N300 WiFi Extender(TL-WA855RE)-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, Black

It's important to understand how this device is intended to work so that your expectations are properly set. An inexpensive extender of this type receives the signal from your main wifi router, and rebroadcasts the wifi data on a different signal, with its own SSID (the name for the signal you see on your cell phone when you search for a wifi signal in Settings>Wifi). This device creates that new SSID by appending _EXT to the name of your main wifi SSID. You'll often see both SSIDs; you should pick the one that will do the best for you depending on where you are in your house. Your phone might change between the two signals on its own, but you'll soon learn which signal covers best in each location in your house. Key to the operation of devices like this is that it be placed in a location that 1) allows it to receive a decent signal from the main router, and 2) covers the area of your house that is not covered well by the main router. If instead you locate the extender directly in the area with poor coverage, it will receive a poor signal from the main router just like your phone does. It won't be able to efficiently transfer data from the main router in that location. Think instead of placing the extender half-way between the main router and the area you want the extender to cover. You should experiment with different locations, bearing in mind how many walls, floors, or other obstructions lie between the extender and the main wifi router, and also between the extender and the area you wish to improve. The second important point to understand is that extenders of this type operate in a "half duplex" mode, meaning that at best, the data rate from the extender will be half of that provided by your main router. If you are already using most of the data capacity of your main wifi router to a certain device, it's unlikely that you'll be happy with the extender signal. In my case, I saw around 50 MBps from my main router when I was near the extender, and around 25 Mbps from the extender itself. This is more than enough for my casual web surfing, and youtube watching. Your results may be different. Of course, for significantly more $, you can change out your existing wifi router for two or more "mesh" routers. These routers are able to move full speed data between each other, and you can add units until you have the coverage you require. You'll see only one SSID, and your phone should move easily from unit to unit. But at this extender's price point, I got the coverage on my deck and in the corner of the family room that I needed. This item does not incorporate the fastest wi-fi specification. If your needs are more data speed intensive, you might go for a model with higher specs, for a modest increase in price. Setup was very easy. I used the PC method because I'm loath to put another app on my old 16GB cell phone. For that reason, I can't comment on the app.

As a 72 year old, dragged into the computer age these past 20 years, I had thought this range extender would require complex computer savvy knowledge to make it boost the WiFi signal to my smart TV in a separate room (separated from the room holding the router and WiFi source by a thick wall and our home's heating devices). But, I decided to try it since the TV programs pulled off the WiFi with Netflix and Amazon streaming kept cutting out, pausing, and basically driving us all nuts! Signal strength at the TV was only 2 bars, network information on the TV showed 21-24% signal, considered "poor" by their measurement. I bought the device, delivered REMARKABLY fast by Amazon, I found it to be actually much nicer-looking than the photo, and much smaller than I had visualized. Plugged it in next to my Windows computer, waited for the green light, noted the Windows computer showed nothing on the screen (not being a WiFi device). Opened my portable computer (a Mac), with concern that there would be challenges per previous observers at this site, found that the device actually was identified on the WiFi screen. Double clicked it, per easy-to-follow instructions, found the "admin" and "password" windows, typed in the correct words and...nothing happened other that a warning on the computer that it was "unable." I noted the customer support number (24-7 availability), made the call, 5-minute wait, tech support woman noted my story and asked, "do you have a smart phone?" I answered "An Android, by Samsung," she said "that will work, do you have the TP-Link there?" It was there, I filled in the information on the phone (easy, just follow directions), the phone recognized the network (with an _EXT addition, same password), and all seemed well. I unplugged the extender and took it to the room with the TV, plugged it in, re-set my TV network to the TP-LINK _EXT new network, put in the same password as my router, the TV recognized it and indicated it now had a 85-90% signal, increased from less than 25%. The booster brought in the streaming Netflix and Amazon shows without the pauses, my phone now has 5 bars all the way into my back yard, my portable Mac computer now has 5 bars everywhere in the house and in the back yard, and now I will enjoy retirement more than ever! This extender (using the 2.4 Ghz band, that matches my Cox router 2.4 Ghz), works perfectly, the support that was needed was available and great, and I am very happy with this purchase. By the way, a previous much more expensive extender from another company, a dual-band device, that I had tried 6 months ago worked so badly that I sent it back for a prompt refund by Amazon. This is a great device, simple to set up (except for the Mac glitch that was resolved with excellent support), and for such a low price, is a great bargain for anybody needing good WiFi signal extension.

