In some houses or workplaces it is difficult to get the WiFi signal to reach all places and rooms with sufficient strength. Luckily, there is a very practical solution for that: the wifi extenders. In this post we are going to explain its advantages and we will show you how to configure TP Link Extender.
These devices are known as network repeaters or extenders. Its main function is to take the signal of the wireless network from the modem to emit it again, with renewed power and intensity. In this way, the WiFi coverage is much wider and more stable. No more weak or no signal problems.
A WiFi extender is very easy to install. It is only necessary to have a power outlet for it to start working. The most difficult thing is finding the perfect place to place them inside a house. These strategic places cannot be too far from the router and must be in places where they can send the signal to the areas that need it.
It is, in any case, the same signal, with the same username and password, so it will not be necessary to change the configuration of our devices. There are also other aspects to take into account before buying a WiFi amplifier:
- dual band Wi-Fi, 2.4 and 5 GHz respectively. The first has a longer range, but is slower; the second, on the other hand, is much faster, although its range is less.
- Speed. Ideally, the speed of the extender should be three times that of the original Internet connection.
- Antennas. The models that have external antennas achieve a greater range. In addition, they allow to be oriented so that the signal is sent to a specific area.
On the other hand, there is the question of the configuration with the wireless network so that everything works as it should. so you have to know exactly how to configure our TP Link Extender (which by the way are currently the best sellers on the market and the ones that offer the best performance), which we explain below. There are basically three configuration modes:
Configuration with WPS and Range Extender
Most routers already incorporate a WPS button, which is what we will use to configure the WiFi repeater or extender. To begin with, both the router and the extender need to be close to each other in order to properly complete the pairing. This is how we should proceed:
- Firstly, We connect our TP Link extender to the electrical current and let it start. This usually takes a few seconds.
- Once the repeater has started, we press the WPS button of the router for three seconds.
- Immediately after, we press the "Range Extender" button, which is also on the router, for another three seconds.
- After this time, the pairing of both devices will have taken place successfully. We'll know for sure when we see that the team lights shown in a circle are on.
Finally, you have to unplug the extender and find the right location inside the house.
Setup without WPS
If our router does not have a WPS button, we will have to try this other method. The process is a little longer and more laborious, but it works just the same:
- As in the previous case, we first plug the TP Link Extender into a power outlet near the WiFi access point and wait for the home light to start blinking.
- Then we connected the extender to a computer (either by Ethernet cable or wirelessly)*.
- Next, in the browser navigation bar, we write tplinkrepeater.net and click Enter.
- A page opens in which we are offered several connection methods. We simply have to choose one of them, depending on our needs, and in the username and password fields write admin, without quotation marks.
- In the next step, a quick configuration page appears in which we have to Select the WiFi network of the router.
- Finally, we write the password of the WiFi of our router. With this, the link will be established and all that will remain is the task of finding the best place for the repeater inside the house.
*If we do it with the Ethernet cable, we must disconnect the computer from any other wireless network and then connect the extender; If we choose wireless mode, we must disconnect the cable connection.
Configuration via browser
There is still a third method to configure the TP Link Extender, and that is to do it through the web browser. These are the instructions to follow:
- First we connect the repeater to the outlet, always close to the router with which we want to connect.
- Then we turn on the computer and We look for the available WiFi networks.
- Finally, when we find the network corresponding to the repeater (it usually has the words "TP Link Extender" in its name), we only have to click on it to establish the connection.