That the repeater is working. Is signal amplification dangerous for health? Operating modes of wireless equipment

This is the best I've come across from devices of this kind. Yes, it is expensive and does not support the total speed of AC1750 (in my opinion, this is overkill for a repeater), but the price of the device is completely justified.

If the price seems too high to you, you can save about 1000 rubles by purchasing the Re305, which has similar characteristics. It is less convenient, but in terms of speed characteristics it is practically not inferior to the Re350. And now in more detail.

Who needs a repeater?

If the Wi-Fi signal does not reach part of your apartment (house, office) or it is very weak and its speed is unsatisfactory, you cannot do without a repeater. Despite the fact that on the Internet such devices are often called a WiFi signal amplifier, in fact this box just repeats it, essentially passing it on through itself. In other words, this is a signal extender.

However, purchasing Wi-Fi a repeater is not always justified. As a rule, it is used as a last resort when all other methods have failed.

How to strengthen a Wi-Fi signal without a repeater?

There are several standard advice to improve the quality of the Wifi network signal. I will describe them very schematically, because otherwise the material would require a separate article. Tips are arranged in order of complexity of implementation from the point of view of the average user.

Example incorrect placement router, taken from the blog of a directional antenna manufacturer. As the illustration shows, your neighbors may have better Wifi coverage than you. Just because network hardware placed incorrectly.

To understand how best to place your router, the easiest way to track your actions is to measure the signal in the problem area using special program, for example WiFi Analyzer. On the Signal Meter tab you can see how the signal quality changes depending on your manipulations. In other words, we moved the router, went to the problem area and measured the signal level.

1. If the signal level is more or less normal, but your connection speed is still unstable or low, then WiFi program Analyzer can make sure that you are working on free Wi-Fi channel. If your router is more than 3 years old and was inexpensive, it most likely operates at 2.4 GHz. There are only 13 channels on this frequency. Since your neighbors have the same router as you, most likely there are several more routers on your channel. Let me just give you an analogy: each channel is a dedicated lane on the highway. If only you use this channel, then the speed of movement in the lane is limited only by the capabilities of your car. In other words, if you can go 60 km/h, you are going that fast. If it’s 120 km/h, you’ll go at full speed. However, if someone else is sitting on your channel, then this is tantamount to crossing an intersection - while the red light is on (packets are being transmitted by another device sitting on your channel), you will stand and wait.

So, let's look at what channel your router is on. Above is an example of measurements taken at my home. If some channel is more or less free, you should switch the router to it, remembering that the edge channels (1,2..12,14) should not be selected - they are not always supported by the equipment and the signal itself is weak. The easiest way to change the channel is to read the instructions for the router or search the Internet for an answer specific to your model. However, as we see above, it may happen that there are no free channels.

1. The signal has not improved, the channel is clogged. What to do? Ok, it's time to update the firmware. If you have never done this, most likely there has been firmware on the manufacturer’s website for a long time with error corrections, and, what the hell, perhaps enhancing the signal. As a rule, the manufacturer is in such a hurry to throw devices on sale that the firmware is very crude. Then, after the start of sales, the manufacturer can take a long time and tastefully fix problems and holes. By the way, a number of manufacturers, for example, Zyxel, update firmware automatically.

1. If the first three points did not help, it’s time to move on. It would seem that we are talking about repeaters. However, if your range is full, the repeater will help you little - it will also work on your channel, essentially adding another device to an already busy channel. Below I will develop this idea in more detail.

So, specifically to solve the problem of congestion in the 2.4 GHz band, there is a 5 GHz band with

• with channels of a different range;
• a large number of channels.

As a rule, good (read expensive) routers can operate in 2 bands, generating two Wi-Fi networks. For devices that are not demanding on speed, the 2.4 GHz band is suitable. It is also longer-range. But for high-speed devices that are sensitive to data transfer volumes (video, transmission large files) the 5 GHz band is more suitable. Most modern devices support this range and work with it with pleasure.

By the way, there is one funny nuance here - in theory, the 5 GHz range is less long-range than 2.4 GHz, but the coverage of the new router can be much better than that of the old one. For example, excellent dual band router Zyxel Giga III, not good, but it gets to the next office, located 50 meters away along the corridor. Yes, the connection quality is so-so. But the previous generation router could not do this. So, by changing your router, you can kill two birds with one stone.

Myths about strengthening Wi-Fi signal or what not to do

1. One of the frequently repeated search queries is the phrase “download WiFi signal booster”. This is impossible. The maximum that can be done is to download drivers for network card computer and update the router firmware. All other advice will be harmless at best. At worst, they will end up infected with the virus.

1. Another myth - more powerful antennas. As practice shows, replacing the antenna with a longer (and supposedly more powerful) one does not lead to anything. Why: firstly, some of the antennas in modern routers are built into the case. Secondly, they are specifically calculated for specific model and lengthening them and increasing their number does not change anything. A funny thing - the Chinese really like to stick a bunch of antennas, so the router looks like a spider. As practice shows, these decorations are of little use. Third, if you disassemble a particular plastic antenna, it often turns out that the metal core in it reaches well up to a third of the length.

