Tp link wireless wifi signal amplifier. How to set up a wireless bridge (WDS) between two Wi-Fi routers? We use the router as a “Repeater”

Surely you have heard about such a device as a wifi repeater? It is also called a Wi-Fi repeater or wifi signal booster. What is this anyway? The very idea of ​​Wi-Fi is that the Internet should not be limited to one room, but spread throughout the entire apartment, office or even a personal plot. But the greater the distance from the wireless distribution source, the worse its speed. And one of the devices that provides more stable operation over long distances is WiFi repeater— router signal amplifier for a laptop or computer.

How does the amplifier work and how to connect a wifi signal repeater?

How does a WiFi repeater work?

The scheme is very simple - we determine in which room the signal on the laptop is weakest or there is none at all. This situation can most often arise in two cases:

After we have found out where we need to strengthen the wireless wifi signal, we find the place where the network receives, but not so well - by one or two divisions on the phone. This is where we put the repeater - its operating area is circular, which means that it will pick up the signal from the wifi router and transmit it further.

Models of wifi repeaters

So, we found out that a wifi repeater, which is also called a repeater, serves to repeat the existing signal coming from the access point, and thereby strengthen the signal and increase the range of wifi. It does not perform any other functions, so, apparently, it is in the shadow of the more famous wireless device- a router, which, by the way, can also . But for the function of extending the reception area, it is simply irreplaceable, both for home and in the office, especially since in most cases it is designed as some kind of charger plugged into an electrical outlet.

WiFi signal repeaters are produced by the same companies as other network equipment - Asus, Zyxel, Tenda, D-Link, TP-Link and others. The photo below shows the TP-Link TL-WA850RE repeater model, which the company kindly provided to us.

I will give the main specifications:

• Speed ​​up to 300 Mbps
• 1 Ethernet port 10/100 Mbps (RJ45)
• 2 built-in WiFi antennas
• Frequency 2.4 - 2.4835 GHz
• Two simultaneous modes - repeater and client

Setting up a WiFi signal amplifier for a TP-Link router

There are three ways to set up a TP-Link wifi repeater:

1. Through automatic connection of the repeater via WPS
2. Via WiFi using a smartphone, tablet or laptop
3. Through a computer connected to it via twisted pair

Automatic connection of a TP-Link WiFi repeater to the router using the WPS button

Like most modern models of wireless network devices, the TP-Link TL-WA850RE wifi amplifier supports tuning to the signal of an existing access point in automatic mode. To do this, the router must also have such a function - the “WPS” button (“QSS” on TP-LINK devices) is responsible for turning it on.

We press on it and on a similar large button on the amplifier, after which it should pick up wifi and start distributing it.

Setting up a router WiFi signal repeater from a smartphone

I prefer to keep the whole process under control, so I never use the automatic method of setting up the repeater, but do everything manually. In order to configure the amplifier from a phone or tablet, we also click on the central button on the device, turn on WiFi on the smartphone and find in the list of available networks for connection the network called TP-LINK_Extender_7320BA - this is the SSID that is programmed into the device by default.

Let's connect to it.
Immediately after the connection, we will be redirected to the authorization page in the admin panel for the initial installation - a window will open to enter your login and password. By default in this model it is admin/admin - yours may have others, so look either at the instructions or at the sticker on the bottom of the repeater - it usually contains all the access data.

Setting up a WiFi signal repeater from a computer or laptop via cable

This configuration option can also be implemented in two ways

1. with help installation disk, which comes with the wifi repeater,
2. or via the web interface.

The second one is closer to me, so we’ll take it as the main one in this instruction.

So, if you don’t have a smartphone at hand, then we connect the computer to the repeater directly using a twisted pair cable - the “Ethernet” light on the device will blink.

Here we need to select “Connect via local network" Right-click on it and select “Properties”. Here, as always, we are interested in the “Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties” item.

If you already have a local network configured through your router, then write them all down on paper and save them, but for now, set all the checkboxes to “Automatic”:

We save and go to the browser at http://tplinkextender.net, which we also recognized from the magic sticker on the case. The already familiar authorization page will open, where we enter the login and password “admin”.

We get to the admin panel. Everything is very easy here - follow the step-by-step guide, entering the necessary data.
First, select the country, after which the device begins scanning available networks. If your wifi is found, select it. In the same case, if the security settings on the router hide the SSID, then you can check the box “Specify the SSID and MAC address manually.” And click the “Next” button.

