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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016
Even expensive high-performance routers frequently need to be supplemented by a Range Extender to expand coverage. That’s because the FCC limits maximum router power levels. So if you require expanded coverage, and already have a good router that’s working at the FCC mandated power limit, you will need to use a Range Extender. The RE355 has proven to be very effective in expanding the Wi-Fi coverage at my home.
The RE355 is a dual band Range Extender, working on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. It has three adjustable external antennas. Dimensions are 6.4 x 3.0 x 2.6 inches. The retail box contains the RE355, RJ-45 Ethernet CAT.5E data cable (10,100,1000BASE-T), and a one page Quick Installation Guide. For techies, a complete 39 page User Guide is downloadable from the TP-LINK website.
The RE355 has four indicator lights on the front. 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and POWER are Blue when active. The large WPS button on the front is ringed with an Intelligent Signal Indicator. It stays solid Blue when there is a good connection to the router, and turns Red when the RE355 is too far from the router. My C3150 router puts out a strong signal and the Intelligent Signal Indicator is always solid Blue everywhere in my house.
I evaluated the RE355 with a high-end Archer C3150 router, using new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptops. To facilitate testing and the gathering of performance statistics, I assigned distinct SSID names to the different Wi-Fi signals, so that they could be independently tracked and monitored. I tested Channel #1 on 2.4GHz and Channel #149 on 5GHz.
My Router SSID’s were named “zeus” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G” @5GHz.
My RE355 SSID’s were “zeus_x” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G_x” @5GHz.
With my TWC 200/20Mbps Internet subscription, the RE355 OOKLA Speed-Tested at 199/24Mbps on a new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptop. Other Wi-Fi devices were simultaneously on-line and active while this benchmark was being run. My laptop was in a room adjacent to the RE355, with a wall in-between. While the RE355 and router share Wi-Fi channels, no speed degradation was noted.
There are two ways to set up the RE355. The first method is trivially simple and involves merely pressing two buttons. Press WPS on the RE355. Then press WPS on your router. And you are connected. The second way, using a web browser, gives you lots of options to select from manually. I initially used the WPS method and later fine-tuned my settings manually using the web browser approach.
Wireless Security includes 64/128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, plus there are Blacklist and Whitelist Modes for devices based on MAC addresses.
If your RE355 is in a bedroom, one of the web browser settings is LED Control, Night Mode. It allows you to program the indicators to turn Off/On at designated times.
I frequently use “Tether”, a TP-LINK Android and iOS App, to Manage settings on my RE355 and TP-LINK router. Tether also displays Network Maps showing all connected devices.
An RE355 also solved a problem at my sister’s home. She has Fios Internet. Her router is in an upstairs bedroom. Wi-Fi was weak in several rooms on the first floor. She wanted to improve first floor Wi-Fi performance to eliminate buffering issues, but didn’t want to mess with calling Verizon to change her router. The fix was an RE355. It boosted her first floor Wi-Fi signal. No more problem.
I also compared the RE355 to TP-LINK’s top-of-the-line RE590T Range Extender. Both work on simultaneous dual bands and both have three adjustable antennas. The RE590T is more expensive, larger, has long high-gain antennas, a touch screen, and provides the stronger Wi-Fi signal for greater coverage. Whereas the RE355 indicates ratings of 867Mbps @5GHz and 300Mbps @2.4GHz (867+300=1,167Mbps), the RE590T ratings are 1,300Mbps at 5GHz and 600Mbps @2.4GHz (1,300+600=1,900Mbps). The RE355 has one Gigabit Ethernet Port (also known as an Entertainment Adapter); the RE590 has four Ethernet Ports. On the RE355 you have the option of connecting the Ethernet Port to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz (default) networks. I’ve tested, used, and like both of these Range Extenders. The right choice will depend on your situation and balancing performance against price.
The RE355 comes with a 2-year warranty. If you need help TP-Link offers unlimited 24x7 toll-free technical support by telephone and email. When I phone during regular business hours my call gets answered in California, after-hours by helpful and knowledgeable English speaking technicians in China. TP-LINK also sponsors extremely useful Tech Support Forums.
[[ASIN:B016K07YT8 TP-LINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE355)]]
This is a review of a free product received from TP-LINK for testing and feedback as part of their review program. These are my own honest opinions and an unbiased appraisal of the RE355 after using it for several weeks.
