TP-Link - N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender with Ethernet Port - White

If you are looking for a cheap, reliable range extender and are not a heavy bandwidth user, the TL-WA850RE is for you. Like all of TP-Link's range extenders, the TL-WA850RE is a cinch to configure. Using WPS, it is as simple as pressing a button the router and then pressing the button on the range extender. If WPS is not an option, you can use TP-Link's Tether app for iOS and Android from any mobile device. Out of the box the unit has a nice look to it which blends well with my outlets. I like that TP-Link designed this extender to make sure it doesn't block the second outlet. The LED lights are subtle yet convey everything you need to know including signal strength. This range extender is not dual band, but simply 2.4GHz. What that means is that you will get better range with 2.4GHz than with 5GHz but the speeds are not as high as those offered in the 5GHz band. The TL-WA850RE also has an Ethernet port to allow it to act as a bridge for wired devices. In my usage, I had a consistent signal with adequate speeds one floor up on the opposite side of my house. The extender has been stable, never losing a signal or needing to be rebooted. If this is your price point and speed range, look no further. Otherwise, for a little more money, TP-Link offers dual band range extenders which may be worth the upgrade cost. Submitted as part of a free sample program.

My office gave me a Cisco IP Phone model 303 so I can work from home and still be on the office phone network with my own extension number like I'm actually there. The ideal setup is to have the IP phone right next to my work computer so that I can be on the phone and look at my computer monitors at the same time. Problem was that the IP phone needed to be connected directly to the router which was in a different room than where my work computer was, so when I had a call and needed to look at something at the computer at the same time, I either had to run between the two rooms or just bring my computer temporarily to the room where the phone was. Running an ethernet cable between the two rooms was out of the question -- too far and too messy. After looking at various solutions including a device made by Cisco, I settled on this TP-Link N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender with Ethernet Port. I plug it into an outlet near my desk, plug the IP phone into it and voila! A simple elegant solution for less than 20 bucks! I deduct one star because of the placement of the ethernet port at the bottom where it tends to get in the way of anything plugged to the other electrical outlet. It's a problem especially if you are going to plug it in to a power strip (my original plan) where the outlets are very close together. It would have been better if the port were on the side or on top, where other brands usually place it. It fits as long as the other plug is not too big (see accompanying picture).

This product is very useful if you have multi-story/big house or office. This is quick and easy to setup. It will increase or boost Wi-Fi signal therefore less or no dead wireless zone. After installing this extender, I am getting good signal in my garage and backyard. Now with the help of it, I am getting coverage in the entire house. I recommended this product to those who have Wi-Fi dead zones. The quick install guide is easy to follow. This extender supports 802.11 n/b/g band (wireless) compatible devices. It does not have support for 5GHz network. It does not work with wireless 802.11 AC band either. I also used this as a bridge and connected device via Ethernet cable, the performance was good. It is not as bulky as traditional extender. I find this device very useful to extend the range of wireless signal. This is also a great alternative to provide wired connection where physical wired connection (RJ45/Ethernet) is unavailable as it can work as a wireless adapter. Submitted as part of a free sample program. Pros: Easy Installation, Compact Design Cons: Not compatible with 802.11AC or 5Ghz band

I have a doubt at first on ordering it but I gave it a try coz of the good reviews and how cheap it is. I’m so happy I did it :-) Products arrived on time and in very good condition. Upon opening box some of the inflated plastic were popped (as you can see in the collage photo) but my orders were all good and no damage. Setting it up gave me no hassle coz our router is WPS ready (I suggest downloading the app, it’s much easy and faster) and I’m no computer geek so I did the set-up quickly. My family were so happy and pleased that their gadgets’ speed improved and much faster than before. I bought three by the way, one for my room, for my son and for my sister’s room in the second floor (router is in the first floor). Much mahalo! (plenty shaka’s! ^_^)

My router had to be placed in one corner of my house. The opposite corner was a dead wifi spot, as was my deck. Rather than a messy, expensive relocation of the router, I thought I'd try an inexpensive solution. The N300 was the lowest cost extender with good ratings, so I ordered one from Best Buy. (It was not available at the retail outlet.) It took a few minutes to set it up. I placed the device in an electrical outlet about halfway between the router and the dead corner. Now I have a fairly strong signal where there was none. FYI - the distance from the router to the N300 is about 25' as is the increased distance of the expanded range (total of 50'). The device is not line-of-sight from the router but it IS within sight of the formerly dead corner. If you have a situation like this, I recommend you give this device a try. For just over $20, it's one of the most cost-effective electronic gizmos ever. (I just installed it last night, so this is only an initial quality review.)

I needed an extender because I get a really weak signal throughout my second story home; the router is in the den on the other end of the house on the first floor. I wanted the cheapest yet reliable tool and bought this thinking if it didn't work, I could easily return it; low risk. To my delight, it works like a charm. I LOVE the manufacturers of this product because they managed to produce an effective product at a really low price. The setup was very easy (so easy you have to try it to believe it). Where I had to sit near an open door for a weak signal, I'm now streaming my tv shows behind closed doors in comfort. Quality of life improved! Love it and highly recommend!!!

The quick installation guide is written well, however, for option two (non- WPS), it took me quite a few hours of trial and error to finally configure. I had to set the TP-LINK as a fixed IP address in my Link Sys router. I.e. map the TP-LINK's MAC address to a fixed IP address in the router. Until I did that, I was getting constant unable to obtain IP address. I also set it up as a 2nd SSID so I could connect to separately from my router to compare speeds at various places in the house. In every corner of the house, the LinkSys router was quicker on speed tests. Which means my router is sufficiently capable of reaching all areas of the house and still strong enough signal that the single band TP-LINK loses in a speed test comparison. Since this is a single band repeater, it generally means the throughput will be 1/2 the speed of a dual band connection. However, in places where there's zero connectivity, single band beats no connectivity. I'll probably return it and get a dual band repeater.

I got this wifi extender as I live in an apartment building that only has one wifi router and I don't get signal in some parts of my apartment. Since my bedroom was one of those places, it became necessary to get a stronger signal. After the initial setup, my wifi extender worked great! After that first day, I had trouble connecting to it, to the point where I reset and started over from the beginning. After this, the extender worked a bit better, but I still have trouble connecting to this at times. I would be using the internet and have to switch off/on the wifi on my devices to try to reconnect. I often have to unplug the extender and plug back in as well. Most times, I get annoyed and have to move to another and connect to my original wifi network. I've already tried moving this around to different parts of my apartment to see if it's a signal issue, but it doesn't seem to be. All in all, this does work, but it's not as convenient as I'd hoped it would be.