In the next step, we need to select the encryption type of your existing network (set in the router admin panel) and enter the password for your Wi-Fi.

Here you can also choose whether the repeater will clone the name of your network (SSID) or whether it will have its own name, which you will set manually. In this case, the local network will remain the same, that is, your main one may be called Network 1, and the second Network 2, but in essence it will be the same thing, and no matter which of them you connect the PC to, it will see other devices, connected to the network.

And finally, in the last step we see our entire configuration, after which we apply it by clicking on the “Finish” button. After rebooting, the wifi repeater will begin distributing the Internet from your router, thereby increasing the wireless signal reception range.

Also after a quick configuration it will become available left menu, in which you can configure the repeater in more detail - change the encryption key, disable the DCHP server on it, manually set the IP address, enable MAC filtering, update the firmware, view statistics, etc.

That's it. Now you can return the network settings on your computer to their original settings and disconnect the cable that connected it to the repeater. By the way, if you noticed, the PC also began to receive the Internet - via a cable from the repeater, that is, it can also work in client mode, receiving the Internet via wifi and distributing it via twisted pair to the computer. Now even in the farthest corner you will have stable reception!

Testing Internet speed via WiFi repeater

Since a new link has appeared in the chain of receiving Internet from the provider to the computer in the form of a WiFi repeater, our review would be incomplete if we did not check whether it reduces the speed. In other words, how different is the speed of information transfer between computers connected through this repeater from the speed when connecting directly to the router.

For the test, we made three measurements using the TP-Link TL-WA850RE repeater inside a local network between a computer and a laptop using the AIDA32 Network Benchmark utility.

1. The first test - this will be the starting point in our experiment - such a “litmus test”. Let's measure the speed inside a local network without a wireless signal amplifier - the computer is connected to the router via twisted pair, the laptop is connected to it, but via WiFi. At the same time, for the purity of the result, there was no radioactivity near the transmitter, such as a mobile phone, TV or anything else, and the laptop was located in close proximity to the signal source.

   

   This is what we got.

   

   We note that there is a small amplitude of speed fluctuations; on average, it was at the level of 2200 kV/s (17 Mbit/s).

2. The second test is that the computer remains connected to the router via cable, and the laptop remains connected via WiFi to the repeater, for which we made our own network SSID, so it is impossible to confuse it with a signal from the main source. In this case, the amplifier and laptop were in the same place, that is, next to each other.

   

   Result:

   

   The speed dropped slightly - to an average of 1600 kV/s (12.5 Mbit/s). Also, the spread between the minimum and maximum values ​​is not particularly different, which is also very good.

3. The third test was to leave the laptop connected via WiFi to the router, and the PC via an amplifier, but connecting them with a patch cord. Thus, we use the second opportunity of this model - to act as a WiFi adapter.

   

   We get:

   

   Fluctuations between the minimum and maximum values ​​are also insignificant, that is, the connection is quite stable, but the overall speed has become even slightly lower, to 1100 kV/s, or 8.5 Mbit/s.

4. And finally, the fourth test - we connect both the PC and the laptop to the repeater, but the station PC with a cable, and the laptop wirelessly.

   

   

   Unstable speed with large fluctuations, average high - at the level of 4800 KB/s = 37.5 Mbit/s.

Summarize. As you can see, the presence of another link within the local network between two computers in a video wifi repeater still reduces the overall speed, which was not a surprise to us, since the presence of any additional device, be it a repeater, powerline or some other adapter, will influence her. The most interesting thing was to see in which mode these losses would be the least.

As it turned out, the highest average speed was with the scheme (No. 4), when the computers were connected to each other through a repeater, bypassing the router - 4800 Kb/sec compared to 2200 that WiFi gave without a repeater. This is quite logical, since between them there was not that extra “knee” in the chain, in the form of a router, whose role in this case was played by today’s hero. Although the spread between the largest and smallest values ​​is a little annoying - the connection is not stable.

But most of all from this test questions arose to my ASUS router RT-N10U - why does it output only 2 MB per second?? It turns out that in my network it is he who is the weakest link - it’s worth thinking about, as in one famous program, saying “goodbye” to him and looking at another model.

