Отзывы о Wi-Fi роутер TP-LINK TL-WR850N

TP-LINK TD-W8960n Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router, A Review[...]TP-LINK TD-W8960n Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router, A ReviewIntroductionIn last week's column I talked about the issues I've had with the True supplied Billion Sky Modem and the Humack modems they carried previously.Basically, despite many visits by True technicians, I could never get these two to work without dropping every few hours, often needing to be power-cycled to reset, and how after as little as a month old they'd progressively get worse. I have a box of over 10 of these, all in various stages of remaining function. The point with this was, even a brand new Billion Sky from the box resulted in the more than occasional drop and often needed to be power-cycled.Finally I went to Pantip Plaza and asked for the best modem they carried. The True technicians had already told me the Dlink was the one to get, and the shops at Pantip confirmed this. At first I was excited with the Dlink DSL-2542b. More speed, no drops, and a reasonable price of baht 1800. Even though it took two True technicians two days to get it to work in a bridged mode with my Linksys WRT-350n Wireless N router, I was still happy because it was the first modem that worked without dropping. Then after less than 24 hours it dropped and required power cycling. It seems that every 24 hours, give or take, the Dlink would drop until it was power cycled.A reader wrote in explaining that when running torrents the modem required an unusual number of connections and they probably weren't clearing from the buffer without a power-cycle reset. This makes sense, though I had no way to verify. Thank you!I'd already ordered another unit, just in case, and it was on its way from the US. In the few short weeks it took for the new unit to arrive, the Dlink DSL-2542b's performance degraded noticeably. Speed decreased, power-cycle resets were required every 4-5 hours vs every 24 hours, and it started dropping like the Billion Sky from True. I exchanged it at the Dlink service center for a new one, and in less than 7-8 days of use it was acting the same.And then the new unit arrived.TP-Link TD-W8960n Wireless ADSL2+ Modem RouterTP-Link is a little known Chinese company in Shenzhen China. As most of the big name routers, including the Dlink and Billion Sky are manufactured in China, the TP-Links origin didn't bother me at all.Unpacking the TD-W8960n I noticed it had very clean lines, was small and light, and included the power supply, two antennas, two RJ11 phone cables, one RJ45 connection cable, and a single ADSL splitter/filter in the event you use a phone on the same line.The TD-W8960n is a single band (2.4ghz) wireless N/B/G wireless router with four physical Ethernet RJ45 ports, a standard phone line connection, and is rated to handle up to 24mbps download and 3.5mbps upload. As my connection is only 16mbps download and 1mbps upload this worked out fine.It includes built in VPN tunnel capability, QoS protocols directly supporting most popular applications, a 300mbps Wireless N transmission rate, and just about any security protocol you can imagine. I won't go into all of the features, but except for the 802.11a band (5ghz) I can't think of anything it doesn't have. I've had the 802.11a band on my wireless routers for the last 6-7 years and they never get used so no big loss there.The more I read over the specifications the more impressed I became. This unit doesn't lack for anything!The front panel LED's are standard, power, internet, ADSL connection, QoS enabled, and 4 WLAN Ethernet port activity/connection LED's.InstallationThe first thing I noticed when I carried this small device (8x5x1 inches) to my office where my networking equipment is located, is that it would replace an equally large Dlink modem/router AND a much larger Linksys WRT-350n wireless N router. The extra space and cleaner look is much appreciated.Back panel connections are standard. One standard phone line port to connect to your phone wall outlet, four Ethernet RJ45 ports, a reset button, a power connector, and an on/off button. The two antennas screw on in seconds.For me connections were easy. I connected it to my phone line, and then a single RJ45 Ethernet patch cord into my Cisco 8 port gigaswitch already connected to my NAS devices and the 6 cables routed to different locations in my home. I connected the phone line, the one Ethernet patch cord, plugged the power transformer into my UPS device, and screwed on the antennas to their threaded mounts. I powered it on and left the office.SetupSo far the TP-Link TD-W8960n shined, but where it really shined was in the setup. Type into your browser URL bar "192.168.1.1" and you're immediately rewarded with the login window. The default `admin/admin' user/pass combo gets you into the main menu.I'm not going to go into the 50 pages of setup choices the user manual lists. I'll just tell you I found their user interface totally intuitive and in less than five minutes

