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Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)

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Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)

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Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)
Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)
2020-12-11 10:23:50 - last edited 2020-12-21 11:58:45
Model: RE305  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: RE305(EU)_V1_181026

 

Dear TP-Link Support Staff,

 

I have had this RE305 AC1200 TP-Link Range Extender for around 3 years now. It has mostly been working. My issue is that the signal that the Wifi Range Extender is giving out is not recognized by Apple iphones, Apple Laptops. What happens is these devices do not recognize the signal from my range extender and instead join the modem's original wifi signal (which is weak) leading to immensly slow internet due to bad signal.  By the way my Modem Model is TP-Link TD-W9970v3 300 Mps VDSL2 Modem Router.

 

As I do not have an endless variety of brand and model devices to test this on, these are the only ones I know it does not work with. The range extender works great with my Samsung Smart Phone,my mother's Samsung Smart Phone and Samsung Tablet (which I got to work recently). It works with Windows operating system laptops. I have actually tried installing windows operating system for the Apple Laptop and that made the signal work as well. So something is definitely wrong with macintosh operating system. 

What happens is, if a device does not recognize the signal (with non Windows operating system installed Apple devices) it tries to connect to the modem, but due to the modem signal being too weak, I get very poor internet on those devices (immensely long screen loading times). Our Samsung phones and tablet on the other hand get maximum signal (as they should thanks to the range extender) and work wonderfully. 

 

To fix this issue I have tried everything within my knowledge. I have tried all simple troubleshooting steps to figure out whats wrong. I tried updating firmware for the TP-Link device, and all the other devices mentioned. I have tried resetting many times. I have tried different methods of setting up my wifi signal. I have tried the methods mentioned on the TP-Link website (especially on this link: https://www.tp-link.com/ae/support/faq/362/ ). Unfortunately I cannot perform certain steps because the devices I mentioned do not have ethernet ports. My conclusion is that there is a mismatch between Apple Network software and this Tp-Link device.

 

I hope there is a simple solution that I am not seeing or thinking about. I have started looking at other range extenders and wifi boosters. I am afraid I am missing something here and that all brand and models will have the same issue. 

 

I am willing to try out any troubleshooting steps to see the issue and hopefully resolve it. 

 

Please assist me in solving this matter.

 

Thank you very much. 

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#1
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1 Accepted Solution
Re:Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)-Solution
2020-12-21 11:58:38 - last edited 2020-12-21 11:59:06

It seems I have solved the issue. When I assigned different SSID's for my router and for the RE305, that seemed to solve the issue. Thank you.

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Re:Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)
2020-12-14 11:31:26

@giopega 

Good day,

Sorry for the delay.

Could you please help me confirm the following details:

1. All the Apple devices you have are not able to detect the Wi-Fi signal of the RE305, neither 2.4ghz nor 5ghz, right?

2. What are the model numbers and operating system of those devices?

3. Did they work fine with RE305 before?

If possible, please try to change the wireless channel on the home router, like channel 11 for 2.4ghz and channel 40 for 5ghz so that the channel on the RE305 would change as well;

 

Thank you very much.

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#2
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Re:Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)
2020-12-14 13:05:47 - last edited 2020-12-14 13:08:18

@TP-Link 

 

Thank you for the response.

 

1. The way I used to have the device set up was that, my SSID would not be broadcasted, and if I wanted to join the wifi on a device I would manually enter the name enter the password (security WPA2) etc on the devices I tried to connect to the wifi. What I realized was even if I did not broadcast the wifi (2.4 ghz, my modem does not support the 5ghz) the RE305 device would broadcast the SSID with 5ghz at the end (for example : "giopega's Wifi 5ghz"). After I did a reset, got the latest firmware and checked the whole system out again to fix the apple device connection issue, I made it sure that the RE305 would not broadcast 5ghz, I also started to broadcast the SSID just in case this was the issue. To answer your question however, I did try to connect to the internet through the 5ghz broadcast but it would not work because that was not the signal my modem was transmitting. I wrote all this in case it is relevant, I am not sure if it was. 

 

2. The versions and models are as follows.

 

Apple Iphones: 

a. iPhone 6S (IOS 13.7)

b. iPhone 6S (IOS 14.2)

 

Laptops (I only know 2 of them, these 2 are not the ones I installed the Microsoft OS on):

a. MacBook Air 13 inch Mid 2013 (MacOS Mojave 10.14.6)

b. MacBook Air 13 inch Mid 2013 (MacOS Catalina 10.15.4)


3. The apple devices were never able to connect to the RE305's signal. Those devices always attempted to get the wifi signal direclty from the modem, which is too far away. For instance, my sister's apple laptop was very outdated in terms of IOS version. It still did not work when we got the latest version. I tried this on 3 Apple Laptops and 2 Apple Iphones. Interestingly the Apple Laptop which did not connect with IOS, successfully connected after I installed and ran Microsoft OS on it.

 

4. I have not fiddled with the wireless channels before. I have checked my current setup. Mode is "11 b/g/n mixed". Channel is set at 11. Channel width is auto. Authentication type is WPA2-PSK. Encryption is AES. With the current setup do you think changing channels will really help? The apple devices mentioned will be coming to me on Thursday, if you confirm it I will go ahead and try and report back after Thursday. 

 

Please let me know if there are other troubleshooting steps you would like me to try, I will try them all and report back. 

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#3
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Re:Specific Devices Do Not Seem to Recognize Range Extender Signal (Some Devices Successfully Connect)-Solution
2020-12-21 11:58:38 - last edited 2020-12-21 11:59:06

It seems I have solved the issue. When I assigned different SSID's for my router and for the RE305, that seemed to solve the issue. Thank you.

Recommended Solution
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#4
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