The second place in speed went to scheme No. 2, in which one of the computers was connected to the router using a patch cord, and our repeater distributed a signal to the laptop. Although, as we found out, the router played a disservice to us here, this does not affect the overall picture in any way, since after that we tried to use TP-LINK as an adapter (No. 3), receiving a wireless signal and sharing it on the PC - with this he did the worst job.

Range of wifi amplifier

Regarding the distance to which this model The repeater expanded the signal from the main source and strengthened WiFi. I connected it in the room farthest from the access point in an ordinary “Brezhnev” three-ruble note - it turned out that it directly passed through 3 plasterboard walls at a distance of about 10 meters. I couldn't even get internet in this room. iPad Air, whose wireless module has no complaints - it sees wifi even where it is no longer available on other smartphones. Our Extender from TP-LINK also caught it (two antennas make themselves felt). And without any problems I began to extend it all the way up the staircase. I agree that the initial location of the Point is not very good, but for our experience it was just right.

Numerically, this is expressed as follows. When there was no repeater, in the far corner of the apartment the Internet speed from the router was as follows:

When we connected the amplifier, this is what we got for the wifi signal zone:

Of course, these results are only relevant for my network - they were also influenced by the characteristics network card PC, and laptop wireless module, and router hardware, and even the radiomagnetic environment in the room, which we brought as close as possible to a calm everyday one. But they certainly represent the overall picture, so you can safely use these conclusions in your practice when designing your networks.

Well, the TL-WA850RE did its job perfectly, and I can recommend it to my subscribers as an effective way to expand your WiFi reception area.

Today, the number of points from different manufacturers is quite large, but most of them are, as many say, a box with an antenna. Such a box is quite difficult to hide, although it is not large, and appearance Many people are confused by the alternative to the box - the Tp-Link WA850RE access point.

The Tp-Link WA850RE access point is a small, outwardly very attractive, wireless device that can expand the reception range of an existing Wi-Fi networks+ Thanks to the Ethernet port, it can act as a wireless adapter for connecting wired devices (computer, TV, home theater, etc.) and at the same time supports speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s.

First of all, I propose to analyze the purpose of the button on the Tp-Link WA850RE case and understand what the indicators show.

The large button (Range Extender) is designed to quickly configure the access point. Essentially speaking, in order to increase the coverage area of ​​a wireless Wi-Fi network without laying additional cables, you need to press the WPS button on the router and press the Range Extender button on the access point within 30 seconds.

ALL... Tp-Link setup WA850RE is complete, isn't it simple? Now your point is expanding the area Wi-Fi actions signal and, if you connect via an Ethernet cable - TV, computer, etc. you will find that you are connected to the network. The Range Extender button allows you to configure the access point without connecting to the web interface, but how to understand whether the access point is working, what signal level it is receiving, etc., all this information can be obtained by looking at the indicators. I propose to look at what each of the indicators means.

RE (Range Extender)

On - Range Extender connected successfully.

Flashing - connection to the router is in progress.

Off - The access point is not connected to the router

Wireless

On - wireless mode is enabled.

Off - wireless mode is turned off.

On - Tp-Link WA850RE is on

Off - access point is turned off

Ethernet

On - a device is connected to the Ethernet port.

Flashing - data is being transmitted through the Ethernet port

Off - No device is connected via Ethernet

Signal Strength

Lit (from 1 division to 5) - shows the current signal strength of the main router.

Off - There is no Wi-Fi signal from the main router or the access point is not configured to work with the router.

For those who do not have a WPS button for quick setup or who want to take a more in-depth approach to setting up an access point, there is a web interface. With its help, you can update the Tp-Link WA850RE firmware, set up a Wi-Fi connection with the main router, and much more.

Connection to the Tp-Link WA850RE web interface.

In order to get to the web interface of the Tp-Link WA850RE access point, you need to connect it to the power supply (220V) and use network cable(it comes included) connect to your computer/laptop. Next, configure your computer/laptop to automatic retrieval of network settings , open any browser (IE, Chrome, Mazzila, Opera) and enter the address in the address bar http://tplinkextender.net. In the login line, enter admin, password admin.

The Quick Settings window will open first, click the "Next" button.

After a short scan, all Wi-Fi networks will be available to which you can connect and whose signal can be strengthened. Select the necessary network, check the box next to it and click the "Next" button.