We have an observatory located around 600 feet from our main house across two hills and through some trees. The observatory has power but no internet. Our house is two story, and on the second level has a clear line of sight to the remote building.I purchased two of these TP-Link TL-WA5210G High Power Wireless Outdoor CPE in order to create a point to point wireless network to be accessed from this remote location. After setting up the first one just outside of a window on the first floor pointing toward the building(but no line of sight), I was surprised to be able to see the Wifi network(100% strength) both infront of and inside the building. Then to just test it I went further away to around 1200 feet and the signal went down to about 60% strength.When I tried to access to the network however, both iPhone and laptop could see the network yet unable to connect to it. I went back to the TP Link settings page(via Chrome browser 192.168.1.254) and downloaded the most recent firmware update. That also did not fix the issue. I added WPA2 security and set those settings to automatic and that allowed me to connect to it. I have read various reviews claiming issues with the quick setup, and adding security was the solution for me.I changed locations and moved it upstairs away from my router and actually used a Netgear 85Mbps Powerline Network Adapter Kit - XETB1001 to connect it to the internet. I was worried about the power injector because I have 2 powerline systems running in the house but I saw no interference with or from either system. I positioned the TP-Link directly towards the building through a couple of branch-less trees but otherwise unobstructed view. It is behind a window(inside the house) at the corner of the house that is closest to the building.After moving it upstairs the signal strength is 100% at 2000 feet and I haven't checked any further. Inside of the building that is steel, tin, and wood I get perfect reception and fast speeds. I had planned to set up a second one to act as a relay but I ended up not even needing it. I am very surprised at the quality, ease of setup, and features available for a product in this price range. It was a complete solution for my situation and I see the range of possibilities for commercial and retail use. My biggest surprised was how robust the browser control panel was, with included explanations of every menu item on EVERY screen. Very happy about that.I have a little networking knowledge but this was completely new thing to me, and within half an hour I was good to go.My hope is to mount it to a PVC pipe outside of the house facing the same direction, as it is designed to be outside I feel it will increase the range even more when properly setup. Everyplace I read said this is optimized for rural use, so I feel if you have open fields and hills without much obstructions, you can probally get the ranges they advertise(when properly installed) and if you need more range you can always setup an external antenna like this Hawking HiGain Directional Antenna, indoor/outdoor, 14dBi HAO14SDP I was looking at.

First off, the product works well once you get it set up. However, if you have Centurylink as your DSL provider, be aware that the setup instructions given by TP-Link will get you to a point where you are showing that you have the modem/router set up correctly but you will not receive a signal wirelessly.When I called TP-Link Customer service to walk through setting up (because it's not working they way they said to set up) they said I would have to contact Centurylink for the info needed to set up. Then, Centurylink (because they apparently only want you to rent/buy modem/routers from then instead of buying them elsewhere cheaper and with faster delivery) will NOT give you the info needed to set up unless you buy some monthly "help with non-Centurylink modems" plan, or buy one of their modem/routers!!!After 4 phone calls between TP-Link and CenturyLink which were mostly a waste of time (except the last one to CenturyLink, I did have the satisfaction of telling them what I think of their ways considering the amount of $$$ I pay them for both my home and my office telephone and DSL accounts), I finally figured out the settings needed to set up with Centurylink, and because I am a nice person I will give them to you so you won't have to spend 4 hours and much frustration getting this set up (I set up 2 of them, one for office and one at home, the home one took 4 hours, the office one maybe took 4 minutes because I had the settings straight).1. Connect everything per TP-Link Instructions2. Open IE (will show unable to connect to internet)3. In address bar type 192.168.1.14. For Username type in: admin and for Password type in: admin5. Choose Quick Setup6. These are the important things you need which Centurylink will refuse to provide: VPI: 8, VCI 35, WAN Link Type: IPoE, and it's a Dynamic IP Protocol (you will have places on the setup where you choose this information)Hopefully, Centurylink won't change any of their setting in order to further irritate future non-Centurylink modem/router purchasers.