Everything else is purely a design trick to make the router seem powerful. The Chinese are especially guilty of this. By the way, there are special attachments for turning the omnidirectional antennas of the router into highly directional ones. But their installation has many nuances to recommend them to most users.

Ok, nothing helps. What to do?

Let's return to the idea of ​​an amplifier for a router. There are two types of repeaters: single-band, i.e. operating only in the 2.4 GHz band, and dual-band, also operating in the 5 GHz band. And the most interesting thing here is that dual-band not only “extends” the network of two bands, but also solves the problem of channel congestion, being able to receive data in one band and distribute it in another.

To illustrate this point, and explain why it's useful, we'll compare two WiFi extenders. The first single-band Wi-Fi repeater, one of the most popular on the market, the Tp-Link Re850 model, and the new Tp-Link Re350, which, as mentioned above, works in two networks.

The setup is carried out as standard. We plug the repeater into a power outlet, then connect to the device either by wire or via Wi-Fi. If possible, it is better to connect via wire, because problems with a wireless network can occur.

Next, go to tplinkrepeater.net, after which we get to the wizard quick setup. We scan the networks and see many networks in the 2.4 GHz band and one or two in the 5 GHz band. We select the networks we need, enter a password and reboot.

That's it, now we have two networks of the required range, which overlap each other and amplify the signal.

Let's start testing. Since my router is set up correctly at home and special problems with coverage there is no signal, we solve the problem radically - we go to the neighbor on the floor. As a result, between the router and the laptop on which the speed is measured there are two thin walls and one solid wall made of brick, 40 cm thick. normal situation The router has no chance. The net is caught and immediately falls off. Measuring speed is impossible in principle. Now let's see how the repeater copes.

What's good about the Re350 model is that it has an LED indicator ring that shows the signal level. If the ring glows blue, the signal from the mother network is strong enough. If it glows red, the signal level is weak and the repeater should be moved closer to the router. In our case, we place the repeater immediately behind the main wall. After measurements, we connect a regular single-band repeater Re850 in the same place. As a result, there is a distance of 5 meters between the router and the repeater and two walls - ordinary and solid. The laptop is still four meters away and one regular wall.

We take measurements using two tools - the iPerf3 program, which determines the maximum speed according to local network and the standard Internet speed meter Speedtest.net. In the first, we get “pure” speed within the local network. This way we exclude the influence of the provider and estimate the pure speed. In the second, we use a tool that is familiar to many. I specifically excluded the Download speed because in some cases my provider cuts it. But the Upload speed is unlimited and therefore the values ​​are close to iPerf measurements.

Measurements are taken on an HP ProBook G1 laptop. Router – Zyxel Kennetik Giga 3. Iperf3 is running on the main computer in server mode, the computer is connected to the router by a gigabit network card. First, connect to the 5 GHz network near the router and run a speed test. We have a good figure of 147 Mbit/sec. After which we go to starting position behind three walls.

Test one - the Re350 repeater caught both networks from the router and broadcasts them further, in fact, sitting “clogging” its own channel in each band. We have the following numbers. Yes, the 5-GHz network has quite good speed results. Notice how the regular Re850 behaves. Not only is the speed low, but it also fluctuates (from 9.5 to 19 Mbps), which indicates signal instability. So the Re350 will still have better range even in the 2.4 GHz range. It would seem that we can put an end to this.

But, we will try the most interesting thing - to catch the network in one range, and forward it further in another. Update from 02/01/2017: In the comments and in the mail, we have already been asked several times to write in detail how exactly to carry out such a setup. Especially for those who are faced with this question, we have recorded a video instruction:

Why is this necessary - essentially, working on your own channel, the repeater will clog its own channel, which cannot be called positive influence. Look at the picture below:

Yes, the signal has increased (green), but the repeater network operates on exactly the same channel as the mother one. Those. The situation has gotten better, but it's not perfect. Let's try to get away from this problem.

So, the first measurement, we connect at 5 GHz, forward the network further to 5 and 2.4 GHz. Normal indicators, slightly worse than when the repeater “forwards” both networks. And now the most interesting thing - we connect to 2.4 GHz (which has greater coverage than 5 GHz) and forward the network to 5 GHz.

Do you see what speed? Those. Reliable reception of a 2.4 GHz signal allows you to maintain a high speed and forward it further to 5 GHz, avoiding interference in the 2.4 band. Thus, the combination of the two bands allows for great gains in both range and data transfer speed.