After this, you need to select the type of protection used on the router, enter the password below to connect to the Wi-Fi network and select - use the same name as the main Wi-Fi network or another (I recommend leaving it as default - use the same name).

After this, a window with the resulting settings will appear. Check that the specified settings are correct and click the "Finish" button, otherwise go back and correct it.

As a result, a status window will open, from which you will understand whether you have connected to the main network or not, what the signal level is and what IP address the access point has received (in the future, you can use this IP address to connect to the web interface).

Quick Setup - quick setup mode.

Profile - all connection profiles are stored here. Suppose you used an access point at home, then gave it to a friend, he configured it for himself, then gave it to you again, if he did not reset the settings to factory settings, then simply plugging the device into a socket everything will work, since your network profile (network name, password) is saved on the access point.

Wireless - Wireles Setting - specifies the settings for connecting to the main network (region, network name).

Wireless - Security - The secure connection method is indicated and the password for connecting to the Wi-Fi network is also written there.

I will describe the remaining points in more detail below.

Tp-Link WA850RE firmware update

For more stable operation of the Tp-Link WA850RE, I recommend updating the firmware. The first thing you need to do is download firmware for Tp-Link WA850RE from the official website. After saving the archive, unzip it, the folder should contain: firmware file ( extension bin) and a quick guide.

After this, go to the web interface of the access point and go to the “System Tools” - “Firmware Upgrade” menu. Next, click the "Browse" button, select the firmware file and click "Upgrade".

A confirmation window will appear, click "Ok".

After a few minutes of waiting for the firmware update, you will be taken to the Tp-Link WA850RE web interface.

Changing the password on Tp-Link WA850RE

To increase security, I recommend changing the password for connecting to the device’s web interface. To do this, on the device’s web interface, go to the “System tools” - “Password” menu. After this, enter the old login and password (admin, admin) and the new login and password. I recommend using complex password, consisting of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (!"№@#). Username and Password must not exceed 14 characters and should not contain spaces!

This password is used specifically for connecting to the web interface and has nothing to do with Wi-Fi.

Review, firmware update and configuration of Tp-Link WA850RE.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments.

We've all encountered the problem weak signal from the router. Some people immediately think of changing the router, because it seems that the problem lies there. However, this is not quite true. If configured correctly, you can ensure good quality connections and Wi-Fi signal coverage. But if you still decide to buy a repeater to strengthen the signal, we will help you make the right choice.

What is a Wi-Fi repeater and how does it work?

In this section we will talk about what is called Wi-Fi signal amplifiers (they are also called repeaters, repeaters, repeaters) and what they are needed for.

It often happens that after purchasing and installing a router at home (in the office), you discover that the signal does not reach the desired location. Of course, you can install the router closer, then the signal will reach the computer, but if this is not possible, you have to buy this device.

The principle of operation of this device is clearly shown in the picture below. It extends the received signal from Wi-Fi and directs it to the location you need. The Internet speed remains the same.

The principle of operation of a signal amplifier for a Wi-Fi router

As a rule, this device is quite compact and operates from an ordinary outlet. You can buy it from any online store and install it in your apartment the same day.

Some features of using the amplifier:

• The repeater creates a network similar to the existing one. All your devices (computer, phone, tablet) will automatically connect to the network with the best signal. For example: The router is in the kitchen, and the repeater is in the living room. If you go into the kitchen with your phone, the signal will be received from the router, in the living room - from the amplifier.
• You can easily set up a local network. All devices will be connected to the same network, regardless of the signal source.

How to strengthen the Wi-fi signal with your own hands?

Overall, this device is very useful for the home, however, depending on the model, you will have to pay a pretty penny for the amplifier. Don't want to spend money? Then use our tips to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal in your home or office:

1. Place the router in the center of the apartment/office.

Many people install a router in the hallway, or in the farthest room. This is certainly a convenient location, and there is no need to run the cable throughout the apartment, but the Internet will suffer greatly because of this. Therefore, we recommend installing the router initially in a room that is equally distant from all others (as shown in the picture below). If you only need Internet in one room, then install the router in it. In this case, you do not need to buy a repeater.

The picture shows an example of good and bad location of the router in the apartment. If you do not want to provide your neighbors with your Internet, then it is better to place the Internet source in the middle of the apartment.

