on the device;
2) but even after connecting to the repeater (which sometimes takes 5-10 minutes!) the network ended up without access to the Internet.
I configure the repeater through a web page. Now I'll try again through WPS ...
—
Correction to the previous post: the lack of Internet after connecting to the repeater was due to the freezing of the router. After the flashing, the problem went away, but, alas, the problem of reconnecting between the retro-translators and the router remained. Having connected to the router, I go to the opposite end of the apartment, where there is already a retro-translator. The phone shows a noticeably weakened signal, but nevertheless stubbornly continues to “hold on” to the router. Switching to the repeater occurs only after restarting wi-fi on the phone. Plus, although the signal is leveled by the retro-translator, the speed practically does not increase. If right next to the router the speedtest shows ~ 20 mb / s, then in the next room from the repeater I see ~ 10 mb / s, or even less, which is not much better than 7-8 mb / s without signal amplification. Could you tell me what could be the reason for such a significant drop in speed?

02/08/2020 at 20:11 (1 month ago)

Having connected to the router, I go to the opposite end of the apartment, where there is already a retro-translator. The phone shows a noticeably weakened signal, but nevertheless stubbornly continues to “hold on” to the router.

Absolutely normal situation. These repeaters will not create a seamless network. And the decision to reconnect from one point to another is made by the device itself. These settings are set by the manufacturer. Therefore, the device clings to a specific access point until the last.

Plus, although the signal is leveled by the retro-translator, the speed practically does not increase.

Repeaters almost always cut the speed in half.

Using three repeaters is not the best idea. Even one is better to refuse, if possible.

Seamless Wi-Fi can only be created using special devices that support certain protocols. You can read the first part of the article.

Most likely, in your case, a Wi-Fi Mesh system is the best and optimal solution.

Full description

TP-LINK TL-WA850RE - signal amplifier, wireless, device speed up to 300 Mbps.

Amplifies the signal where the signal goes and even where it is not possible to lay a cable.

It has a nice small size design. This makes it possible to install the device anywhere and connect it to any available outlet. The network coverage area is made larger by pressing a single button called Range Extender.

With 300Mbps wireless data transmission and small size, it can easily expand the area covered by the wireless network. An Ethernet port gives the TL-WA850RE the ability to act as a wireless adapter and connect wireless devices.

How TP-LINK TL-WA850RE works

It is needed in order to connect wireless devices, increase the territory covered by the network, and remove dead zones. This makes it possible to improve the wireless connection without problems. With a data transfer rate of 300 Mbps, the device can be considered ideal for watching movies in good quality, participating in games or listening to music.

Thanks to its beautiful and small body, you can easily install it where you need it, as well as change its location. Another big plus is that he easily remembers the network to which he has previously connected. If you replace your router, you won't have to reconfigure the features on your device.

You can easily expand your network coverage area without having to install another cable, this can only be done by pressing a button. You can set up a connection that is secure when you click the Pair button.

Modern wireless routers allow you to cover large areas with a Wi-Fi signal, however, some users are faced with the problem of Wi-Fi signal attenuation in remote rooms of a large apartment or cottage.

Of course, you can buy an additional router and expand the network. But TP-LINK offers a cheaper and more convenient way to do this with a compact device, which in the west is called the "Range Extender".

Below is its description and a guide for its connection, configuration and operation.

Principle of operation

Often in our country this device is called “Wi-Fi Amplifier”, which does not quite correctly reflect the principle of its operation, since it does not amplify the signal, but creates an additional network connected to the main network broadcast by a router connected to the Internet.

Therefore, it is more correct to call such equipment repeaters, repeaters or repeaters.

It happens that a perfectly working router is installed in the house, but in some rooms remote from it, the Wi-Fi signal is weak or absent at all.

For example, in the living room there is still, but in the bedroom the signal is already disappearing. In this case, you just need to plug the repeater into the outlet and configure its operation. Thus, it is possible to cover significant spaces even of large private cottages.

Instead of buying an expensive wireless router or attaching more powerful antennas to it, you can simply install repeaters in the right rooms and the problem will be solved.

The extender receives Wi-Fi from the main router and transmits it, expanding the Wi-Fi signal coverage area.

As a result, the Wi-Fi network remains alone (the access code to it will not change, as well as the name of the network itself by default will remain the same), which is configured in the main router, and all settings for the repeater are actually reduced to pressing the WPS keys of the router and repeater.

In simple words, when a person with a laptop connected to the wireless network of the router is in the living room, but suddenly wants to move the laptop to the bedroom, then after moving into this room, the computer in automatic mode will switch to receiving Wi-Fi from the repeater, and the person will will continue to work on the Internet without even noticing any changes.

The same will happen with any other Wi-Fi connected devices: smartphones, tablets, netbooks, etc.

Contents of delivery

Traditionally, we will start the review of the device with a complete set. The packaging is made in light friendly colors. On the box, in addition to the image of the repeater, its main characteristics are reflected.