Theoretically, you can choose the location of the repeater in such a way that the 5 GHz network can be reliably picked up (after all, not everyone has solid brick walls a third of a meter thick) and then the network can be forwarded in the 2.4 GHz range. This should give an even greater increase in speed, but under the described conditions I was unable to achieve such a result. In any case, the measurements shown allow us to safely say that a modern repeater should be dual-band, even if the router whose signal is going to be amplified only operates in the 2.4 GHz range. The performance gain is obvious.

Separately, it is worth noting the design of the TP-Link Re350 - thanks to the antennas, the repeater both catches and forwards the signal much better than its single-band counterpart. On the other hand, you have to pay for this with increased dimensions.

Just as fast, but cheaper

Recently, the younger model Re305 has appeared in the line of TP-link repeaters, differing in size and slightly less ease of use, however, its characteristics are similar to the Re350.

Let's compare both models and see if the savings are worth it. At the beginning of testing, we measure the speed in the same room with the router. First by connecting directly to it (in both bands, 2.4 and 5 GHz) and connecting through repeaters.

The first thing that catches your eye is that the Re350, despite the stated presence of a gigabit port, cuts the speed at 100 megabits. Those. Without a repeater, we receive a speed of 200 megabits directly from the router, and through a repeater no more than a hundred. On the other hand, a repeater is usually used where maximum speed cannot be expected. Against this background, the Re305’s performance is inferior only in the 2.4 GHz band, which by definition is unstable - the noisy range affects it.

Second conclusion: this picture clearly shows how the second device on the channel reduces it throughput. Without a repeater in the 2.4 GHz range we had about 100 megabits; by connecting a repeater (read, adding another device to the channel), we reduce the speed by 1.5-2 times. This once again suggests that when setting up a network, you must definitely look for a free channel.

Now we are moving into the dead zone - a place where the net is caught, but is extremely unstable. In this case, the router shows 4.6 megabits in the 5 GHz band, and slightly better, but still insufficient, 13 megabits in 2.4 GHz.

The first situation: both repeaters catch networks of both bands, forwarding them further. The result is that the speed instantly increases to a comfortable 40-50 megabits in both bands. The results for both repeaters are almost identical.

And now the most interesting thing - we set up the so-called “forwarding” mode - both repeaters catch only one network at 2.4 GHz and “forward” them further only to 5 GHz. As you can see, the result becomes 2 times better - both repeaters show their maximums, bringing the network speed to 100 megabits. Those. almost the same speed as if the router was standing right in the room.

As can be seen from the test results, the Re305 repeater is not much inferior to its older brother, but is cheaper. Nevertheless, I still recommend buying the Re350, as it is more convenient for the inexperienced user. Why:

1. The Re350 has a very convenient indicator ring that makes it easy to find a repeater location.
2. The Re350 has better antenna placement. What's the matter: as you already read at the beginning of the article, antennas must be placed vertically. No matter how your outlet is located, you can always place the antennas correctly in the Re350. In the case of the Re305, if the socket is positioned sideways (i.e. the plug is plugged in vertically), you will not be able to raise the antennas correctly, which will reduce the coverage area of ​​the repeater.
3. The Re350 has buttons on the side to turn off the device and turn off the light indication. Sometimes they are very necessary.

If none of these points are critical for you, you can safely buy the Re305. In addition to best price You also get smaller dimensions.

What is better to use as a repeater, another router or a repeater?

Very often in the comments there is advice not to bother with a specialized router, but to buy/get a second router and configure it as a repeater. We decided to check how justified such a decision is. For comparison, we took the same TP-Link Re350, which was close in price Keenetic Extra II is a dual-band router with very good long-range and speed characteristics (see our device for this).

We configured both gadgets in the mode of simple repetition of networks of both ranges, i.e. The repeater and router in repeater mode “extended” the main network in the 2.4 GHz range and the second main network in the 5 GHz range. Metering strengthened network a “dead zone” was carried out behind one brick wall and another wall with a closed metal door, where the signal reached at a maximum speed of 2 megabits and then only in the 2.4 GHz range.

As you can see, the performance results of both the router and the repeater are almost the same, despite the fact that both the router and the repeater are among the best in their class. The only option when a repeater wins in speed is when we catch a network at 5 GHz and transmit it further at 2.4 GHz (see the last column of the graph). It was not possible to configure the router this way due to confusion fine adjustments, which most users won't bother with. In addition, the router does not have such a convenient external indication of network quality as the Re350. Because of this, it is more difficult to choose a router right place location.

conclusions: Using the second router as a repeater shows very similar speeds. However, on the repeater side there are more convenient settings, easy indication of network quality, and it simply has a more convenient shape, allowing it to be placed more accurately. Therefore, if you are buying a new device, it is better to buy a repeater, because it is simply more convenient. But if you already have a good long-range router or have the opportunity to purchase it inexpensively, then, of course, it is better to use it. Because the router can provide speeds no worse.