They will also help you place the router correctly special programs for analysis. With the WiFi Analyzer program you can measure the points where the Internet reception is worst and best. Based on the data obtained, it is easier to choose the right place.

2. Change the channel your router is running on.

Unless you are the proud owner of a modern dual-band router, then your router operates at 2.4 GHz. The trouble is that there are only 13 channels in this frequency. Among them, you need to select the least loaded one and connect to it. A simple program called inSSIDer will help with this.

You can download this program completely free of charge. With its help you will see a minimally loaded network. We do not recommend choosing the outermost channels (1st, 2nd, 12th and 13th). As a rule, they are the weakest, so no one wants to connect to them.

Nowadays, every apartment is equipped with high-speed Internet. That's why, free channels It may simply not be there. If you are unlucky, then move on to the next point.

3. Set the maximum signal power.

On some models you can set the strength of the transmitted Wi-Fi signal. You can view this setting in “Advanced settings”. As a rule, this parameter is set to 100% by default. But the settings might have gone wrong, so it wouldn’t hurt to check them.

4. Update your router's firmware.

Go to the manufacturer's website and look for the latest firmware for your device. If you have a problem from the very beginning, then most likely this is the reason. Manufacturers never fix problems during the development/testing of new devices, so they update them with new firmware.

5. If all else fails.

TOP 7 best amplifiers for home and office

Here we come smoothly to the most important part of our article. Below we will review the best repeaters of 2017 according to users. To do this, we have selected the TOP 5 best devices from different manufacturers.

Category	Name	Rating (based on user reviews)	Price
The best low-price amplifiers		9.5 / 10	1,580 ₽
		9.3 / 10	865 RUR
		9.5 / 10	1,350 RUR
Best Mid-Range Amplifiers		9.5 / 10	2 160 ₽
		9.9 / 10	RUR 3,590
The best high-end amplifiers		10 / 10	RUB 21,140
		9.9 / 10	11,090 RUR

Asus RP-N12

A very good signal booster for home and office. Its functionality includes the functions of a repeater, access point and network bridge. You can connect it to any outlet in your home, and it can be configured with one click on the WPS button. Two powerful antennas will provide an uninterrupted Wi-Fi signal to any point in the house.

Determine the most optimal point for placement of this device The indicator on the front panel will help. If the signal from the router is good, the green indicator will light up; if it is bad, the red indicator will light up.

Advantages of the amplifier according to user reviews :

• Very easy to connect and establish a connection.
• Two powerful antennas that provide a good range.
• Maximum connection speed: 300 Mbit/s.

Flaws :

• Sometimes it loses connection with the router, so you have to reboot.

Xiaomi Mi WiFi Amplifier

The most compact repeater that you can easily take with you on trips/travels. You can install and configure it in a few minutes. Just connect it via USB and the device will sync itself within a few minutes.

This device is capable of doubling the router’s coverage area. The connection speed for such dimensions is 150 Mbit/s, which will be sufficient for most routers.

Pros of the repeater according to user reviews :

• A compact device that can be carried in your pocket.
• Almost doubles the router's coverage area.
• Automatic synchronization.

Minuses :

• Automatic synchronization occurs only with Xiaomi routers. For all others you need to use special application Xiaomi Smart Home.

TP-Link TL-WA850RE

A convenient repeater for your router that will quickly and easily increase your Wi-Fi signal coverage area. Connecting and setting up the device is very simple. Plug in and press the Range Extender button on the amplifier, and the WPS button on the router.

TP-Link TL-WA850RE will provide the most complete coverage in your apartment and eliminate “dead zones”. The signal transmission speed can reach 300 Mbps, which will be enough for games, videos and movies.

pros :

• Easy to set up, can be connected anywhere.
• Good signal; removes “dead zones” where there was no Internet.
• Saves the profile so there is no need to reconfigure when reconnecting.

Minuses :

• Not detected.

TP-Link AC750

This repeater will be an excellent option for those who need to increase the signal coverage radius in two bands. TP-Link AC750 operates in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands, thereby providing data transfer rates of up to 750 Mbps.

Connecting the amplifier is not difficult. Plug it in, press the Range Extender button and the WPS button on the router. In a couple of minutes the connection will become active. When connected, it completely copies the router address.

