TL-WR902AC Range Extender won't provide more than 60mbps

TL-WR902AC Range Extender won't provide more than 60mbps

TL-WR902AC Range Extender won't provide more than 60mbps
TL-WR902AC Range Extender won't provide more than 60mbps
2025-04-21 20:24:01
Model: TL-WR902AC  
Hardware Version: V3
Firmware Version: US_0.9.1_0.3

I've been using this wifi range extender for some time, but the connection has never delivered more than 70mbps. It's connected to a Linksys router via a FE cable. The main router provides 800+mbps wired and about 600mbps wifi on the 5ghz band. I've spent the day trying to troubleshoot the cause of the bottleneck and it keeps coming back to the extender itself. My Samsung tablet (that typically connects downstairs to the extender) gets 380mbps from the primary router when next to the primary router. To test, I've bypassed the ethernet to downstairs and connected it directly to the main router with a working FE cable and still get only 60mbps from the extender when standing next to it. I've tested with a laptop, tested the cables, the location, and no improvement.

 

Since I'm trying to increase bandwidth I've disabled the 2.4GHZ to force connection to 5ghz. I've tried to see if there's configuration issue, but I can't find one. I flashed the latest firmware. (One thing I noticed though is that the label says the hardware version is Ver. 3.8 but the web interface says the hw version is TL-WR902AC v3 00000001 ... do I trust the label or is it 3.0 HW version). I flashed the version for HW 3.8 and see no improvement.

 

Any suggestions or is this thing simply incapable of supporting more than 100mbps (advertized as 433mbps at 5ghz)

 

It's set to AP Ring/Ext/Client mode, on the same subnet at the main router.

 

Thanks

  0      
  0      
#1
Options
1 Reply
Re:TL-WR902AC Range Extender won't provide more than 60mbps
3 weeks ago

Hey @jhjennings,

 

Welcome to the community!

 

One thing that immediately stood out to me was this:

 

 

It's connected to a Linksys router via a FE cable.

 

 

The TL-WR902AC's Ethernet port is Fast Ethernet (up to 100Mbps). If it's wired to your LAN/router, then no matter what the incoming connection is capable of, the TL-WR902AC will not be able to exceed the physical rate of its own Ethernet port (100Mbps max). Once variables like routing overhead, NAT, and Wi-Fi connectivity are accounted for, 70 - 90 Mbps would be pretty close to an ideal/optimal speed, all things considered.

 

If you are aiming for higher speeds, a device equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet (up to 1000 Mbps) port may be a better fit. For example, if you would like to stay in the vein of Travel Routers, our AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router, the TL-WR1502X is equipped with two Gigabit Ethernet ports. Or, if you're looking for a bit more bandwidth, its bigger sibling the TL-WR3002X offers AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and a 2.5 Gbps WAN port, as well as a 1 Gbps LAN port.

 

That said, which operating mode is the TL-WR902AC configured in? Your post title references Range Extender operation — have you tried setting up the device in Access Point Mode instead?

  0  
  0  
#2
Options