Hello and thank you for reading my review. First I think it would be beneficial to give a very brief explanation of my setup and why I was buying this access point.I'm a typical home user. I have an intermediate knowledge of computers, but certainly not an "IT" level of knowledge. In my house I have an 802.11n router in my basement next to my cable modem. From here I have a gigabit switch and patch panel that routes cat5e cable to various rooms in the house. For my wireless devices however, the signal strength was rather poor in the opposite corner of the house so I needed something to extend the range which leads me here.For my purposes I could use two different modes of operation. I could use this either as a repeater to extend the range, or as a standard access point.A repeater will take any traffic it receives and simply retransmit it along, which is after all why they call it a repeater. The problem with this is, 802.11 wireless drops off in datarate as range increases. At the extreme edge you will be down to 1 Mbps even if connected with an 802.11n device. So as an example if your router has a range of 300 feet, you could put this device in at the 300 foot line, and still communicate with your router 600 feet away (from the router). However, even if you were 310 feet away from the router (so only 10 feet away from the access point) your speed will still be only 1 Mbps, your speed will be limited by the weakest link (300 feet between router and access point). So why use it? It gives you the range without needing any cords aside from power. I tried this mode and it worked well.For me though, since I have the cat5e routed through the house, I decided ultimately to set this up as a traditional access point. This lets me be out of range of the router, yet if I'm close to the AP I can still get the full 802.11n speed. I also used the included Power over Ethernet (PoE) module for two reasons. One, it lets me put the access point anywhere without regard for an outlet needing to be nearby, and two I can plug the PoE module into my UPS (Uninterpretable Power Supply) along with the rest of my networking equipment to keep it running in a power outage. The PoE module is very small and easily placed anywhere along the line.So far it has run perfectly and I have not needed to power cycle it once in the two months of ownership. I have the AP set up with the same SSID as my router so my devices will automatically connect to the stronger. I now have 4-5 bars of signal strength no mater where I am, and throughput more than high enough to stream everything I've tried so far.This access point does feature other modes of operation, but I have not tried them so I won't talk to them.If I encounter any problems, I will be sure to update this review. In closing, I would say this access point is a good idea for any home user. You can use it as a repeater if you don't have any cat5e wiring, or use it as an access point if you run a network cable to your base router. It's also useful if your router does not not have built in wireless, in which case you could configure this as an access point and just connect it to your router with them both in the same room.

I bought this to extend my home WiFi range. I currently use a Linksys WRT54G running DD-WRT firmware. It is placed in an upstairs bedroom and I felt that getting the Ap outdoors and up on my TV tower should give much greater range. I hung the TP Link on the tower, connected it, and started checking the signal compared to the Linksys using a Nexus tablet running WiFi Analyzer. In most places, the Linksys had a better signal by at least 10 dB. Since I was using the built in directional antenna, I tried to get in line with the antenna's main lobe. This helped the signal strength some. I got maybe 400 feet away before both signals faded away. Even at extreme distances, the Linksys was as good or better than the TP link and this was going through walls and at a lower height. Next, I connected a 12 dBi omni antenna I had previously mounted on the tower. Obviously, the antenna's gain was greatly exaggerated. Signal strength was lower than before. It was uniform in all directions, just lower. That is not the fault of the TP link AP however and is just included as a point of reference. I did find the TP Link easy to set up as an access point and my Nexus was able to connect and access the internet easily. All in all I have to say the advertising for this unit is misleading. If you read the fine print, you will see that the power is rated as ERP using a 12 dBi antenna. This means that the actual output is only +15 dBm. I have a co worker who has internet but no wifi. I think I will give this and a small switch to them since they only need coverage in their home.