Advantages :

• Provides complete signal coverage over long distances.
• Quick setup and connection.
• Beautiful design.
• Operates stably on two frequency ranges: 2.4 and 5 GHz.

Flaws :

• High price.

TP-Link Re350

This amplifier is one of the leaders in our rating. It can operate on two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz (speed up to 300 Mbit/s) and 5 GHz (speed up to 867 Mbit/s). Installing the amplifier takes a few minutes. Plug it into a power outlet, sync it with your router and select the appropriate frequency.

The indicator on the front panel shows the signal strength from the router. If the blue light is on, then the signal level is good enough and there is no need to reinstall the repeater. If the light is red, then connect the amplifier closer to the router. Two antennas provide good Wi-Fi coverage. You can configure the TP-Link Re350 to work with almost any router.

Benefits according to user reviews :

• Operates on frequency ranges: 2.4 and 5 GHz.
• Thanks to two powerful antennas, it transmits the signal far.
• It's easy to find the optimal repeater location thanks to the LED indicator.
• Beautiful design.

Flaws :

• High price.

Netgear Orbi AC3000

If you lack the power and coverage of previous models, then you should take a closer look at this model. When you buy the Netgear Orbi AC3000, you get two portable devices (a router and an amplifier) ​​that connect together and provide speeds of up to 1500 Mbps. The coverage area of ​​this amplifier is much larger than in standard models. It is ideal for use in country houses or large offices.

Externally, the Netgear Orbi AC3000 looks quite attractive, so it can be connected in a visible place. If the amplifier does not reach the place you need, you can buy another device that will connect to the router.

pros :

• By purchasing the kit, you receive a router and an amplifier.
• Very large range.
• High data transfer speed.
• Beautiful design.

Minuses :

• High price.
• You cannot create a chain of repeaters.

Asus RP-AC68U

If your router does not support WPS, then the TL-WA850RE will have to be configured manually. However, it is also difficult to call this process difficult. It is enough to connect to the amplifier with a patch cord or via Wi-Fi; fortunately, by default, the access point in the device does not require a password. The repeater web interface is available at http://tplinkextender.net or http://192.168.0.254. The login and password have not changed for years - admin and admin. Initially, the user only has access to the Quick Setup Wizard, which prompts you to select a region and then searches for available wireless networks on the air. Then in the list of networks you need to select the one you need, specify its encryption type and password, and also, if you really want, you can change the SSID of the amplifier itself. In addition, it is possible to manually set connection parameters to the parent access point. At the very end, the wizard offers to check all the settings again and export them to a text file.

After completing the wizard, the remaining parameters of the TL-WA850RE become available, of which, however, there are not so many. On home page, as usual, all the basic information about the operation of the device is summarized. In the next section, you can launch WPS to quickly connect clients. Next come two useful features- support for multiple connection profiles wireless networks, which you can quickly switch between, and Smart DHCP mode, which is enabled by default. In this mode, all clients receive network settings from the parent access point, but you can also enable a regular DHCP server.

The section with the wireless module settings is very similar to what we saw in TP-Link routers. True, there are a couple of differences here. Firstly, the device supports two options for expanding Wi-Fi coverage. In the first case, the amplifier operates in “proxy” mode, passing through and processing all client traffic. The second option is the usual WDS mode. Secondly, the TL-WA850RE has a traffic monitor that clearly shows the speeds of incoming and outgoing connections.

The device also has quite standard functions: managing settings (saving, restoring and resetting), updating firmware, viewing logs, changing the administrator password and rebooting. In general, all the necessary functions for a Wi-Fi signal amplifier are present in the TL-WA850RE, but, of course, I want more. For example, working as a simple access point (Ethernet → Wi-Fi). Well, don’t forget that due to such a compact and unventilated case, the device tends to heat up noticeably during operation.

