@GQ52 

Hi,

A brand new or a freshly reset TP-Link range extender should be broadcasting a Wi-Fi network with the name "TP-Link_Extender".

Are you sure you have scrolled through the whole list of Wi-Fi networks shown by your client devices?

I think it's extremely unlikely that two newly-purchased and different range extenders would be both defective.

When you reset the RE220 make sure you hold the reset button down for several seconds before releasing it and check that there is a distinctive response from the RE220's LED lights, which indicates a successfully initiated reset.

I have managed to sort it.

1) SSIDs do show but not using the name implied by the instructions/Tether/videos

2) I managed to access the extender by connecting to it using an rj45 connected to my laptop

3) I  set a password then used its internal quick setup to select my wireless network and connect to both 2.4g and 5g wifi.

4) Saved settings after checking firmware was up to date.

5) moved the extender to its new location and checked it connected.

And finally, poured myself a whisky to unwind!

That has to be the worst experience I have ever had connecting anything to a home network!

Ps. Still absolutely no idea why WPS would not work.....

  @woozle

Neither extender broadcast the SSID using "TP-Link-extender" or anything remotely similar on any device I tried, however the latest one i now realise (after accessing it via rj45) did broadcast something like HB-####-2,4g and HB-####-5g which i tried to access but couldn't because the only place I could find the passwords for them was once I had internal access. Thus may well have been the case with the first extender, but given that it didn't have a rj45 socket meant I couldn't even try to access it that way.

Overall a strange and frustrating episode.

  @GQ52 

Good to hear that you've got it working in the end!

Judging from other user's posts here, it seems not that seldom that people are being sold devices that already come with a password set. Apparently, stores that take back returns from customers do not care too much about resetting the devices before placing them back in their stock.

The only mystery that remains is why your attempts to reset the extenders were not successful.