How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance

How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance

How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance
How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance
2021-07-02 02:49:08 - last edited 2023-02-08 08:53:26
Model: Range Extender  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version:

Placing Tips

 

1. Distance

For the case that we almost got no obstacle and the Router’s signal is still good at 40 feet (like still supplying speed like 100Mbps in 5G or 50Mbps in 2.4G there), it’s recommended to put the RE with External Antenna in about 25 – 40 feet away; for the RE with Internal Antenna, better to place it 20 – 35 feet away, which is normally the proper place for the RE to stay.

For the case that there are walls or other obstacles in between the RE and main router, it’s better to place the RE like the Example we show in the end of this article.

2. Raise the Range Extender

Place the range extender at a similar height as the main router, usually is about 4 feet high. The height will help the extender receiving a better signal from the main router, and ensure the mobile devices getting a better signal from the extender.

Try placing the router high on a bookcase, shelf or other location with suitable height, instead of putting the router on the floor or corner.

3. Put the Antenna Vertically

Please put the Antenna up vertically with the ground, so that the extender can receive and transfer data at best status.     

4. Avoid Obstacles

When picking your extender’s location, avoid objects that will either reflect the signal (like mirrors or large pieces of metal) or absorb it (walls, cabinets or masonry supports). It's better that if the router and the extender are in line of sight.

Another big disruptor of Wi-Fi extenders are stray radio-frequency signals from other electronics. The prime culprits here are microwave ovens, cordless phones, refrigerators or even baby monitors, which emit strong interference to the Wi-Fi signal.

5. Placing Direction

Place the extender facing towards the router as much as possible.

The front side of the extender face against the main router directly will be the best direction for the extender’s antennas to receive and broadcast the signal. And the behind clients can also get faster speed from the extender in this case.

6. Power Strip

At last, it’s better to put the RE into a Power Strip, so that you can easily adjust the RE’s height, antennas' angle, the direction or even the distance as the previous suggestions.  

7. AP mode

When the obstacles cannot be avoided or the distance between the RE and router are too long to establish a stable wireless connection,  you can also put the RE close to the place where the Wi-Fi signal is needed, run an  Ethernet cable from the router to the RE, then turn the RE into AP mode following this FAQ1401, to ensure the devices in that place can also get a strong stable Wi-Fi signal.

 

Posture Examples

 

As the first picture showed, it’s recommended to place the RE facing towards the Router; It’s also better when there are fewer Obstacles; And also keep them at a Height of 4 feet like on a normal desktop.

 

As the second picture showed, we may put the antenna up to get it Perpendicular to the Ground with the help of the Power Strip.

 

Error Case

 

Position Examples

 

Main Router Only

With the block of the Wall and distance turns longer, we can only get 40Mbps in this room when we directly connect to the Main Wi-Fi.

 

Router + RE

RE’s getting 150Mbps from Router in this place, then share the network to further place in the direction that it was placed.

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23 Reply
Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-07-21 13:08:56

@Solla-topee 

 

Is it feasible to connect a router to a powerline adaptor and then have that signal emerge from a distant socket into a range extender? 

 

I am having challenges getting a workable signal to an upstairs room for wifi access. 

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-07-22 03:34:16

@Mike-W Hello, 

It is better to use only one type of network expansion products in the local network if possible.  

Range extender is more suitable for an open area and wirelessly connects to router. Power line KIT need to work in the same powerline (under same power meter) .

Wireless powerline KIT contains a wired unit (wired to router )and a wireless unit, the wireless units could provide Ethernet and Wi-Fi upstairs. 

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-21 12:03:26

@Solla-topee 

 

I have OneMesh network, Archer C80 + RE305 + RE200, initially, I used Archer C80 + RE305, Archer C80 on the 1st floor, and RE305 on the 2nd, but it turned out that the distance is too far and they could only get connected on 2.4GHz,  not on 5GHz, then I moved RE305 to the farthest end of the 1st floor near the stairs, and they can get connected on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, then I bought RE200 for the top floor.

 

Unfortunately, I can't get RE200 connected to RE305, every time I tried it always gets connected directly to the main router (Archer C80), and just like RE305 it can only get connected at 2.4GHz to the main router, what should I do to connect RE200 to RE305?

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-23 07:38:39

@nyonyo also have similar challenge , i am trying to extend range from my existing extender which is an AC750 - RE200 ( this one is setup perfectly and has good range however cant extend it any further by a 1 meter or two then loose range with the main router) So i would like to extend the range with an additional AC750 - RE200  however the additional extender connects to the router directly all the time. Even when trying to setup the additional extender via WPS from the existing Extender , it still connects to the main router. How can i get the new extender to extend from the 1st one to give me better range or coverage to a deadspot area?

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-24 03:45:29

@Chalk01 

 

I managed to connect the second extender to the first (reselect the main network) by leaving "onemesh", and it only connects on 2.4GHz due to the distance, once you join back "onemesh" the 2nd extender will get back connected to the router, I think the only solution is, tp-link has to make wired backhaul possible for onemesh

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-26 13:20:46 - last edited 2021-12-26 13:25:28

@Chalk01 @nyonyo 

It is not very recommended wirelessly connecting one extender to another extender, as the performance for the second extender could be unsatisfactory.
If you have 2 range extenders, please try to connect  both range extenders to the router directly.
Topology : RE1 )))(( Router )))(( RE2

Or you could consider using one of REs as AP mode (wired to router or front end):
Topology:  router )) (( RE1 <Ethernet> RE2 (AP mode)  this requires RE supports AP mode.

 

In OneMesh, RE1 and router  use the same SSID, may I know how do you tell  if RE2 connects to RE1 or main router, can you check the RSSI/ signal strength of Router & RE1.

If you want extender2  wirelessly connects to extender 1,turn off 'smart connect', and try to set a different SSID for RE1 and see if that helps.

And you could test the overall performance difference when RE2 connects to main router/ RE1 

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-28 05:41:48

@Solla-topee 

 

What's the use of "OneMesh" if it can only work in RE - Router - RE topology?  the build of each house is different, not every building made it possible to put the router in the middle of the house 

 

IF RE2 is in AP mode, router - RE1 - wired connected - RE2, will they still work as a "OneMesh" ?

 

I can tell whether RE2 is connected to the router or RE1 by checking the MAC address it gets connected to (Tools - Main Network)

 

If I turn off the smart connect and have different SSIDs, is it still called "OneMesh"?

 

 

 

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-29 14:05:42 - last edited 2021-12-30 13:35:42

Edit for correction: In OneMeshrange extenders will preferably connect to main router.  OneMesh has its own way to select best AP , not always force REs connect to main router.

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-30 13:03:38

@Solla-topee 

 

If smart connect is off, there will be no option to choose (reselect) the main network, the only way to choose main network other than router is by leaving onemesh

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Re:How to place your wireless Range Extender for optimal reception and performance?
2021-12-30 13:34:22 - last edited 2021-12-30 13:36:10

Hello @nyonyo 

I overlooked on that point, thank you for the correction. 

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