If the repeater doesn't help

Repeaters are quite interesting devices, but they are not universal enough. If you need to transmit a signal through a couple of solid walls, or to a remote room, wireless signal may not cope. In this case, transmitting data over ordinary electrical wires can help. We made a large number of such devices, detailing the pros and cons. In addition, we recorded a short video repeating this text:

WiFi for a country house and cottage

If you have a large country house or cottage, or you want to “carry out” fast Internet to a summer gazebo, an ordinary repeater, even a very good one, may not help you. For really large areas, I would recommend taking a closer look at the Netgear Orbi. Despite the more than impressive price (about 23 thousand rubles), this is the simplest and most efficient way in terms of speed that I know of to connect the Internet to a country house.

The kit includes two devices, one of which works as a router (a cable from the Internet provider is inserted into it), and the other works as a high-performance repeater. The connection between devices, according to the manufacturer, is carried out at a speed of 1733 Mbit/s. Even in cases where the actual speed is two times lower, the remaining performance is still sufficient to ensure fast internet any devices around. And Orbi's coverage is simply enormous.

And yes, if you suddenly do not have enough network coverage (although I can hardly imagine such a situation, unless you have some kind of castle, and not a house), you can buy another repeater and add it to the system. The only thing is that it will not be possible to form a chain of repeaters - the additional device will also cling to the central station.

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Often, after installing a router, the wireless network does not cover the entire area of ​​​​the house or office. In such cases, an amplifier is needed. In order not to spend a considerable amount on purchasing a device, it is easier to make a wi-fi signal repeater with your own hands.

What is a Wi-Fi repeater? The English word repeater is translated as repeater. The repeater connects to existing network and gets with wi-fi router a signal that repeats (retransmits) further. At the same time, the network coverage area expands significantly. If previously there was no Wi-Fi coverage in some place remote from the router, then after installing the amplifier, stable Internet will appear there.

If you use a Wi-Fi repeater at home or in the office, there is no need to purchase and install expensive and complex equipment or run an additional cable. All you need to do is purchase an amplifier and plug it into a power outlet. In this case, the range of the network will immediately increase several times.

As for repeater performance, things are not so optimistic. A small disadvantage of a wi-fi signal repeater is the reduction in Internet speed.

Some devices may limit information transfer from 3 to 5 Mbps. This reduction in speed is not critical. The signal strength is quite enough for watching movies and surfing the World Wide Web.

How to make a repeater from a wi-fi router?

If there is an unnecessary router, then wifi repeater you can do it yourself. To do this, in the settings of the main router, change the transmission channel number. The number can be anything, but it must be remembered. This value will be needed when setting up a router that plays the role of a repeater. All changes made save.

The next step is to create wireless bridge between the main router and the repeater. To do this, you need to connect the devices using a network cable.

Repeater from Wi-Fi router

How to set up a DIY Wi-Fi repeater:

1. using a computer, log into the admin panel of the router (repeater) by entering your username and password;
2. find the “Wireless Communications” section and go to the “Operating Mode” settings;
3. Having selected the “Universal repeater” mode, click “Search”. The program itself will find the main router and connect to it;
4. In the “Channels” window, enter the number that you specified when setting up the main router;
5. select your preferred encryption algorithm and reboot.

After all the steps, the wireless network is ready for use. It is advisable that the router and wi-fi repeater working in conjunction be of the same brand. This will significantly improve network performance and stabilize the signal.

Connecting and checking the operation of the amplifier

To evaluate whether the repeater is configured correctly, you need to connect it to a laptop or computer using LAN cable or Wi-Fi and powered from the mains.

Connect the repeater to the computer

• Click “Start”, go to “Control Panel” and “Network Sharing Center”;
• We find the subsections “Changing adapter parameters”, “Local network connection”, “Properties”;
• open the line “Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv 4)” and check the IP address used. It must match the repeater's IP;
• then in search bar In the browser, enter the IP address of the repeater and go to the admin panel. All Wi-Fi repeaters have one default login and password - the word “admin”. Enter it in both fields;
• By opening the “Networks” menu, we will see all available connections. Select what you need and connect.

The wi-fi repeater mode and information transmission speed can be checked in the “Status” menu.

Owners Android smartphones can test the performance of the amplifier by running the WiFi Analyzer software on the device. If the repeater and wireless bridge are configured correctly, two access points with the same names and operating on the same channel will be visible on the screen.

Principle of operation

How does a Wi-Fi repeater work? The operating principle of the amplifier is simple. For example, there is a functioning router that distributes wi-fi indoors. Everything works, but not everywhere. There is a connection in the rooms, but in the corridor the signal is worse or there is none at all. In this case, a repeater will come to the rescue.

How it works: Receiving a signal from the main router, the repeater sends it further, expanding the network coverage area. And now, there is already Internet in the hallway. Thus, the repeater rebroadcasts and amplifies the wi-fi signal.

Repeater for amplification Wi-Fi signal

When using an amplifier, there are several important points to consider:

1. if you install a repeater, your home Wi-Fi network will still be single, with one login and password, since the device copies an existing network;
2. all home devices will be able to connect themselves to a stronger network;
3. smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices will be connected to the main router and located in the same zone.