Even expensive high-performance routers frequently need to be supplemented by a Range Extender to expand coverage. That’s because the FCC limits maximum router power levels. So if you require expanded coverage, and already have a good router that’s working at the FCC mandated power limit, you will need to use a Range Extender. The RE355 has proven to be very effective in expanding the Wi-Fi coverage at my home.
The RE355 is a dual band Range Extender, working on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. It has three adjustable external antennas. Dimensions are 6.4 x 3.0 x 2.6 inches. The retail box contains the RE355, RJ-45 Ethernet CAT.5E data cable (10,100,1000BASE-T), and a one page Quick Installation Guide. For techies, a complete 39 page User Guide is downloadable from the TP-LINK website.
The RE355 has four indicator lights on the front. 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and POWER are Blue when active. The large WPS button on the front is ringed with an Intelligent Signal Indicator. It stays solid Blue when there is a good connection to the router, and turns Red when the RE355 is too far from the router. My C3150 router puts out a strong signal and the Intelligent Signal Indicator is always solid Blue everywhere in my house.
I evaluated the RE355 with a high-end Archer C3150 router, using new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptops. To facilitate testing and the gathering of performance statistics, I assigned distinct SSID names to the different Wi-Fi signals, so that they could be independently tracked and monitored. I tested Channel #1 on 2.4GHz and Channel #149 on 5GHz.
My Router SSID’s were named “zeus” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G” @5GHz.
My RE355 SSID’s were “zeus_x” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G_x” @5GHz.
With my TWC 200/20Mbps Internet subscription, the RE355 OOKLA Speed-Tested at 199/24Mbps on a new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptop. Other Wi-Fi devices were simultaneously on-line and active while this benchmark was being run. My laptop was in a room adjacent to the RE355, with a wall in-between. While the RE355 and router share Wi-Fi channels, no speed degradation was noted.
There are two ways to set up the RE355. The first method is trivially simple and involves merely pressing two buttons. Press WPS on the RE355. Then press WPS on your router. And you are connected. The second way, using a web browser, gives you lots of options to select from manually. I initially used the WPS method and later fine-tuned my settings manually using the web browser approach.
Wireless Security includes 64/128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, plus there are Blacklist and Whitelist Modes for devices based on MAC addresses.
If your RE355 is in a bedroom, one of the web browser settings is LED Control, Night Mode. It allows you to program the indicators to turn Off/On at designated times.
I frequently use “Tether”, a TP-LINK Android and iOS App, to Manage settings on my RE355 and TP-LINK router. Tether also displays Network Maps showing all connected devices.
An RE355 also solved a problem at my sister’s home. She has Fios Internet. Her router is in an upstairs bedroom. Wi-Fi was weak in several rooms on the first floor. She wanted to improve first floor Wi-Fi performance to eliminate buffering issues, but didn’t want to mess with calling Verizon to change her router. The fix was an RE355. It boosted her first floor Wi-Fi signal. No more problem.
I also compared the RE355 to TP-LINK’s top-of-the-line RE590T Range Extender. Both work on simultaneous dual bands and both have three adjustable antennas. The RE590T is more expensive, larger, has long high-gain antennas, a touch screen, and provides the stronger Wi-Fi signal for greater coverage. Whereas the RE355 indicates ratings of 867Mbps @5GHz and 300Mbps @2.4GHz (867+300=1,167Mbps), the RE590T ratings are 1,300Mbps at 5GHz and 600Mbps @2.4GHz (1,300+600=1,900Mbps). The RE355 has one Gigabit Ethernet Port (also known as an Entertainment Adapter); the RE590 has four Ethernet Ports. On the RE355 you have the option of connecting the Ethernet Port to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz (default) networks. I’ve tested, used, and like both of these Range Extenders. The right choice will depend on your situation and balancing performance against price.
The RE355 comes with a 2-year warranty. If you need help TP-Link offers unlimited 24x7 toll-free technical support by telephone and email. When I phone during regular business hours my call gets answered in California, after-hours by helpful and knowledgeable English speaking technicians in China. TP-LINK also sponsors extremely useful Tech Support Forums.