Setup was fairly easy. The CD ROM for setup was useless for me- kept getting error 006. Luckily all I had to do was to do was go to the web address: 192.168.1.1 and use the online setup while connected with my Aircard and the TP-Link's ethernet cable. I had to call Century Link to get my username and password; also, ppp= ppoe; vpi=0; and vci=35. I obtained all that from Century Link Tech Support; along with the obligatory warning that I would have to get an IT person out to my house to setup my router/modem because I didn't get it from them. Fortunately, the TP-Link "Quick Setup" tab worked great and I was up and running in minutes. There is also a downloadable 13.0 MB "EasySetupAssistant" on TP-Link's regular web site.An "Advanced Setup" tab exposes numerous other settings for highly customizing your connections. In addition, there is a "Diagnostic" tab that quickly assesses multiple aspects of your TP-Link's connection. TP-Link's online tools appear comparable to those of Netgear, etc. However, as with the others, there is limited helpful info for understanding and adjusting advanced parameters. Consequently, if one needs to make advanced adjustments such as QoS one has to consult internet resources for a "primer" on all the advanced parameters and capabilties.The "Device Info" tab on the TP-Link web site lists a firmware version for my unit that, as far as I can tell, does not compare meaningfully to the version numbers of the most recent Firmware avilable for download . Consequently, I chose not to install it as the unit is working fine- would not want to brick it.All in all I'm quite happy with the TP-Link TD-W8960N v3 0x00000002 wireless modem/router.Thanks to all those that wrote reviews saying it worked with Century Link; that helped in my decision. It saved me $41.00 over getting the Century Link sold $100.00 unit that is rated much worse (Actiontec).

I found this router delightfully quick and easy to setup, unlike the significantlymore expensive Netgear, D-Link, and other major brand name wireless routers I've owned.It is also the cheapest priced router I've owned. It runs cool.CONS. I find the signal power is good. People who complain about signal power may want to considerthe quality of their PC's built wireless card or its driver. You can easily and cheaply compensate for a lackluster laptop wireless card by add adding a USB Wireless adapter like the high gain Alfa adapter I bought @ Amazon for under $17. Add the TP-Link router and a powerful USB adaptor and you will still be less out of pocket than with a major brand wireless router.Setup was exactly what TP-Link leads you to expect. I followed the user guide. In a fewminutes I was up and running. It took more time getting Windows 7 to recognize Tp-Link and connectthe first time. Ubuntu Linux (10.10) was fast and easy I needed no software. Just entered the routername (name I gave it during setup) and the password (key).Buyers need to be much more specific when posting about computing products. The specificity needs to begin intheir own minds. Then, they can correctly identify problems and solve them and accurately report to other buyersthe quality and failings of products.Here is what I found. Ease of setup, ease of connecting but connection was varied. Often, connection and speed was excellent in the beginning but it didn't last. For a week I tried different router channels, I tightened security measures. I now have a consistently excellent, fast network. How? I connected an Alfa High Gain adapter to my Thinkpad T-60 and was surprisedthat I got excellent results, no dropped connections, consistent fast speed. The T-60 uses Ubuntu Linux 10.10 32-bit Gnome.I setup the network with a Thinkpad Edge using Ubuntu Gnome, 64-bit. After running through various logical possibilities,I decided to run Windows 7 Home. I got the exact same excellent wireless result as I get with the T-60. Conclusion?There is nothing wrong or faulty with the TP-Link, nor is there an inherent problem with Ubuntu and the Network. The problemis some combination of Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit & its driver for the Edge wireless card, for in the same laptop, with the samehardware, Windows 7 Home duplicates the same superb result as I get with the T-60. The TP-Link WR340G is an excellent Wireless and Wired router. Unless you have a defective unit, if you have the problems described by several people here, most likely it is not the router. Don't rush to post here and tell people the router is no good. Keep trouble shooting.Now, I'll see how long it lasts. Some users report their router died after a few weeks, I wonder how many were using their unit without a surge protector. (Those cheap power sticks you get in stores are not real surge protectors. Real surge protectors begin at about $36. A lot of people lose their expensive routers because they fail to use a real surge protector.By the way, the same is true for a lot of electronics these days, microwaves, convection-toaster ovens, radios, desktop computers, etc. Educate yourself about surge protection and surge protectors and act accordingly. You will save a lot of money. I've been using them for years and my electronics last years longer than anyone I know. Its mind boggling to me how many people think nothing of dropping $2000 for a TV but will not spend #50 for a surge protector.