Using a wi-fi repeater will help create a home local network or your own DLNA server, which will allow you to watch movies from your PC on your TV. It does not matter which gadget is connected to the router and which to the amplifier.

A wi-fi repeater is a very useful and required device. If you connect and configure it correctly, you will have access to the Internet in the most remote corners of your apartment or office. Wi-fi will work stably and without errors, which often appear due to low level signal. In addition, it is not necessary to buy a repeater. You can do it yourself, saving money and time.

Each signal gradually dissipates in space. But our civilization is now very much tied to ensuring that all data reaches its destination in its entirety. And how to do it? This means that something is needed that could strengthen or repeat them. And here a repeater router comes to the rescue. What it is? How does it function? What are the operating modes and how to configure them? Here is a short list of issues considered.

Repeater - what is it and where is it used?

First, let's understand the terms. A GSM repeater is a repeater that is needed to locally expand its coverage area. These are complex active radio-electronic devices that operate in conjunction with radio frequency cables and antennas. These devices can be independently used by any user cellular network. The important thing is that there is no need to obtain consent or involve an operator cellular communications when you want to use GSM repeater. We have already found out what these are, let's talk a little about when it makes sense to use them.

Application

It is advisable to use a repeater in the following cases:

1. When you need to get a stable connection in a place where reception is weak ( countryside or at a considerable distance from cities). Here the problem is solved thanks to the donor antenna, which is located high and has a sharp directivity in one direction.
2. To maintain communication quality in areas that are shielded by terrain or building structure(s). It is important that the antenna is located within the line of sight of the phone.

Repeaters are used in the subway and underground levels of various buildings ( shopping centers). As a rule, they support only one communication band: GSM-1800, CDMA or GSM-900. Also, the presence of such devices has a positive effect on the operating time of phones without recharging due to the fact that they do not need to search hard for a signal. Due to the reduction in interference from other radio-electronic circuits in the surrounding area, they have found application in passenger aircraft. By the way, some other devices can be switched to repeater mode.

Principle of operation

How does a repeater work? What is this from a constructive point of view? This device can be classified as a bidirectional amplifier that connects the donor and service antennas, while correcting the signal shape. Moreover, the first receives data from the base station, and the repeater amplifies and transmits it to the second, and from here the information is sent to the telephone. Feedback works the same way. To prevent the effect of self-excitation and data circulation between antennas, good electromagnetic isolation between them is necessary. But this is not the height of perfection - there are better representatives, called repeaters. Reception in them is carried out on channels with different frequencies. Therefore, the possibility of a self-excitation effect is eliminated. The repeaters themselves, despite their simplicity, have reliable system protection from negative effects. That's the whole working principle of this device. I hope that you have exhausted the main questions in this area, and you can close the topic about the repeater. We already know what this is, so let’s move on to installation and operating mode.

Installation

How is the repeater configured? The device must be placed on a flat surface. It is necessary to ensure free passage of air around the repeater radiator. Also, there should be no heating devices nearby. The antennas should be secured and RF cables should be laid from them to the repeater. must be carefully isolated with special means: sealant tape and silicone sealant. When the repeater itself starts up, it is imperative to check whether there is a signal from base stations. The antenna must be adjusted to receive the best signal from the desired operator. If you need to use the services of several of them, focus on those with the weakest signals.

Connect the antenna and repeater connectors. When doing this, make sure that the HF surfaces are clean. If there is dust or moisture inside, you should use a cotton swab or rag moistened with alcohol before wiping, and then dry. Connect to the network The repeater is already connected to it. So, the device is now installed and can function. But before that, you need to choose how it will work. Start configuring your system according to the possible modes below.

Access Point (AP) mode

It is used to make the device work as a wireless device. It all depends on the SSID. Therefore, if you want to make the device work like this, you must enter all the connection network data.

Wireless Bridge Mode

It is necessary to connect two independent wired networks. This mode can also act as a wireless Ethernet extender, which will connect two parts of one whole. To do this, you just need to turn it on, set the necessary parameters - and you can work.

AP/Bridge Mode (AP+Bridge)

It combines the benefits of previous features. It also provides functionality where it is possible to connect three or more wireless network units.

Wireless Repeater Mode (Bridge/Repeater)

It is necessary to connect two points in conditions where a direct connection between them is not possible. Essentially, this mode is used to relay radio signals between them. Moreover, more than two points/bridges can be connected, and it is even possible to create entire “chains” based on a repeater. I don’t think there’s any need to explain what this is. To do this, you need to enter identifying parameters and start the device.

Roaming mode

Is not self-configuration, and the addition to Access Point. If there are several connection points, and clients periodically move between their zones of influence, then the system selects work through the one that provides the largest signal. The function of roaming is to collect and transmit information about wireless stations. Thanks to this, the user will not feel that the connection is interrupted periodically, because he will immediately move to another point.

