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.
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From the brand
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Founded in 1996, TP-Link is a global provider of reliable networking devices and accessories, involved in all aspects of everyday life.
With a proven heritage of stability, performance, and value, TP-Link has curated a portfolio of products that meet the networking needs of all individuals.
Now, as the connected lifestyle continues to evolve, the company is expanding today to exceed the demands of tomorrow.
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WiFi 7
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USB to Ethernet Adapters
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From the manufacturer
Expand WiFi and Connect Further
The TL-WA855RE range extender expands your router's signal to provide strong and stable WiFi to your home. Watch movies, stream music and listen to your favorite podcasts without worrying about dead zones or spotty signals.
The TL-WA855RE works best with routers that support N300 WiFi and above.
1 Setup. Simplified. 2 Manage From Your Phone 3 Universally Compatible
Set Schedules and Control WiFi Access
Enforce bedtime for your children by turning your network on or off at preset times. You can also secure your network by controlling which devices connect to your extended WiFi.
Connect an Ethernet cable from your smart TV, gaming console or streaming box to the TL-WA855RE for a boost in speed and connectivity. You can also create faster WiFi by switching the extender to access point mode and connecting your extender to your router via Ethenet.
Designed for your Home
The TL-WA855RE features a sleek and compact design that blends in seamlessy with your walls and decor. Unlike other clunky range extenders, the TL-WA855RE range extender is sure to compliment any aesthetic.
Repeaters
 TL-WA855RE |  RE300 |  RE505X |  RE650 | |
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Customer Reviews
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120,306
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24,578
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5,695
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5,695
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Price
| $19.99 | $18.99 | — | — |
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Universal Compatibility
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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WiFi Speed
| Wi-Fi 5 N300 | Wi-Fi 5 AC1200 | Wi-Fi 6 AX1500 | Wi-Fi 5 AC2600 |
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WiFi Band
| 2.4GHz | Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz | Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz | Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz |
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Ethernet Port
| 1x Fast Ethernet Port | None | 1x Gigabit Port | 1x Gigabit Port |
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High speed Mode
| ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Connection Speed
| Good | Better | Best | Best |
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OneMesh Compatibility
| ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
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AP Mode
| ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
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TP-Link Tether App
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Compare with similar items
This Item  TP-Link N300 WiFi Extender(TL-WA855RE)-WiFi Range Extender, up to 300Mbps speed, Wireless Signal Booster and Access Point, Single Band 2.4Ghz Only |  |  |  | |
| Price | -33% $19.99 List: $29.99 | $40.99 | $39.99 | $73.46 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||
| WiFi signal | ||||
| Easy to install | ||||
| Durability | ||||
| Tech Support | ||||
| User interface | ||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | NewLife Electronic Deals | Quality Photo | Deals4Less (SN Recorded) |
| connectivity tech | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 5G | USB, Wi Fi | Wi-Fi Built In | Wi-Fi |
| number of ports | 1 | 2 | — | 5 |
| data transfer rate | 300 megabits per second | 1300 megabits per second | 1750 megabits per second | 1200 megabits per second |
| wireless standard | 802 11 BGN | 2.4 ghz radio frequency, 802 11 AC, 5 ghz radio frequency | 2.4 ghz radio frequency, 802 11 AC, 5 ghz radio frequency | 802 11 AC |
| frequency band class | single band | dual band | dual band | single band |
| lan port bandwidth | 10/100 megabits per second | — | — | 10/100/1000 megabits per second |
Videos
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2 Years Later, My Honest Review of the this Wi-Fi Extender
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Customer Review: Doubled my WIFI speed.. Speed test
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Our Point of View on the TP-Link N300 WiFi Extender
WTI | We Tried It!
Reviews with images
Wish I'd bought one sooner
First things first, I paid full price for this because I needed it. I didn't get it for free and I'm not getting any incentives for reviewing it. I can't stand fake reviews and lukewarm "This was free so it's great, five stars" time wasters any more than anyone else can.My bedroom is a finished enclosed porch that was an addition onto the side of the house after it was built, so WiFi signal in here is horrible. And horrible WiFi signal combined with taking seven online classes due to the pandemic of 2020 is not a great combination. I get somewhat decent signal right next to the door, but in the ten or so feet it takes to walk to my bed the signal drops to the point of being practically unusable. I got sick of having to choose between sitting on the floor up against the door, or sitting comfortably in bed while my Zoom connections constantly lagged out and disconnected.I had been considering buying a WiFi range extender for quite some time, but I never got around to it because there was such a wide selection of them and none of them had particularly great reviews. I wanted to get the fastest best one on here but then I couldn't bring myself to pay $100 for a range extender with 3.5 star reviews, so I never bought one. I finally decided to go with this one because it was one of the cheapest ones on here, I have had previous positive experiences with TP-Link products, and I figured if it didn't work I could just return it.It's really easy to set up. I was under the impression that range extenders had to be plugged into the router with an ethernet cable but no, this is completely wireless. It has two antennas, and it picks up your router signal with one and extends it with the other. It plugs directly into an outlet. You get on your phone or computer and go to the website that is listed in the instructions and connect the extender to your WiFi network. This one only works on the 2.4 ghz band. When you're setting it up they tell you to do it right next to your router, then unplug it and move it to where you want it to go after you've got it set up, but I didn't do that and it still works just fine. I have my extender plugged in right next to the door, which is the place in my room that gets the best signal, and it makes it so I can get a good connection throughout my whole room.You need to have reasonable expectations before buying one of these. It's not going to magically make your network super fast, it's just going to make the signal reach a bit farther than it already does. I do not stream Netflix or play games or anything over this, I mainly just browse websites, stream video lectures, and attend Zoom video meetings, and it works great for these purposes. Personally I am extremely pleased with this little device and I really wish I had bought one months ago, it would have made my online classes go much more smoothly.