Updated 2012/02/08First of all, no, I would not recommend this device unless you already intend to replace the firmware no matter what device you are getting.The hardware for this does seems to be fairly good: I get great signal from it and haven't had it crash from overheating, etc.However, TP-Link's firmware for this device has some bugs in the wireless functionality causing it to stop working in some conditions (no longer can connect to it, but it still transmits an unusable wireless signal), requiring a reboot of the access point. I have two of these - same issue. In my case, it did still respond over the wired connection when this happens, others I've heard haven't been as "lucky." No new firmware updates to fix any issues for almost a year.The problem is only software, though. There are firmware images from the current development version of OpenWrt that do work well on this device and do not have this problem. Note that TP-Link states that any issues you have as a result of using third-party firmwares will not be covered under warranty, probably fairly standard policy.The non-release OpenWrt images provided for this device on the OpenWrt site do not include the web configuration tool (named luci) by default, last I checked. You must build your own or find one someone else has built for including luci by default (unless you're fine with configuring it from the console with telnet and ssh). If you have a computer with Linux and enough free hard drive space it isn't too hard to do, though. Release versions of OpenWrt do include luci, if I remember right, so there will eventually be ready-to-use images provided for it.I have two of these access points. Currently one is connected to my network and providing wireless access while the other connects to it to provide wired access to multiple devices in another room by having the WDS function on both access points enabled and plugging it into a network switch. I bought the second one knowing that the stock firmware was unusable for me, but it was one of the cheaper options at the time and I suppose I just didn't want to get something else I didn't know I could get working reliably.

I bought 2 of these initially from new egg. I had problems setting up one of the first two, but assumed it was me and now realize the problems I had setting up that first one was because it was flaky and unreliable. I assumed it was problematic because I did not it yet know the product (second device setup fine, no problems).I finally got the first one to work after a few device resets. I put one unit each in the house of two friends I have. I put them in for "N" speed access, so their WiFi backups would not take so long (like they do on "G" speed access). They both finally worked and life seemed finally great! (between 2 and 3 times faster than "G" speed WiFi). Both devices ran/worked a couple of weeks, then I had problems (no connection) on the first unit again.After trying several times to fix it remotely ( each location an hour's drive) I ordered a third unit to swap out completely at my first friend's house. I wanted them to have the same EXACT device.I ordered that third device from Amazon.com and brought it with me to swap out at my friend's house on another special trip. I never figured the third unit would fail, or worse yet be DOA. The third unit (from Amazon) was actually DOA. I was already quite well versed at the different settings requirements of this unit so I hoped getting a third would 'fix things' without having to start over. I sent back the Amazon purchase as it was defective (DOA), and we are now stuck with the two we bought late last fall from NewEgg.com, they will likely get tossed in the trash. A total waste of time and several one hour (each way) trips to remote locations.Next time I will buy a more expensive unit with a proven track record. I now wish I had done that originally, and did not have to even write this... Amazon service and shipping is SUPERB, they get 5 stars in every way. Customer service is superb and I find I am now using Amazon more than all other online vendors combined. I have a prime membership and love it, I even order our ground Melita coffee from Amazon!

This unit has both a quick setup and the more advanced setup configurations available. Both work well, as I used the quick setup to test my setup then went into the advanced config to add wireless security and AP isolation. The TP-Link is mounted to a metal pole 12 feet high and the signal rocks some 2500 feet away over fairly level ground (high desert). I have good consistent throughput from the TP-Link with the distance setting at 2km, it's advertised to work at much greater distances that that. Although I chose to use a similar unit to receive the WiFi signal broadcast by the TP-Link (for my particular network needs), both of our laptops had no problem in connecting directly to the TP-Link without the receiver. I've not had to reset or reboot the unit in the two weeks I've had the unit installed.The only negative about the unit is that the Cat5 cable included to connect the TP-Link to the power insertion device is quite short so plan on purchasing a longer cable to complete your installation.

