Help with setting up tp-link cpe210?

Breelovespcs wrote

I want to use it to extend my wifi outside to the patio area, so I can connect my laptop. I have the tp-link cpe 210 hooked up to my laptop with a Ethernet cord and another Ethernet cord connected to my the adapter.

If you connect the laptop to the CPE using an Ethernet cable (wired connection) and let the CPE wirelessly connect to another CPE wired to your home network, this will work fine. On short distances you could even connect one CPE (in client mode) to any other AP already deployed at the expense of lower throughput if there are obstacles such as walls, windows etc. between the CPE and the AP. Usually one uses two CPEs for directional links, both mounted outside of a building.

I signed in using the default ip address outside and at first it was working but very slowly and it said the connection had no internet. I don't know if I should use it as a repeater or access point.

If you use two CPEs, then one CPE should be configured as AP, the other as client. Use the default address of the CPEs only for initial setup to change the IP to a free (unused) IP of your home network. Then align the antennas of both CPEs and you should be able to establish a wireless connection. The laptop will receive its IP using DHCP from your router via the wireless link. DHCP also tells the laptop which gateway to use, so you will get Internet access.

Example setup, where ----- = cable and ))(( = wireless link:

Internet router-----CPE1 in AP mode)))))) ((((((CPE2 in client mode-----Laptop