This WiFi Extender is a surprisingly capable little device for its price. It helped strengthen the signal in areas of my home that my main router struggled to reach, like the far corners of the upstairs hallway. Setup was quick and easy using TP-Link’s app. Within minutes it was up and running without needing extra configuration or tech skills. What I appreciate most is its consistency. Some cheaper extenders work great for a few hours and then drop the connection, but this one stayed steady over days of use. It doesn’t make my WiFi faster than the main router, but it extends the usable range well enough to stream video or take video calls where I couldn’t before. That said, it’s not magic as signal strength does drop a bit the farther away you are from the extender, which is expected with a unit at this price point. Still, for the cost, the performance is absolutely worth it. I’d recommend it for anyone wanting a reliable way to fill WiFi dead zones without breaking the bank.

Simple WiFi Fix, but Limited Speed The TP-Link N300 WiFi Extender (TL-WA855RE) is one of those budget-friendly gadgets that can make a real difference if you’ve got dead zones at home. Setup is about as easy as it gets—plug it in, hit the WPS button on your router and the extender, and it’s ready to go. It creates a secondary network that devices can connect to, and it does help reach places like upstairs bedrooms, back patios, or even outdoor cameras. I used it with a pellet grill and a couple of smart plugs in the backyard, and it worked well enough for those. For basic browsing, streaming music, or smart home devices, the connection is reliable. The two antennas give a noticeable bump compared to plug-in extenders without them. That said, speed is the tradeoff. Because it’s single-band 2.4GHz, your throughput drops—typically to about half of your main router’s WiFi speed. That means it’s fine for web, email, and streaming video, but not for heavy gaming, 4K streaming, or fast file transfers. Range is decent (around the 800 sq. ft. claimed), but walls and interference can cut into that. The unit itself is compact, only takes up one outlet, and has an Ethernet port if you want to plug in a wired device like a TV or console. It’s been stable once set up, though not as seamless as a mesh system where devices switch automatically. Bottom line: A good, low-cost way to kill WiFi dead zones for light-to-moderate use. Just don’t expect high speeds or mesh-level performance—this is more of a stopgap than a future-proof solution.

Worst piece of tech I’ve purchased in years. I like it’s design. I even like the app available to help properly configure it. I want to like the device. But it won’t stay connected for more than 10 minutes at a time. And when it reconnects after several minutes, the app tells me I should move it further away from my main router because it has a “strong” signal. Well, I agree I SHOULD be able to move it further than 15’ from my main router. Especially considering I can see my main router from the location of the extender. I mean, there’s not a single wall between the two. And yet, as I’ve been typing this, the extender has been offline, back online, offline again, and back online. And when I DO move it further from my main router, as suggested by “Tether,” the configuration app, it will drop offline immediately and stay offline for hours, days, or seemingly indefinitely. I have spent HOURS unplugging and plugging it, resetting it, reconfiguring it, etc., and each time it is just as unreliable as the time before. Currently, there is only one client device to which I need this extender to provide a connection: my Ring Pro video doorbell, located about five feet from (and on the other side of a wall from) the extender. When I checked the Ring app a moment ago, I found that I’m missing the last two days of footage from the doorbell camera. Amazing. Please read other reviews before you purchase this product. This is my experience and it seems to be vastly different from that of most others who have purchased it. Compare your situation to those of Amazon shoppers who were pleased with the performance of this device. Or maybe just note that there are more highly rated extenders available in the same price range and consider one of those. When making your decision, just remember that, in the end, an unreliable range extender may cause you far more frustration than the wifi deadzone it’s meant to bring to life. Full disclosure - as I continued writing this review, the extender seemed to maintain its network connection the whole time. mayne its not as terrible as I’ve made it out to be. But — all things considered, over the four months I’ve owned it, it has been nothing, if not consistently unreliable.

Short version: When used appropriately, this is a great device at a great price. Simple installation options and useful features. Stronger wireless transceivers than my Netgear cable modem/router. The key here is a lot if not most people don't know how or when to use these devices...so I'll try to help with that below. Long version: Let's assume you're buying this for your home to extend existing WiFi coverage. Before you do anything, conduct an analysis of existing networks in your area and what frequencies and channels they are using. On 2.4GHz, channel 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap. Ideally, you want to be using one of these channels without anyone else nearby using it so go ahead and reconfigure your router to meet that criteria. There aren't any overlapping channels on 5GHz and it may be used less by your neighbors so that could be worth pursuing for you as well. Next, try moving your WiFi router around to find the ideal spot to cover the entire house. If your router has external antenna(s), you can try using a more directional antenna if you think that'll help and your router has connections for it or reorienting existing antennas. If you find a perfect configuration with this that works everywhere in the home, run a new cable to that location for your Internet if necessary and you're done and didn't need this device. Now on to tips for setting up this device. Use a different SSID than your existing one by appending something like "_EXT". This will help you troubleshoot any issues in the future and help get you on the right network at the right times. Do upgrade the firmware on it after initial setup. Keep in mind, no affordable repeater seamlessly bounces you to whichever device has the best signal at any given second. That is handled by the client, i.e. your phone, laptop, etc. and it's not always perfect. I haven't tried it, but I think this device can be wired to your router. That is the best way to use this, but may not be required depending on your situation. If extending it using only WiFi, put it somewhere that has decent signal already and will reach to where you're lacking signal. The Power schedule and LED on/off schedules are nice touches. It increased my coverage and bandwidth 5x where I needed it to after an easy 5-10 minute setup including getting the firmware and applying it. I am a former networking professional. I didn't go in to extreme detail because this is a review, not a blog...research anything I mentioned where you have questions and the info is out there. Or have a buddy help you with it or a company that does residential on-site work and don't let them bill you more than an hour and a trip charge.

