Its white plastic body might cause a bit of congestion for other stuff being plugged in, but at least it looks good doing it. In terms of build quality, the RE300 is well put together but just a bit on the bulky side.
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If you're looking for the full mesh lifestyle, it's still best to invest in a true mesh network. Likewise, there didn't seem to be any change in signal strength that would come from my laptop being switched from a connection to the RE300 back to the Archer A7 when I was much closer to the latter device. I didn't see my laptop flip over to the 5GHz radio once, even when close to the main router. Using the RE300 with OneMesh and Smart Connect enabled together doesn't result in the same experience you'd get from a true mesh network setup. Note the baseline speeds achieved first by the Archer A7 without the RE300 connected. I tested a couple of distances to see how well the RE300 performs as a simple range extender. Like other range extenders, this creates two new SSIDs - one each for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio - on top of the two SSIDs already handled by the Archer A7. Setup complete, the RE300 operates as a standard range extender that is compatible with any router.
Don't have a phone? You can instead use a web browser or the WPS button on your router to complete the setup. The app includes a feature that will help you find optimal placement, but it's not necessary.
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Finally, set names (SSIDs) for the extended radios (they default to _EXT), give it about 30 seconds to configure itself, and from there you're free to unplug the RE300 and find a plug that's closer to the middle of your space. TP-Link's RE300 mesh range extender offers quick setup easy enough for networking novices.įrom there, select the RE300 from the list of devices, create a password, and select the proper 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios coming from the Archer router. To get everything set up, all you need to do is plug in the RE300 near your router, connect your phone to the temporary network that is created, and open the TP-Link Tether app that is also used with the Archer routers. TP-Link has made it easy to get the RE300 working with your existing Archer A7, C7, or MR600 router.