Signal amplifier (repeater) Wi-Fi TP-Link TL-WA850RE
Standards	IEEE 802.3u IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Chipset/controller	Atheros AR9341 (500 MHz)
Memory	RAM 32 MB/ROM 4 MB
Antennas	2 x internal 2x2:2
Encryption	64/128-bit WEP/WPA/WPA2, 802.1x, WPS
Maximum speed	802.11n: up to 300 Mbps, 802.11g: up to 54 Mbps, 802.11b: up to 11 Mbps
Interfaces	1 x 10/100 Mbps LAN
Indicators	Nutrition, condition, 1 x Wi-Fi, 1 x LAN; 5 x signal level
Hardware buttons	WPS, Reset
Dimensions (WxLxH)	110x656x75 mm
Nutrition	AC 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz, 0.3 A
Guarantee	1 year
Price	1,200 rubles

Well, it’s time to talk about how the TP-Link TL-WA850RE behaves in “combat” conditions. The TL-WDR4300 router was used as a basic access point. For both wireless devices, the automatically selected channel width was forced to 40 MHz, WPA2-AES encryption was used, and other settings remained unchanged. The signal repeater worked in proxy mode, not WDS. One of the test benches was the Acer Aspire V5-551G (NB) laptop under Windows control 8 x64 and with Atheros AR5BW222 (Wi-Fi) and Atheros AR8151 (Ethernet) network controllers. The second bench was a desktop PC (DS) with the following configuration: AMD Phenom 2 X6, 8 GB RAM, Gigabit Ethernet Realtek RTL8111D. The test results in the Ixia IxChariot 6.7 program with the High Performance Throughput profile are presented in the table below.

Average speed at point 1, Mbit/s
Streams	1	2	4	8	16
With adapter, Ethernet
DS → NB	9	27	25	38	24
N.B.→ D.S.	7	18	25	60	64
NB ↔ DS	15	17	26	11	26
Without adapter
D.S. → N.B.	71	72	57	66	43
N.B.→ D.S.	84	80	85	89	88
N.B.↔ D.S.	57	56	73	60	61
Average speed at point 2, Mbit/s
Streams	1	2	4	8	16
With adapter, Wi-Fi
D.S.→ N.B.	16	21	25	17	10
N.B.→ D.S.	19	26	29	27	18
N.B.↔ D.S.	19	10	18	17	10
Without adapter
D.S.→ N.B.	27	15	13	22	14
N.B.→ D.S.	40	18	16	-	-
N.B.↔ D.S.	40	13	8	9	-

A few words about testing conditions. The router and amplifier (Point 1) were placed in two adjacent rooms connected by a corridor. They were located at a distance of about nine meters, but without serious obstacles such as walls. The level of the received signal was just in the region of two or three segments, which corresponds to approximately 40-50% of the signal power of the base AP. At the first point, the laptop was connected to the router both directly via Wi-Fi and via a wire to the TL-WA850RE. The second point was located in another room, four meters away from the first and separated from it by a brick wall. Here the laptop was connected only via Wi-Fi - to the main network and to the repeater network, which remained at the first point. The test participants were actively interfered with by two APs in nearby rooms and three or four more routers on adjacent floors. In general, the situation is quite typical for an office center or apartment building.

And what happened in the end? But in the end it turned out that at the first point the laptop’s wireless adapter turned out to be much better than the amplifier in terms of connection stability, and even more so in terms of data transfer speeds. If you plan to use the TL-WA850RE as an adapter for viewing streaming content on a TV or player without Wi-Fi, then you will have to place it closer to home router. For comparison: at the maximum reception level (five out of five segments), the speed of such a connection was still no higher than 50-60 Mbit/s. However, at the second point, where the direct path to the parent access point runs through three brick walls, the repeater won back. On a single-threaded connection, the laptop showed not the worst speed, but in multi-threaded tests it completely gave up, unable to complete some of them at all. With the TL-WA850RE, the connection turned out to be, although not the fastest, but quite stable. So it has successfully confirmed its title as an amplifier or, if you like, a Wi-Fi coverage area extender.

conclusions

The overall impression of the TP-Link TL-WA850RE is generally positive. They did a good job on the design of the device - it turned out very nice. The developers should also be praised for the ease of setting up the amplifier. Although in the latest firmware the web interface is again not translated into Russian, it is not that difficult to understand. Regarding working as a wireless adapter for connecting devices via Ethernet to home network, then in this case it’s definitely not worth placing the device very far from the router. Well, if you plan to use it specifically as a Wi-Fi amplifier, then it is suitable for eliminating “dead” zones.

However, in both cases you should not count on high data transfer speeds. And don’t forget that this is still SOHO equipment, so you shouldn’t expect a significant increase in Wi-Fi reception area from it. This, in general, is hinted at by its price of 1,200 rubles. As we said at the very beginning, TP-Link TL-WA850RE is a useful and inexpensive thing for a small local network upgrade.

