Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsA basic WiFi extender.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2022
We used to get WiFi dropouts in our upstairs master bedroom. This was frustrating, as despite having a connection frequently we would encounter buffering and disconnects. So I decided to pick up this low cost extender.
TP Link are a well respected brand amongst networking and this is their entry level model. This particular model is 300mbps and limited to the 2.4ghz band. It comes packaged in a small cardboard box with minimal excess packaging. The device itself consists of a 3 pin plug and a body that extends outwards and upwards with the antenna inside. The sports a green ring of LED's that are used to show status and signal strength, with a pairing WPS button in the middle. On the base of the device there is a small hole with a reset switch beneath. The extender isn't too bulky but you may experience issues with clearance with some sockets particularly when used alongside plug in PSU's, and in confined spaces.
The extender is fairly easy to setup. You can just use the WPS button on your router, connect via a PC or use an app. Annoyingly it uses a different app to TP links Tapo range of smart products. It would be nice if these were integrated and allow it to be switched remotely by Alexa. As this doesn't support mesh the SSID will need to be set to something different and switched on your device. . In operation it displays the current WiFi signal and setting can be adjusted via the app or from a PC. So how does it perform? Pretty much as it should do. It solved our deadspot problem and we didn't experience any drop outs. Since then we have changed our router and it has essentially become redundant. Comparing it to our new router at the same range there is a slight drop in speed at 2.4ghz. Now I plan to use it to extend the WiFi to the shed and garden.
It does pretty much what you expect it to at an incredibly low price. If that's all you need then great. However for not a lot more you can buy an extender that retains your socket and adds an ethernet port. A little again and you can buy one that adds the 5GHZ band and is capable of meshing. So consider what you need before buy and check what's on offer.