Conclusion

So we “disassembled” the repeater, what it is and many other aspects. An important advantage that this device has is not only its functionality, but also its ease of setup. Usually, to configure the device, you only need to enter the designation of where to connect and how - and this is quite enough, because the wifi repeater itself does the rest. What it is, as well as its capabilities, have been discussed throughout the entire article, so now there is nothing left to do but say goodbye to you.

Often we understand that zones wifi actions The router is not enough for the entire house or room. In such cases, a wi-fi repeater (repeater, repeater) comes to the rescue, which increases the coverage area of ​​the signal. What is a wi-fi repeater, how does it work and how to set it up? In this article we will answer these questions.

What is a wifi repeater and how does it work?

What is a Wi-Fi repeater? If translated from in English, then the repeater is a repeater. This special device, which greatly enhances the signal range. How does this happen? In very simple terms, the repeater connects to wi-fi networks and passes it on by creating a new connection.

For example, you want wifi to be available throughout the entire house, but this is greatly hampered by walls and other obstacles. Then you can take a wifi repeater and position it so that it can catch the signal from the router. Now, with the help of it, the signal is heard even further. Usually this can be done at a distance of 10-20 meters.

Why can't you just buy a more powerful router? Price powerful router exceeds the cost of a regular one several times, and a wifi repeater is inexpensive and high-quality equipment. In addition, repeaters have proven themselves in the market and have a huge selection. Every the user will find something that suits his financial capabilities and needs.

Note that the connection speed when using a repeater is lost, but in a small amount. There is also a strict rule: the further the device is from the router, the lower the speed it receives. They are also used for repeaters.

When using a repeater, you need to understand the following points:

• New wifi network is not created. Let's be clear: the main router transmits a signal called "house", but it does not extend to the entire house. We install a repeater and it completely COPIES your network data without changing absolutely anything. You can also use the “house” network, but this time throughout the house.

• All your devices will connect to the repeater automatically if they are already connected to the main router. You won't need to do this yourself. It's easy enough to set up a repeater.

• A repeater is not a panacea for all problems associated with wifi: it will not increase the speed and will not be able to transmit the signal over truly enormous distances.

Thus, we conclude: a repeater or repeater is an excellent wifi signal amplifier. It lets you fill it large premises, something that a regular cheap router cannot do. This is a good choice for people who value quality in products and their money.

Repeater appearance

A repeater is a small device. It contains several indicator lights (indicating the functionality of some functions), a LAN port and a Reset button, which allows you to return the device to initial settings. Note that the repeater is always plugged into an outlet. Because of this, it should not have much weight.

Choosing a repeater

Modern manufacturers provide huge selection this equipment. What should I do? First, decide where you want to place the repeater. Its power and price will depend on this. If you have an ordinary apartment, then the simplest and cheapest repeater is a suitable option.

If you need to fill an office with a wifi signal, then you need special powerful repeater, the gain of which starts from 3dBi. They involve a higher cost, but still allow you to save on the Internet.

Don't forget to consult with store managers. They will help you choose repeaters that are suitable for your case. But if you want to save money and don’t need a powerful repeater, then there is another option - ordinary Chinese repeaters. They also have the right to exist. Their price is significantly lower than imported ones, but they are practically not inferior in quality. If you need a simple and inexpensive repeater, then Chinese manufacturers — the best option. But delivery in such cases takes too long.

Connect the repeater to the computer

The repeater is not a device that is difficult to configure. But this procedure should be approached competently in order to protect yourself from a number of problems. All this will not take more than 10-20 minutes.

So let's get started:

1. We plug the repeater into an outlet next to the PC. When you start it for the first time, a special red light comes on, which is responsible for operation. Let's wait a little and continue working.
2. If you want to use wired connection, then connect the repeater to the LAN router with a cable using a special port.
3. Should now light up next light bulb wireless, which will indicate a successful connection to the network.
4. Find the repeater in the list of available networks on your device and connect to it.
5. The computer will offer to configure the router, but we refuse this.
6. Select the item “connect to the network without...”.

The repeater is almost ready for use. All that remains is to complete the setup using your browser:

1. Open the browser and write to address bar 192.168.10.1. Next, follow it and get to the special web interface of your router.
2. A special window appears for entering your login and password. Usually they are standard: login - admin password - admin.
3. We get into a special menu and select the “wireless repeater mode” item.
4. We choose the method of operation of the repeater, which depends on the type of your connection (the optimal one in our case is repeater mode).
5. Next, a small window will appear that will show visible networks wifi.
6. Select your network and click on it.
7. If required, enter the password.

Now it's happening automatic setting network and you can place the repeater at some distance from the computer. Your network will greatly increase the quality of communication throughout your home or even office.