TP-LINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE355)
Even expensive high-performance routers frequently need to be supplemented by a Range Extender to expand coverage. That’s because the FCC limits maximum router power levels. So if you require expanded coverage, and already have a good router that’s working at the FCC mandated power limit, you will need to use a Range Extender. The RE355 has proven to be very effective in expanding the Wi-Fi coverage at my home.
The RE355 is a dual band Range Extender, working on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. It has three adjustable external antennas. Dimensions are 6.4 x 3.0 x 2.6 inches. The retail box contains the RE355, RJ-45 Ethernet CAT.5E data cable (10,100,1000BASE-T), and a one page Quick Installation Guide. For techies, a complete 39 page User Guide is downloadable from the TP-LINK website.
The RE355 has four indicator lights on the front. 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and POWER are Blue when active. The large WPS button on the front is ringed with an Intelligent Signal Indicator. It stays solid Blue when there is a good connection to the router, and turns Red when the RE355 is too far from the router. My C3150 router puts out a strong signal and the Intelligent Signal Indicator is always solid Blue everywhere in my house.
I evaluated the RE355 with a high-end Archer C3150 router, using new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptops. To facilitate testing and the gathering of performance statistics, I assigned distinct SSID names to the different Wi-Fi signals, so that they could be independently tracked and monitored. I tested Channel #1 on 2.4GHz and Channel #149 on 5GHz.
My Router SSID’s were named “zeus” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G” @5GHz.
My RE355 SSID’s were “zeus_x” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G_x” @5GHz.
With my TWC 200/20Mbps Internet subscription, the RE355 OOKLA Speed-Tested at 199/24Mbps on a new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptop. Other Wi-Fi devices were simultaneously on-line and active while this benchmark was being run. My laptop was in a room adjacent to the RE355, with a wall in-between. While the RE355 and router share Wi-Fi channels, no speed degradation was noted.
There are two ways to set up the RE355. The first method is trivially simple and involves merely pressing two buttons. Press WPS on the RE355. Then press WPS on your router. And you are connected. The second way, using a web browser, gives you lots of options to select from manually. I initially used the WPS method and later fine-tuned my settings manually using the web browser approach.
Wireless Security includes 64/128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, plus there are Blacklist and Whitelist Modes for devices based on MAC addresses.
If your RE355 is in a bedroom, one of the web browser settings is LED Control, Night Mode. It allows you to program the indicators to turn Off/On at designated times.
I frequently use “Tether”, a TP-LINK Android and iOS App, to Manage settings on my RE355 and TP-LINK router. Tether also displays Network Maps showing all connected devices.
An RE355 also solved a problem at my sister’s home. She has Fios Internet. Her router is in an upstairs bedroom. Wi-Fi was weak in several rooms on the first floor. She wanted to improve first floor Wi-Fi performance to eliminate buffering issues, but didn’t want to mess with calling Verizon to change her router. The fix was an RE355. It boosted her first floor Wi-Fi signal. No more problem.
I also compared the RE355 to TP-LINK’s top-of-the-line RE590T Range Extender. Both work on simultaneous dual bands and both have three adjustable antennas. The RE590T is more expensive, larger, has long high-gain antennas, a touch screen, and provides the stronger Wi-Fi signal for greater coverage. Whereas the RE355 indicates ratings of 867Mbps @5GHz and 300Mbps @2.4GHz (867+300=1,167Mbps), the RE590T ratings are 1,300Mbps at 5GHz and 600Mbps @2.4GHz (1,300+600=1,900Mbps). The RE355 has one Gigabit Ethernet Port (also known as an Entertainment Adapter); the RE590 has four Ethernet Ports. On the RE355 you have the option of connecting the Ethernet Port to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz (default) networks. I’ve tested, used, and like both of these Range Extenders. The right choice will depend on your situation and balancing performance against price.
The RE355 comes with a 2-year warranty. If you need help TP-Link offers unlimited 24x7 toll-free technical support by telephone and email. When I phone during regular business hours my call gets answered in California, after-hours by helpful and knowledgeable English speaking technicians in China. TP-LINK also sponsors extremely useful Tech Support Forums.