I bought this locally after my old zoom-brand router+modem finally died. Before that, my internet connection would often randomly drop. At the time I thought the problem was AT&T service, but in retrospect it was definitely my old modem+router. AT&T service is actually very stable and fast when you're equipment works!So I feel silly for not replacing my old router sooner, especially since the TP-Link only cost $75 at my local Frys, and was extremely easy to setup. The CD was "idiot-proof" with animated step-by-step instructions, and there was a pamphlet specifically explaining the configurations used by AT&T, Verizon, Qwest, Earthlink, etc (even the differences depending on the state you are in). The WIFI setup was painless and had WPA2-PSK authentication (this allows up to a 64-character password).The box also includes a splitter (DSL filter), 2 3-foot telephone cables (RJ-11), and 1 3-foot ethernet cable (RJ-45). (If you don't have these things already, this is basically all you technically need, though I would also buy longer cables.) The signal is very strong compared to what I was using before (a simple netgear wireless router). It's also sits sturdily and doesn't get pulled by the cables it's connected to.I've had it for only a month but so far so good. I'm powering it through a UPS (battery), and protecting the line-in through a surge protector. I'm resting it in a way so that all 8-faces are exposed to air (to reduce the risk of overheating), and I'm using an extremely long wlan password. I hope that means I'm set.I have not had any internet drops or had to "reboot" it at all since I've had it. And, I can now play games online without disconnect while other computers are browsing the internet (something I could not do before). So like I said, it looks like AT&T had always been stable and my problem for years had just been a crappy router+modem. I guess that should be worth noting to anyone reading this. Learn from my mistake. It is not normal for a DSL connection to drop every hour or so on its own. If you are experiencing this, it is most likely your modem/router (even if it shows that LAN is still working while internet is down). There really is no reason to put up with an unstable connection. Prices have also gone down and quality improved in the last couple of years. So just go and buy a new modem+router+WLAN, and be sure to protect it. Stable internet is such a good feeling!

I ordered this extender for my Sony HDTV [in order to connect to the internet].It works much better and is much more reliable than Sony's recommended USB link.However, with that said, it is not an easy 3-step setup.In order to make the Extender function properly I had to set it up at least 10 times.After giving up for the night, I allowed it to rest after set up and it worked after about 20 hours.

I purchased this ADSL2 modem/wireless router to replace a ZyXEL PK5000Z unit that we were leasing from CenturyLink (Phoenix, AZ). The ZyXEL modem regularly dropped the wireless connection to our computer. We had to reboot the ZyXEL modem at least once a day, and sometimes several times a day, to keep the wireless links working.The TP-LINK TD-W8960N has been running several days with no dropped connections; already a vast improvement over the ZyXEL modem. It was fairly easy to set up via manual method. I had to call the CenturyLink Technical Support line for help with a couple settings. They were very helpful, and I had this router operating in no time at all. The two settings which Technical Support gave me were VPI = 0, and VCI = 32. Of course, you need your CenturyLink user ID and password, too. Once I set these parameters, the router starting working great.The unit has been running continuously for about a week. The case top measures 36C with an ambient temperature of 23C. The case bottom measures 41C. Both case measurements were taken at the center of the top and bottom case labels. The case is warm to the touch, but not hot, by my sense of things.So far, I really like this modem/wireless router. I set my new router up to duplicate the wireless SSID and password of the old ZyXEL modem. This let me power up the new one, and power down the old one without having to adjust the computers and gaming platforms that wirelessly connect to the modem. Don't run both wireless routers at the same time, if they are configured with the same SSID and passwords; power off the old router when this one is working.The router provides excellent wireless connectivity for our large 2-story home. It handles streaming video, gaming, and computers with no perceived problems in video quality or upload/download speeds. I'll post an update when the unit gets more operating time logged. So far, I'm impressed with this unit.