Surely you have heard about such a device as a wifi repeater? It is also called a Wi-Fi repeater or wifi signal booster. What is this anyway? The very idea of ​​Wi-Fi is that the Internet should not be limited to one room, but spread throughout the entire apartment, office or even a personal plot. But what longer distance from a wireless distribution source, the worse its speed. And one of the devices that provides more stable work at long distances is WiFi repeater— router signal amplifier for a laptop or computer.

How does the amplifier work and how to connect a wifi signal repeater?

How does a WiFi repeater work?

The scheme is very simple - we determine in which room the signal on the laptop is weakest or there is none at all. This situation can most often arise in two cases:

After we have found out where we need to strengthen the wireless wifi signal, we find the place where the network receives, but not so well - by one or two divisions on the phone. That's where we put the repeater - its operating area is circular, which means it will pick up the signal from wifi router and pass it on.

Models of wifi repeaters

So, we found out that a wifi repeater, which is also called a repeater, serves to repeat the existing signal coming from the access point, and thereby strengthen the signal and increase the range of wifi. It does not carry any other functions, so, apparently, it is in the shadow of a more well-known wireless device - a router, which, by the way, can also. But for the function of extending the reception area, it is simply irreplaceable, both for home and in the office, especially since in most cases it is designed as some kind of charger, connected to electrical outlet.

WiFi signal repeaters are produced by the same companies as other network equipment - Asus, Zyxel, Tenda, D-Link, TP-Link and others. The photo below shows the model TP-Link repeater TL-WA850RE, which the company kindly provided to us.

Here are the main technical characteristics:

• Speed ​​up to 300 Mbps
• 1 Ethernet port 10/100 Mbps (RJ45)
• 2 built-in WiFi antennas
• Frequency 2.4 - 2.4835 GHz
• Two simultaneous modes - repeater and client

Setting up a WiFi signal amplifier for a TP-Link router

Set up a repeater wifi TP-Link possible in three ways:

1. Through automatic connection repeater via WPS
2. Via WiFi using a smartphone, tablet or laptop
3. Through a computer connected to it via twisted pair

Automatic connection of a TP-Link WiFi repeater to the router using the WPS button

Like most modern models network wireless devices, the TP-Link TL-WA850RE wifi amplifier supports tuning to the signal of an existing access point in automatic mode. To do this, the router must also have such a function - the “WPS” button (“QSS” on TP-LINK devices).

We press on it and on a similar large button on the amplifier, after which it should pick up wifi and start distributing it.

Setting up a router WiFi signal repeater from a smartphone

I prefer to keep the whole process under control, so I never use the automatic method of setting up the repeater, but do everything manually. In order to configure the amplifier from a phone or tablet, we also click on the central button on the device, turn on WiFi on the smartphone and find in the list of available networks for connection the network called TP-LINK_Extender_7320BA - this is the SSID that is programmed into the device by default.

Let's connect to it.
Immediately after the connection, we will be redirected to the authorization page in the admin panel for the initial installation - a window will open to enter your login and password. By default in this model it is admin/admin - yours may have others, so look either at the instructions or at the sticker on the bottom of the repeater - it usually contains all the access data.

Setting up a WiFi signal repeater from a computer or laptop via cable

This option configurations can also be done in two ways

1. with help installation disk, which comes with the wifi repeater,
2. or via the web interface.

The second one is closer to me, so we’ll take it as the main one in this instruction.

So, if you don’t have a smartphone at hand, then we connect the computer to the repeater directly using a twisted pair cable - the “Ethernet” light on the device will blink.

Here we need to select “Local Area Connection”. Click on it right click and select “Properties”. Here, as always, we are interested in the “Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties” item.

If you already have a local network configured through the router, then write them all down on paper and save them, but for now, set all the checkboxes to “Automatic”:

We save and go to the browser at http://tplinkextender.net, which we also recognized from the magic sticker on the case. The already familiar authorization page will open, where we enter the login and password “admin”.

We get to the admin panel. Everything is very easy here - follow the step-by-step guide, entering the necessary data.
First, select the country, after which the device starts scanning available networks. If your wifi is found, select it. In the same case, if the security settings on the router hide the SSID, then you can check the box “Specify the SSID and MAC address manually.” And click the “Next” button.

In the next step, we need to select the encryption type of your existing network (set in the router admin panel) and enter the password for your Wi-Fi.

Here you can also choose whether the repeater will clone the name of your network (SSID) or whether it will have its own name, which you will set manually. In this case, the local network will remain the same, that is, your main one may be called Network 1, and the second Network 2, but in essence it will be the same thing, and no matter which of them you connect the PC to, it will see other devices, connected to the network.

And finally, in the last step we see our entire configuration, after which we apply it by clicking on the “Finish” button. After reboot wifi The repeater will start distributing the Internet from your router, thereby increasing the range of wireless signal reception.

Also after a quick configuration it will become available left menu, in which you can configure the repeater in more detail - change the encryption key, disable the DCHP server on it, manually set the IP address, enable MAC filtering, update the firmware, view statistics, etc.

