Greetings,

I have 2 extenders:

#1 - a newer TL-WA850RE v6, with the latest existing firmware

#2 - an older TL-WA854RE v1, also with the latest existing firmware 

They both (should) connect to the same main router. The resulting geometry could compared to an asymmetrical V shape with the main router at the bottom and #1 at the end of the shorter "leg" (thus, being the nearest to the router) , while #2 being at the end of the opposite "leg".

What I would like to achieve is #1 always connecting back from boot (I have it on a timer) to the main router, as it connect always to #2 unless it is offline.

#2 always connects to the main router when I plug it. This makes sense because when I check the router-repeater pairing in the corresponding (TL-WA850RE v1) web (http://tplinkrepeater.net/) UI the MAC address is clearly stated and visible. This can both be seen in the Profile > Profiles list menu option and in Wireless > Wireless Settings. Apparently the pairing -- in this model -- goes down to matching the MAC address of the main router. Apparently.

With #1 (TL-WA850RE v6), no matter how many times I select and setup the connection to the main router (both with the Web UI and the mobile app) it always goes to the other (I guess it is because it has a stronger signal). In neither one of the aforementioned interfaces it appears the MAC address of the host (in this case, the router or the extender). I guess that is why it ignores me completely and just goes for the SSID (which is the same in both devices) with the stronger signal. 

If this is, indeed the case, it seems a design de-evolution as the newer model lacks the matching/pairing ability that an older model already had.

A possible "solution" (not really) is to give a different SSID to #1, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of having a single unified network under an unique SSID (I would have to switch between 2 diiferently named WiFi connections).

A clarification: if I connect #1 first (with #2 offline) and bring #2 online later, everything works as I intend it (and so I know it works). The problem arises when #1 starts while #2 is already online.

So my question is: is there any thing I can do to make it work as 2 different repeaters pairing with the one and the same router consistently (I mean, always) and avoid connections between them? 

Thank you