I've only used this as range extender, works well. You just have to remember signals are knocked down a lot by walls, etc. I was put off a little when I opened the box by the tiny size of the unit but it works fine. Anyway, I had to contact tech support because my DSL router had same IP address as the range extender. The lady (slight Chinese accent) was excellent and extremely knowledgeable, VERY helpful. She walked me through a long process that was not in the instructions and that I could never have done on my own. I am very impressed with TP-Link service.

I got this router about 2 weeks ago to replace my previous 2Wire router and it is great. I have AT&T in California and have seen an improvement in my speeds. My down speed has increased from 4.8 to 5.5 and my up speed increased from 601 to 649. My ping times have also dropped from 40ms to 25. The wireless N is excellent and have noticed a difference compared to wireless G. For those who worry about setting this up it was no problem at all. I went to 192.168.1.1 and logged in with the default password both being admin. Once logged in you click on Quick Setup and follow the prompts. The only thing I had to do was upgrade the firmware as the version that came in my router was 1.6 which was from 2010. Even that was well explained and I had no problems doing it. As to the heat issue it does get warm but still not as hot as my original Speedstream 5100 modem which I got in 2005 and is still running at a friends house. By getting this router I have also received an unexpected benefit of a reduction in FM TV and scanner interference. Compared to my previous 2Wire I am able to pick up FM stations indoors that were previously only available if I walked outside. I have a set of rabbit ears to pick up a local DTV station that is not on my Dish service and the signal increased from 60 to 80% and on my scanner I have channels that had birdies with my previous router that are now gone and for the first time can even pick up the Santa Barbara weather station without having to unplug anything. I am very happy with this router and would buy something from TP-Link again.

UPDATE 2 (19/01/2013): It's been well over a year since my first review. I recently got my home network upgraded to a powerline network to increase bandwidth and stability so I took this range extender out to try again. Now that it's connected to a LAN via a Netgear powerline, it has been working fine for over a month. With that, I am upgrading this product back to 3 stars. Basically, if you are thinking of using this product as a repeater (to receive a wifi signal and amplifying it to be re-broadcasted), it's next to useless. However, if you are using this as an additional wireless access point connected to a LAN connection, say via powerline networking, it works well. Nice price point!This is a cheap and simple range extender without any of the bells and whistles of more prominent brands like Netgear. So if price is the main factor, this is a decent range extender. However, there are two main drawbacks. Reliability is not its strong point. One would need to reboot the router every now and then, say around once a week. Secondly, it could not connect to my root access point (the main router that is connected to the modem / wall socket) if my access point was set to not broadcast its SSID. This may not matter to the majority of people, but for those who like to hide their SSID, this is an annoyance. What is irritating is that the range extender only requires the MAC address of the root access point with its corresponding passphrase (no SSID name is required) AND it was able to detect my root access point's MAC address via its built-in access point scan, so there is no reason why the SSID would be an issue. I think hidden SSID of the root access point is supported but just didn't work in my case, because there was the option to disable the broadcast of the SSID of the range extender. This would a pointless option if the root access point had to broadcast its SSID. I encountered the same problem on my old Linksys/Cisco WRT54G and my new Linksys/Cisco E4200 which runs the N750 protocol. Therefore, it appears there is bad compatibility with Linksys/Cisco products.UPDATE 1: It has become necessary to reboot this router almost on a daily basis. I have basically given up on this router and had to buy a Cisco. Downgrading this range extender to 1 star.

I was highly skeptical, but it did work. I use it with D-Link products in a home that has twists and turns around walls. It is placed in mostly clear view to the router, and successfully boosts the signal to two rooms that previously weren't getting service much at all.Zero complaints. Will absolutely improve your reception if your problem is like mine, which is twists and turns in the floorplan of the house. That being said, the total distance covered isn't huge, but what previously didn't work now works like it is supposed to.