What is a wi-fi repiter (Repeater), how sages it work, and What sores a router in the repiter mode mean?

Hi! Let’s talk about repeaters in this article. I’ll try to tell you in simple language what these devices are, what repeaters are needed for and how to make a repeater with your own hands from an ordinary Wi-Fi router.

I will start with the fact that Wi-Fi repeater is a separate device. They are also called repeaters, or repeaters. In this article we will talk about Wi-Fi repeaters. As I have already written, these are separate devices that have one task – to amplify the signal of an existing Wi-Fi network.

Many manufacturers that produce routers, also produce repeaters. For example, such popular companies as: Asus, Tp-Link, Linksys, Netis, etc. Find repeaters can be found in almost any computer hardware store, or in an online store. As I wrote above, they can be called differently: repeaters, repeaters, or repeaters. They also look different. As a rule, they are very compact. But, there are also similar to Wi-Fi routers. Here, for example, is a compact repeater Tp-Link:

The TP-LINK TL-WA830RE repeater, on the other hand, looks like a regular router:

There are actually a lot of repeaters on the market. All of them are different, both in appearance and functionality. And, of course, the price. I think that the choice will not be a problem.

I recommend you to look at the page with information about the repeater TP-LINK TL-WA850RE, and instructions on how to configure TL-WA850RE. You can see what this device is, how it is configured and how it works.

The most interesting thing is that for some reason these devices always remain in the shadows. Of course, they are not as popular and in demand as Wi-Fi routers, but in many cases they are simply irreplaceable. That’s how many situations occur when after installing a router, Wi-Fi is not all over the house or office. Well, the usual situation, and very common. It is in such cases, repeaters are simply not replaceable. And instead of spending a relatively small sum on a repeater, users begin to think of something: pull the router and all the cables closer to the center of the house, buy more powerful antennas, make some homemade amplifiers for Wi-Fi (the benefit of which is not, or very little) and so on.

But there are repeaters: bought, plugged into the socket in the room where the Wi-Fi network is still there, but the signal is not very strong, and that’s it, problems solved.

And what to do if I have a dual-band router (two Wi-Fi networks 2.4GHz and 5GHz)? It’s very simple, if you have a dual-band router, you need an appropriate repeater that can simultaneously amplify the Wi-Fi network in two bands. I wrote about such a model in the article:“Setting up TP-Link AC750 RE210. Wi-Fi signal amplification at 2.4GHz and 5GHz“.

We have already understood what a Wi-Fi signal repeater is. Now we have two more questions to answer:

• How do wi-fi repeaters work?
• And what does a router in the Wi-Fi repeater mode mean?

wi-fi repeater: how does it work?

I’ve made a little schematic here, let’s take a look at it first:

I’m not a strong artist, but the scheme seems to be clear. We have a main wi-fi router, which gives out internet via wi-fi. Everything is set up and works perfectly. But, here Wi-Fi catches not all over the house. For example, in the hallway Wi-Fi is still there, but in the kitchen the signal is already very bad, or devices do not catch Wi-Fi network at all. We take a repeater and turn it on in the hallway.

What it does: it receives the Wi-Fi signal from the main router, and transmits it further. It turns out that we already have a very good home network signal in the kitchen. It retransmits the wireless network (that’s why it’s called a repeater). The repeater simply acts as an amplifier. Its main task is to pick up a particular Wi-Fi network, and pass it on.

A few important points when using a repeater:

• If you use a repeater, the Wi-Fi network will still be the same (and that’s a good thing). Let me explain: your main router gives out a network named “My_wi-fi” (which doesn’t have coverage throughout the house). We put up a repeater, configure it (usually, the whole setup is just a matter of pressing the WPS buttons on both devices at the same time), it copies your network information, and creates the exact same network. With the same name and password.
• Your devices will automatically connect to the network with the strongest signal, unnoticed by you. For example, the main router is in the bedroom and the repeater is in the hallway. So, if you are in the bedroom, you will be connected to the Wi-Fi router. And if you move to the hallway, your phone will automatically connect to the repeater. You won’t notice it.
• All devices: phones, computers, laptops, tablets, TVs, etc., which will be connected to the main router, or repeater, will be on the same network. This means that we can set up a local network in which all devices will participate. Or, for example, set up a DLNA server. In this case, the computer can be connected to the router and the TV to the repeater.

We’ve sorted that out. Let’s move on.

Router in repeater mode

An ordinary Wi-Fi router can act as a repeater. True, not all models can do this, and not all manufacturers have this mode done well. If you have an extra router that is lying idle, then perhaps it can easily work in the repeater (amplifier) mode, and increase the range of your Wi-Fi network. All you need to do is to configure the router to work in the desired mode.

I have already tested the “Amplifier” mode on routers from two manufacturers: Asus and ZyXel. More specifically, on the models: Asus RT-N12+ and ZyXEL Keenetic Start. Both devices are set up very simply and clearly. They work stably, I checked them.

Update! I prepared an instruction on how to configure Netis router in the repeater mode.

But, this feature is not available on all routers. As far as I understand, on popular TP-Link routers, there is no repeater mode as such. There is only the bridge mode (WDS), which is a completely different mode of operation (and its purpose is different). Only TP-Link access points can act as a repeater. With D-Link routers I haven’t figured it out yet, there’s probably also no mode that would allow the router to simply amplify the wi-fi network (I checked DIR-615/A, I don’t know how it is with other models).

Wi-Fi signal repeater – a really useful device

Well agree, a useful thing. But, for some reason, faced with the problem of weak signal Wi-Fi network in your home, not many solve the problem by buying and installing a repeater. But they ask just a huge number of questions such as: “I do not catch Wi-Fi in the bedroom, what to do?”, “very weak signal wi-fi, help”, “what settings to change in the router that would be Wi-Fi signal was stronger?” and so on.

As a rule, if the signal is bad, it is not possible to fix it by setting up the router itself. You simply have a large area of the house, which the router physically can not cover the signal. And there are different walls and interference. In such cases, installing a repeater solves all the problems.

As for the usual router, which can act as a repeater, I advise you to set up such a scheme only if you already have a router. If you are going to buy one, it is better to buy a real repeater at once. A device that is designed specifically to extend the Wi-Fi network zone.

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Ramón

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