TP-LINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE355)
Effective in Extending Coverage. Works with any Wi-Fi router. Elegant design. Quality product. Simple Installation.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016
This is a review of a free product received from TP-LINK for testing and feedback as part of their review program. These are my own honest opinions and an unbiased appraisal of the RE355 after using it for several weeks.Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016
Even expensive high-performance routers frequently need to be supplemented by a Range Extender to expand coverage. That’s because the FCC limits maximum router power levels. So if you require expanded coverage, and already have a good router that’s working at the FCC mandated power limit, you will need to use a Range Extender. The RE355 has proven to be very effective in expanding the Wi-Fi coverage at my home.
The RE355 is a dual band Range Extender, working on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. It has three adjustable external antennas. Dimensions are 6.4 x 3.0 x 2.6 inches. The retail box contains the RE355, RJ-45 Ethernet CAT.5E data cable (10,100,1000BASE-T), and a one page Quick Installation Guide. For techies, a complete 39 page User Guide is downloadable from the TP-LINK website.
The RE355 has four indicator lights on the front. 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and POWER are Blue when active. The large WPS button on the front is ringed with an Intelligent Signal Indicator. It stays solid Blue when there is a good connection to the router, and turns Red when the RE355 is too far from the router. My C3150 router puts out a strong signal and the Intelligent Signal Indicator is always solid Blue everywhere in my house.
I evaluated the RE355 with a high-end Archer C3150 router, using new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptops. To facilitate testing and the gathering of performance statistics, I assigned distinct SSID names to the different Wi-Fi signals, so that they could be independently tracked and monitored. I tested Channel #1 on 2.4GHz and Channel #149 on 5GHz.
My Router SSID’s were named “zeus” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G” @5GHz.
My RE355 SSID’s were “zeus_x” @2.4GHz and “zeus_5G_x” @5GHz.
With my TWC 200/20Mbps Internet subscription, the RE355 OOKLA Speed-Tested at 199/24Mbps on a new Windows-10 ThinkPad 802.11ac laptop. Other Wi-Fi devices were simultaneously on-line and active while this benchmark was being run. My laptop was in a room adjacent to the RE355, with a wall in-between. While the RE355 and router share Wi-Fi channels, no speed degradation was noted.
There are two ways to set up the RE355. The first method is trivially simple and involves merely pressing two buttons. Press WPS on the RE355. Then press WPS on your router. And you are connected. The second way, using a web browser, gives you lots of options to select from manually. I initially used the WPS method and later fine-tuned my settings manually using the web browser approach.
Wireless Security includes 64/128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, plus there are Blacklist and Whitelist Modes for devices based on MAC addresses.
If your RE355 is in a bedroom, one of the web browser settings is LED Control, Night Mode. It allows you to program the indicators to turn Off/On at designated times.
I frequently use “Tether”, a TP-LINK Android and iOS App, to Manage settings on my RE355 and TP-LINK router. Tether also displays Network Maps showing all connected devices.
An RE355 also solved a problem at my sister’s home. She has Fios Internet. Her router is in an upstairs bedroom. Wi-Fi was weak in several rooms on the first floor. She wanted to improve first floor Wi-Fi performance to eliminate buffering issues, but didn’t want to mess with calling Verizon to change her router. The fix was an RE355. It boosted her first floor Wi-Fi signal. No more problem.
I also compared the RE355 to TP-LINK’s top-of-the-line RE590T Range Extender. Both work on simultaneous dual bands and both have three adjustable antennas. The RE590T is more expensive, larger, has long high-gain antennas, a touch screen, and provides the stronger Wi-Fi signal for greater coverage. Whereas the RE355 indicates ratings of 867Mbps @5GHz and 300Mbps @2.4GHz (867+300=1,167Mbps), the RE590T ratings are 1,300Mbps at 5GHz and 600Mbps @2.4GHz (1,300+600=1,900Mbps). The RE355 has one Gigabit Ethernet Port (also known as an Entertainment Adapter); the RE590 has four Ethernet Ports. On the RE355 you have the option of connecting the Ethernet Port to either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz (default) networks. I’ve tested, used, and like both of these Range Extenders. The right choice will depend on your situation and balancing performance against price.
The RE355 comes with a 2-year warranty. If you need help TP-Link offers unlimited 24x7 toll-free technical support by telephone and email. When I phone during regular business hours my call gets answered in California, after-hours by helpful and knowledgeable English speaking technicians in China. TP-LINK also sponsors extremely useful Tech Support Forums.
[[ASIN:B016K07YT8 TP-LINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE355)]]
Images in this review
