TP-Link recently updated their AC WiFi extenders with the introduction of the AC750 based RE210. For those of you that are not familiar with what these do, TP-Link have a great introductory video:
Some of the RE210’s features include:
- Support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless standards
- Dual band speeds of up to 750Mbps
- Gigabit ethernet port to connect devices that don’t have wireless (wireless bridge)
- Easy deployment
| Plug Type | EU, UK, US, AU |
| Standards and Protocols | IEEE802.11ac, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b |
| Frequency | 2.4GHz & 5GHz(11ac) |
| Signal Rate | 5GHz:Up to 433Mbps |
| 2.4GHz:Up to 300Mpbs | |
| Reception Sensitivity | 2.4G: |
| 270M: -70dBm@10% PER | |
| 130M: -70dBm@10% PER | |
| 108M: -73dBm@10% PER | |
| 54M: -75dBm@10% PER | |
| 11M: -86dBm@8% PER | |
| 6M: -92dBm@10% PER | |
| 1M: -94dBm@8% PER | |
| 5G: | |
| 390M: -60dBm@10% PER | |
| 29.3M: -83dBm@10% PER | |
| 180M: -64dBm@10% PER | |
| 13.5M: -87dBm@10% PER | |
| 78M: -68dBm@10% PER | |
| 6.5M: -90dBm@10% PER | |
| 54M: -75dBm@10% PER | |
| 6M：-90dBm@10% PER | |
| Transmit Power | < 20 dBm (EIRP) |
| Wireless Modes | Range Extender |
| Wireless Functions | WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) |
| Wireless Statistic | |
| Concurrent Mode boost both 2.4G/5G WiFi band | |
| High Speed Mode for great speed for HD Gaming and video | |
| Wireless Mac Filter | |
| Domain Login Function | |
| Wireless Security | 64/128-bit WEP |
| WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK | |
| Interface | 1 x 10/100/1000M Ethernet Port (RJ45) |
| Buttons | RE (Range Extender) Button, Reset Button, LED Button, Power Button |
| Antennas | 2 x External |
| Power Consumption | About 6.5W |
| Dimensions (W X D X H) | 94mm x 54mm x 75.2mm |
Performance
The performance of the RE210 was tested by finding a location with lower wireless reception and running a small benchmark test with the unit on and off to compare the difference. For these tests, the RE210 was paired with the TP-Link Touch P5.
First up was the 5Ghz test. In this test each spot was as follows:
- Spot 1 - Same room as the Touch P5
- Spots 2 & 3 - RE210 enabled
- Spots 4 & 5 - RE210 disabled
This one surprised us a little as the performance was better without using the RE210. However, the majority of other reviewers have had positive results with the RE210 enabled so I will investigate this one a little further in case there are some additional configuration tweaks required.
Next up was the 2.4Ghz test. In this test each spot was in the reverse order as I worked my way back to the Touch P5:
- Spots 1 & 2 - RE210 enabled
- Spots 3 & 4 - RE210 disabled
- Spot 5 - Same room as the Touch P5
The TP-Link RE210 performed as exceptionally well with over double the speeds over the 2.4Ghz network considerably. This further leads me to believe that the 5Ghz testing results are not representative of the RE210 capabilities.
Final Thoughts
The TP-Link AC 750 Wi-Fi Range Extender (RE210) is a an excellent device for budget conscious consumers in need of extending their wireless coverage at home. Installation is made super easy with the inclusion of WPS and compatibility with any wireless router. It offers fantastic range extension on the 2.4Ghz spectrum and the included ethernet port enables you to also connect non-wireless network devices.
