If your Wi-Fi router is sending weak/no signal to some far corners of your home, the TP-Link AC750 Range Extender RE220 can help. A small universal-range extender designed to blend with your home décor. This plug-in extender is super-affordable and pretty straightforward to install and manage.
This is all you need to overcome those blind spots for most homes. It does a good job extending the 2.4GHz band, although its 5GHz performance and overall feature set can’t easily match the more expensive Editors’ Choice, the Netgear Nighthawk EX7300.
TP-Link AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender RE220 Specs
- Style: AC750 WiFi Extender
- Wireless Specification: 802.11ac
- AC Speed: AC750
- WPS Setup: Yes
- Number of Bands: 2
- Number of Wired LAN Ports: 1
- Number of Antennas: 3
- Number of USB ports: 0
- MU-MIMO: No
- Wi-Fi 6: No
A simple design
The RE220 is a straight-forward plug-in extender that measures 4.3 by 3.0 by 2.6 inches (HWD) and sports a textured finish that will blend well with most home furnishings. The front of the range extender has LED indicators for both radio bands, signal strength to the router (green- suitable; red -weak), WPS, and Ethernet (LAN port) activity.
Around the back, there’s a two-prolonged plug used to connect the device into a wall outlet. The plug is positioned in a way that allows access to the second outlet in a two-outlet receptacle. At the bottom, there’s a Reset button and a LAN port for wired connectivity – it’s a Fast Ethernet (1/100) port, which despite its name, is remarkably slower than the Gigabit (10/100/1000) Ethernet port available on the Amped Wireless REC44M and the Netgear Nighthawk EX7300 extenders.
The RE220 is an AC750 Wi-Fi extender with a throughput of up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz radio and up to 433Mbps on the 5GHz radio band. It has three internal antennas and can connect up to 32 client devices, but it doesn’t support MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming and direct-to-client beamforming. What it does offer, however, is a High-Speed mode where one of the bands is dedicated for backhaul connectivity linking the extender and the router. The other band is reserved for client-to-extender Wi-Fi connectivity.
Setup and Control
Settings on the RE220 can be accessed via the web console or the Tether mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Both platforms are straightforward, with the web console opening to a status page with a network map and displays the extender’s status, including the name of each extended band, the channel it is running on, and the MAC address. On the left is a menu bar with tabs for Status, Wireless, Network, Advanced Settings, System Tools, OneMesh, and TP-LinkCloud.
Wireless settings allow you to choose a security method (WPA, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP) for each SSID and modify the extended Wi-Fi name and password. You can use the Network settings to obtain the IP address automatically or enter your own IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway information. In the Advanced section, you can configure extended functions such as Access Controls with Blacklists and Whitelists and the High Speed Mode feature.
Mixed Performance
Whether you opt to use the web console, the WPS button, or the TP-Link Tether mobile app, setting up the RE220 is easy and straightforward. Just plug the extender into a power outlet close to your router, connect your laptop to the extender’s wireless SSID, and launch the browser. Next, type http//tplinkrepeater.net in the browser’s address bar, which launched the extender setup page, and you’ll be prompted to create a new password.
Typically, the RE22O turns in mixed results on daily use, with a score of 77MBPs on 2.4GHz close-proximity (same room) tests, which is much better than the Netgear Nighthawk EX7300, the Amped Wireless REC22P, and the Zyxel WRE6606. On the 50-foot test, the RE220 garners 27Mbps, edging out all three competitors, if only by a thin margin. At 75 feet, both the RE220 and the expensive Netgear EX7300 deliver 12Mbps, staying ahead of the Amped Wireless REC22P and the Zyxel WR6606.
Good Value for Money
With the TP-Link AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender RE220, you can now eliminate signal dead zones in your home for less than $30. This gorgeous plug-in extender installs in a snap and does a great job extending 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
However, the same can’t be said of its 5GHz performance, less than stellar performance, and lacks the latest 802.11ac features, including MU-MIMO data streaming, beamforming, and wired Gigabit Ethernet.
For a more powerful extender, the Netgear Nighthawk x4 AC2200 WiFi Range Extender (EX7300). You’ll spend more than you could for the RE220, but it offers superior 5GHz performance and supports MU-MIMO data streaming and beamforming, alongside a Gigabit LAN port. It remains our top pick for range extenders.
TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220), Covers Up to 1200 Sq.ft and 20 Devices, Up to 750Mbps Dual Band WiFi Range Extender, WiFi Booster to Extend Range of WiFi Internet Connection
$29.99 in stock
4 used from $20.00
