@alphac 

If you want the RE220 to have its own wireless pass you need to set it up in Access Point Mode (Page 22, 4.2.1 https://static.tp-link.com/2019/201902/20190228/1910012534_RE200_UG_REV3.0.1.pdf). This will mean that you need to run a Ethernet cable from your router to the extenders LAN port. In AP Mode you can customize the wireless network name, and password.

If the extender is only able to connect to your router via Wi-Fi, you will not be able to customize the password, only the network name while in Range Extender Mode.

@Tony 

Don't see why we can change the extender ID and not add a required password. The extended SSID is now available beyond our house. If the extended SSID is hacked then it has same password to router so our network is compromised.

Tony wrote

@alphac 

 

If you want the RE220 to have its own wireless pass you need to set it up in Access Point Mode (Page 22, 4.2.1 https://static.tp-link.com/2019/201902/20190228/1910012534_RE200_UG_REV3.0.1.pdf). This will mean that you need to run a Ethernet cable from your router to the extenders LAN port. In AP Mode you can customize the wireless network name, and password.

 

If the extender is only able to connect to your router via Wi-Fi, you will not be able to customize the password, only the network name while in Range Extender Mode.

In setting up the extender, we get the canned message the extender password is same as host! Don't see why the extender password cannot be added to script for a different password as a double security. 

@natcire 

I see what you mean, but that is not how extenders work.

@Tony Yes, that maybe strickly the case.  However, this is a very common use case for setting up wireless networks for guests where we can't run wired cables.  Most extenders can do this.  It almost seems as the decision was to explicitly not allow this.  What would be the issue with supporting this feature?

 @natcire Did you find another make/model for an extender that was able to do this?

@JosephNR 

well, to be honest when i first bought my TL-WA850RE it was still a usable feature that was then removed in a later update

basically it should be doable on a technical level without a problem since the new network you host, at least the connection handler is in NO WAY related to the authentification process of the original network so that basically would only be a sofware thing on tplinks side

i mean is it that hard to just add another entry field that changes the line in the hostapd (or whatever they use) config, really?