I've had the TP-Link WiFi Extender N300 for approximately five years now, and it has proven to be an absolutely indispensable piece of my home network setup. This device consistently delivers on its promise, working flawlessly to extend my wireless network to even the most distant corners of my property, particularly for my security cameras. For its unwavering reliability and performance over such a long period, it easily earns a solid 5/5 rating. Before acquiring this extender, I struggled with dead zones and unreliable connections for my outdoor security cameras, which are crucial for monitoring my property. Standard WiFi simply couldn't reach them with a strong enough signal to ensure consistent live feeds and reliable motion detection. The extender stepped in and solved this problem entirely. Setup was incredibly straightforward, if I recall correctly. I believe it was a simple matter of plugging it in, pressing a WPS button on both the router and the extender, and within minutes, my network was seamlessly extended. Since then, it has required virtually no intervention. It just sits there, quietly doing its job, day in and day out, through all sorts of weather and power fluctuations. The extended coverage it provides is robust and consistent. My security cameras, which are located at a considerable distance from my main router, now maintain a strong and stable connection, allowing for clear video streams and prompt alerts. I've never experienced any dropouts or significant lag that could be attributed to the extender itself.

Before I review this item, let me explain the reason of this purchase. ---IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THIS, SKIP TO THE NEXT SET OF ALL CAP WORDS--- We recently purchased a house back in May (yay first home!) and as a celebration my wife bought me a Netgear Nighthawk x6 and I bought a Modem at Costco so that Comcast wouldn't charge me the fee for renting the garbage they call a modem/router. The house we bought is a 3 bed 2 bath with a converted garage room, meaning it was remodeled into a bed room with AC, carpet, closet and window. It's actually the biggest room in the house. The last owner hated Comcast so he decided to cut aaaaall the lines throughout the house and I had to get a tech over to drop a new line and he dropped it in the living room in the wall between the garage room and the living room. This means my modem had to sit right there. I have a couple of 50' ethernet cables so I decided I'd leave the modem there and have the router in my office which was somewhat in the middle of the house but then everything in the garage room (my friend is renting the room) would have a crappy signal. So I decided to put the router next to the modem and run a cable to my office to a switch and plug all my devices wired (which I did anyways when the router was there). This worked great for most of the house and outside, except for the master bedroom. I get horrible signal on any device that is not a flagship. My Galaxy S7 would work fine but my Chinese tablet, my 3DS, my Vita, my Chromecast on the TV, my Raspberry Pi 3 with Kodi running would all get crap signal in the bedroom, on either 2.4ghz or 5ghz. If you shut the door, it's even worse. There's a hallway to get to the master bedroom and bedroom #2 and in that hallway, there is a wall outlet so I decided that I should put a repeater there to see if it would improve the signal. ---END OF LONG STORY--- Once I got this repeater, I plugged it in and connected to it using the Android App. Setup was very simple. I selected the current network and chose a name for the new network. I could also choose to keep the name the same but I wanted to pick which devices would connect to which connection. Now I know that a repeater works by "grabbing" the existing wireless network signal and relay it and by doing so, you lose about half the bandwidth. I'm fine with that because I am getting about 90mbps down and 11mbps up so half of that wouldn't not be too bad, especially when I'm in bed and about to go to sleep. Well this thing sucks. The signal I get is horrible. I made sure to place the device at a halfway point and I get a horrible slow connection (the 0.1mbps kind of slow) from it even when I'm standing in the hallway where it's plugged in. Sometimes, the connection just stops working and I have to go reboot it to get it going. I can't stream anything on Kodi or on chromecast (Netflix or Hulu) without getting a lot of interruptions. It was pretty much better to just connect to the weaker wifi signal from the actual router in the living room. I ended up running another 50' cable from the switch in my office to this repeater in the hallway (I also worked on lining the wire on the baseboard to look better) and I now have this repeater working as its own router. This has improved things a lot and I get a constant good signal and speeds but it defeated the purpose of just having a wireless repeater in the hallway. If you are getting this device (The N300 one) as a Range Extender, don't bother. If you are intending to plug an Ethernet cable into it and run it as a router, it works ok but no 5Ghz signal either way.