That's it. Now you can return the network settings on your computer to their original settings and disconnect the cable that connected it to the repeater. By the way, if you noticed, the PC also began to receive the Internet - via a cable from the repeater, that is, it can also work in client mode, receiving the Internet via wifi and distributing it via twisted pair to the computer. Now even in the farthest corner you will have stable reception!

Testing Internet speed via WiFi repeater

Since a new link has appeared in the chain of receiving Internet from the provider to the computer in the form of a WiFi repeater, our review would be incomplete if we did not check whether it reduces the speed. In other words, how different is the speed of information transfer between computers connected through this repeater from the speed when connecting directly to the router.

For the test, we made three measurements using the TP-Link TL-WA850RE repeater inside a local network between a computer and a laptop using the AIDA32 Network Benchmark utility.

1. The first test - this will be the starting point in our experiment - such a “litmus test”. Let's measure the speed inside a local network without a wireless signal amplifier - the computer is connected to the router via twisted pair, the laptop is connected to it, but via WiFi. At the same time, for the purity of the result, there was no radioactivity near the transmitter, such as a mobile phone, TV or anything else, and the laptop was located in close proximity to the signal source.

   

   This is what we got.

   

   We note that there is a small amplitude of speed fluctuations; on average, it was at the level of 2200 kV/s (17 Mbit/s).

2. Second test - the computer remains connected to the router via cable, and the laptop remains connected via WiFi to the repeater for which we made our own Network SSID, so it is impossible to confuse it with a signal from the main source. In this case, the amplifier and laptop were in the same place, that is, next to each other.

   

   Result:

   

   The speed dropped slightly - to an average of 1600 kV/s (12.5 Mbit/s). Also, the spread between the minimum and maximum values mi, which is also very good.

3. The third test was to leave the laptop connected via WiFi to the router, and the PC via an amplifier, but connecting them with a patch cord. Thus, we use the second opportunity of this model - to act as a WiFi adapter.

   

   We get:

   

   Fluctuations between the minimum and maximum values ​​are also insignificant, that is, the connection is quite stable, but the overall speed has become even slightly lower, to 1100 kV/s, or 8.5 Mbit/s.

4. And finally, the fourth test - we connect both the PC and the laptop to the repeater, but the stationary computer with a cable, and the laptop wirelessly.

   

   

   Unstable speed with large fluctuations, average high - at the level of 4800 KB/s = 37.5 Mbit/s.

Summarize. As you can see, the presence of another link within the local network between two computers in the video wifi repeater still reduces the overall speed, which was not a surprise to us, since the presence of any additional device, be it a repeater, powerline or some other adapter, will affect it. The most interesting thing was to see in which mode these losses would be the least.

As it turned out, the highest average speed was in that scheme (No. 4), when the computers were connected to each other through a repeater, bypassing the router - 4800 Kb/sec compared to 2200 that WiFi gave without a repeater. This is quite logical, since between them there was not that extra “knee” in the chain, in the form of a router, whose role in this case was played by today’s hero. Although the spread between the largest and smallest values ​​is a little annoying - the connection is not stable.

But most of all from this test questions arose to my ASUS router RT-N10U - why does it output only 2 MB per second?? It turns out that in my network it is he who is the weakest link - it’s worth thinking about, as in one famous program, saying “goodbye” to him and looking at another model.

The second place in speed went to scheme No. 2, in which one of the computers was connected to the router using a patch cord, and our repeater distributed a signal to the laptop. Although, as we found out, the router played a disservice to us here, this does not affect the overall picture in any way, since after that we tried to use TP-LINK as an adapter (No. 3), receiving a wireless signal and sharing it on the PC - with this he did the worst job.

Range of wifi amplifier

Regarding the distance to which this model The repeater expanded the signal from the main source and strengthened WiFi. I connected it in the room farthest from the access point in an ordinary “Brezhnev” three-ruble note - it turned out that it directly passed through 3 plasterboard walls at a distance of about 10 meters. I couldn't even get internet in this room. iPad Air, whose wireless module has no complaints - it sees wifi even where it is no longer available on other smartphones. Our Extender from TP-LINK also caught it (two antennas make themselves felt). And without any problems I began to extend it all the way up the staircase. I agree that the initial location of the Point is not very good, but for our experience it was just right.

IN numerical form this is expressed as follows. When there was no repeater, in the far corner of the apartment the Internet speed from the router was as follows:

When we connected the amplifier, then by zone wifi signal This is what we got:

Of course, these results are relevant only for my network - they were influenced by both the characteristics of the PC’s network card and wireless module laptop, and router hardware, and even the radiomagnetic environment in the room, which we brought as close as possible to a calm everyday one. But they certainly represent the overall picture, so you can safely use these conclusions in your practice when designing your networks.

Well, the TL-WA850RE coped with its task perfectly, and I can recommend it to my subscribers as a effective way expand your WiFi reception area.