The list of components that come with the repeater is as follows:

1. Patch cord;
2. Instructions on paper and electronic media;
3. Warranty card.

The adapter for connecting the device to the mains is not included in the kit, since the design feature of the device is a built-in power supply unit.

You can directly install the device itself into a 220V socket or into an extension cord (pilot).

Description

The device has support for 802.11b/g/n networks in the 2.4 GHz band. The device is equipped with a Qualcomm Atheros AR9341 chip. Externally, the device is compact, the actual dimensions in centimeters are: 11x6.5x7.5.

Glossy light plastic body looks concise in any environment. Even in a dark room, the owner of the device can easily find the "WPS" key, which is surrounded by the perimeter of the operation status LEDs.

The device is equipped with a 10/100 Mbps port. This allows you to connect, for example, a computer that does not have a Wi-Fi module.

Next to the Internet socket is a recessed "Reset" key.

Connection

The manufacturer should be given credit and praised for the simplicity of the connection process. Setting up TP-LINK TL-WA850RE is easy even for novice users. TP-LINK included two copies of the manual in English and Russian in the box with the device, and also duplicated their electronic versions on a CD.

If the router is equipped with the “WPS” function, then the entire connection comes down to pressing these buttons on the devices.

To connect, you need to follow these steps:

Note: After the completed actions, you can disconnect the repeater from the mains and plug it into a socket in another room, the connection with the router will already be established automatically and the user will not need to perform additional actions by clicking on “WPS”.

The device saves in its memory the networks to which it was previously connected.

Setting

In cases where it is not possible to use the WPS key, you can use the patch cord to enter the device configurator and enter the necessary parameters for connection.

To get to the web configurator, you should write “http://tplinkextender.net/” in the browser and click “Enter”. The advantages of this method include the ability to set an individual network name in the control panel.

Control Panel

The web configurator is not Russified, so it remains to be hoped that the manufacturer will take care of Russian-speaking clients in the next update. The “Status” tab reflects the status of the device, firmware modification, main network settings, addresses, speed indicators and statistics.

In the "WPS" tab, you can configure the connection.

If the repeater is planned to be used in other networks, then it is advisable to adjust the profiles.

This will significantly speed up the connection procedure and provide mobility.

The “Wireless” tab contains six sections through which you can fine-tune the parameters of the wireless network.

One of the sections is devoted to information about connected devices. It also reflects statistics on the reception and transmission of data over a wireless network.

An example of the configuration process via the web interface

With its own control panel, advanced users can fine-tune the connection of this compact device. To open the web interface, you can use two connection methods: via a patch cord or via Wi-Fi.

The address, password and login to enter the configurator are indicated in the accompanying documentation, as well as on the body of the device itself (in its rear part, from the side of the plug).

After opening the main page of the interface, do the following:

Checking work

Testing stream translations revealed that the device supports the standards specified in the accompanying documentation, however, the stability of the connection is significantly affected by the main router and, of course, the communication service provider.

A wired connector can be used not only to connect a PC, but also TV, set-top boxes, players.

According to the results of measurements of power consumption, it was revealed that a compact device consumes about three watts per hour.

The device supports all modern platforms, including mobile operating systems.

By default, the hardware uses firmware "3.14.4 Build 130313 Rel.63007n".

To test the operation, the ZyXEL NBG-460N router was used as a wireless signal source. It was installed at one end of the apartment, and the repeater in the opposite part (the direct distance between them was at least ten meters, while there were interior floors, household appliances and furniture).

Through the control panel of the device, the name of the repeater network was assigned, which differs from that broadcast by the head router. Measurements of the speeds of receiving and transmitting data were carried out using the speedtest.net service.

Two different smartphones on iOS and Android platforms were used.

As a result of speed measurements at different distances from the device, it showed that at a distance of ten meters there is a satisfactory quality of reception and transmission, but then it starts to decline sharply.

Based on the results of the measurement on the street (at a distance of more than 20 meters from the repeater), significant signal attenuation was revealed, but even at a distance of up to 30 m, both smartphones had access to the World Wide Web, although the reception and transmission speeds had already decreased significantly.

Reset

There are two methods to reset the repeater settings to factory defaults:

1. By pressing the "RESET" button, it is located directly on the device;
2. Through the web-configurator of the device.

1 method

You need to do the following:

2 method

Following the instructions from the "Settings" section of this manual, enter the web configurator and follow the steps:

Problem solving

In case of difficulties with connecting the repeater to the router or accessing the global network after connection, most often it helps to simply move the repeater closer to the Wi-Fi signal source or reset the device settings to the factory state and reconnect.

The methods for resetting the parameters are described in the previous paragraph of this manual “Resetting the settings”.

If you cannot establish a connection using the WPS keys, it is recommended to use the device's web interface and set up the connection manually. More details about this procedure are described in the "Settings" section.

It is better to solve technical problems through the masters of the company's service center, therefore, after purchasing the repeater, you must save all accompanying documents and the warranty card.