Top reviews from the United States
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Top reviews from other countries
Carlos
Hace lo que tiene que hacer
Reviewed in Mexico on March 27, 2024Style: WiFi Extender- N300Verified Purchase
Akash Dhavalikar
A Comprehensive Review !
Reviewed in India on April 4, 2021Style: WiFi Extender- N300Verified Purchase
Akash Dhavalikar
Reviewed in India on April 4, 2021
1) Do you even need a device to increase the range of your wifi?
a) If you're not getting a good enough wifi coverage at your home, first thing you need to do is to figure out the optimum place for the router. It should be at the centre of your home and away from electronics such as microwave. There are plenty of videos regarding this on youtube, so I won't be wasting your time here.
b) If that doesn't solve your problem, invest in a decent router. I for one, use iBall Baton iB-WRD12EN 1200M router, which was the cheapest dual band router at the time I bought it. I got it for ₹999, which is a steal for that router. There are many more routers out there, some are better than this one so, choose according to your need and budget.
c) If you are still facing issues regarding the range, you should continue reading.
2) Range Extender or Access Point ?
There are two options by which you can increase the range of your wifi network. Both of these have some pros and cons as follows :
a) Range Extender
Pros: It is very easy to install, it takes hardly 5 minutes. It doesn't take much space. There's no hassle of running a cable from router to the range extender.
Cons: There is some drop in speed, which is to be expected. There's also a slight increase in latency, which is hardly noticeable if there are less number of devices connected to the range extender.
b) Access Point
Pros: No drop in speed, negligible increase in latency as the connection is wired.
Cons: Running a cable from router to the Access Point is quite a hassle.
Without a doubt, an Access Point is much better than a Range Extender. Nowadays, most of the routers come with an Access Point mode, too. But if you're like me who doesn't like the hassle of installing an Access Point and is perfectly fine with a slight decrease in speed (depending on how you position the range extender) then sure, you should pick a Range Extender.
3) Now, after you've bought a Range Extender, (let's assume this one) it's time to set it up. Upon reading the reviews, I chose to set it up via the browser method as it is the most effective one. You just need to follow simple instructions.
4) Now comes the tricky part, the placement of the Range Extender.
You should place your range extender in such a place that it catches a good signal and it distributes it to the desired place in your home. Use an extension cable and run speed tests by placing the Range Extender in most likely places where there's good wifi coverage. You can use wifi analysing apps to find out the spots of good wifi coverage, too. If there isn't a power outlet at the optimum location, invest in one. Let me tell you what I did. I live in a duplex home. My router is downstairs, so there was absolutely no signal in upper bedrooms. I relocated the router by mounting it at the top centre of the ground floor and placed the Range Extender exactly above it but at 3-4 feet height from the ground of the second floor. The distance between the two is hardly 6 feet. I have a 50 mbps connection and I get 30+ mbps speed from the Range Extender which is to be expected. I have attached screenshots for reference. There's no way the Range Extender will give the full speed. It's not logically possible.
5) My experience with this Range Extender:
It's been more than 2 months since I started using this device. Throughout this period, I didn't encounter any deal breaking problems at all. On one occasion, my phone refused to connect to it, but upon restarting it, the issue didn't resurface. Apart from that, it's been a fantastic experience. The wifi signal range is also really good. There's a one more version of this Range Extender with the internal antennae. Apart from that the two are basically same, internal hardware- wise. I bought this because of the external antennae. If you're concerned more about the aesthetics, then go for the other one, it's TL-WA850RE.
To conclude, I would like to say that if you need to extend the wifi coverage in your home, you should consider an Access Point primarily. If the simplicity of a Range Extender outweighs its flaws for you, only then you should consider it. To be honest, I think all these Range Extenders don't deserve their price tags. For example, this model should've been priced at somewhere around ₹800.
Nonetheless, I hope this helped you to make your decision. Have a nice day !
Edit:- In the month of July 2021, there was some electricity maintenance work going on in my area. Now, ideally during such programs, one should switch off any electronic appliances in his home. I forgot that. Suddenly, for about 10 minutes the voltage reached approximately 800 volts which should've melted the innards of this device. But surprisingly, it was working, just not in a good way. There were frequent disconnections. I raised a replacement request to TP - Link and was given a brand new replacement device on the same day! Now that's what you call an after sales service.
Images in this review
Anoop
Great product
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2019Style: WiFi Extender- N300Verified Purchase
ALEJANDRO CORONADO
Lo que buscaba
Reviewed in Spain on February 4, 2019Style: WiFi Extender- N300Verified Purchase
Genesis2002
Tolles kleines Ding das sein Geld Wert ist
Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2018Style: WiFi Extender- N300Verified Purchase