IN Wi-Fi hotspots access mode “repeater” (repeater) is used to expand the Wi-Fi coverage area.

For example, a router is installed in an apartment, but in the back room a laptop, phone or tablet has a weak signal level. You can, of course, connect a more powerful one to your laptop Wi-Fi adapter, but what to do with your phone and tablet? In this case, an access point that supports the repeater operating mode will help us. A TP-Link access point will connect via Wi-Fi to your router (for example TL-WR1043ND) and transmit the signal further than a phone, tablet or other client device can.

With the help of a TP-Link repeater you can strengthen the Wi-Fi signal for your Wi-Fi devices.

Repeater mode is supported by TP-Link TL-WA500G, TL-WA501G, TL-WA5110G, TL-WA5210G, TL-WA701ND, TL-WA801ND, TL-WA901ND, TL-WA730RE, TL-WA830RE wireless access points.

Connecting a TP-Link access point

The TP-Link access point is connected to a computer or laptop using a twisted pair cable. Power is connected to the access point using a power supply or via a POE injector (depending on the model). After setting up the access point, the cable from the computer to the access point can be disconnected.

Setting up a network card on a computer or laptop

Open “Start” → “Control Panel” → “Network and Sharing Center”.

Select “Change adapter settings”.

Right-click on “Local Area Connection” and left-click on “Properties”.

Select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click “Properties”.

In the window that opens, select “Use the following IP address” and specify the IP address 192.168.1.21 , Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and click “OK”.

Setting up an access point in Wi-Fi repeater mode

Opening Internet browser Explorer (or any other) and enter the address 192.168.1.254 (default IP address)

Attention! The proxy server should not be specified in the browser settings

In the next window, enter your username admin password admin.

Open the menu Wireless→ Wireless Settings and in the field Operation Mode: choose Universal Repeater(or Range Extender) .

If you are using a router with WDS mode enabled, then select the mode Repeater.

Press the button Survey and in the window that appears, click Connect opposite the point to which we will connect.

After this, save the settings by pressing the button Save, click click here to reboot the device.

In the next window, click the button Reboot and wait until the device reboots.

Now you need to configure your security settings. Go to the menu Wireless→ Wireless Security and select the encryption type and password that is used on the router to which our TP-Link repeater is connected. In our case, WPA2-PSK encryption was used.

Be careful! If your router uses WEP encryption, then in the fields Type, WEP Key Format, WEP Key, Key Type The settings must be specified exactly the same as on the router to which the access point will connect. Otherwise, the TP-Link repeater will not be able to connect to the router.

You can understand that the repeater cannot connect to the router in the menu Status. If in Wireless - Channel When the page is refreshed, the channel number constantly changes, then the repeater cannot connect to the router due to incorrectly specified security parameters.

After configuring the security settings, save the settings with the button Save and reboot.

We check that the repeater is connected to the router. Go to the menu Status and look at the connection parameters. In field Name (SSID): the router to which the access point is connected should appear, the channel number Channel, MAC Address and other parameters. In field Traffic Statistics data packets must “run”.

Connecting equipment to a Wi-Fi network

You can connect a Wi-Fi enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop to the Wi-Fi network.

To connect a laptop to a Wi-Fi network, find the control icon in the lower right corner of the screen Wi-Fi connections. Select our Wi-Fi network from the list and click the “Connect” button.

Enter the password to connect to the Wi-Fi network, which was set in the router settings.

After this, the laptop will connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Checking the connection of devices to the Wi-Fi repeater

After connecting any wireless device (laptop, phone, tablet) to the Wi-Fi network, check that the device is connected to the repeater and not to the router. To do this, open the menu on the access point Wireless→ Wireless Statistics and we see the devices connected to the TP-Link repeater.

If not on the list MAC addresses your device, and the Internet works on it, then the device has connected to the router, since at this point the router’s signal is better than the repeater’s signal. Place the access point far from the router and connect next to it. If the device still cannot connect to the access point, check that the access point is connected to the router and that its encryption type and password are set correctly in the security settings.

Restoring a TP-Link access point to factory settings

If you cannot enter the settings of the Tp-Link access point or have forgotten your login password, the Reset button on the back of the device will help you restore the factory settings and password.

Press and hold the Reset button for about 8-10 seconds.