What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?

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What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?
What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?
2020-04-06 13:53:55 - last edited 2020-04-07 19:23:17
Model: TL-WR802N  
Hardware Version: V4
Firmware Version: 0.9.1 3.17 v0001.0 Build 190428 Rel.63523n

Hey,

 

I've got a TL-WR802N and would like to run it as a repeater. So I selected "Range Extender Mode" and put in the connection details of the existing WiFi network. This worked, and I think I get an extended network.

 

However, I'm not sure about the LAN Type/ IP / DHCP configuration. I would like to utilize the pre-existing DHCP server in the WiFi.

 

First I tried "Smart IP". The Manual states: "If you select Smart IP(DHCP), the DHCP server of the router will not start up." (see 7.3.1 notes). But connecting with my Laptop, I got a 192.168.0.100 IP-address, whereas the DHCP server of the WiFI hands out 192.168.2.*-addresses. If I configure my laptop to have a static 192.168.2.*-address, with 192.168.2.1 (the original router) as DNS and gateway, I am able to connect to the rest of the network and the internet. But this is suboptimal, because I have to configure static IP addresses on my devices.

 

This is also what this tutorial recommends.

 

Then I tried giving the TL-WR802N a static IP address (192.168.2.*), and disabled the built-in DHCP server. I figured that this would allow my laptop to request an IP-address from the original router. But that did not happen, my Laptop did not receive any IP address, and I had to configure a static address by myself.

 

What is happening here? Could it be that the TL-WR802N itself did not receive an IP address from the orginal router, so it figured "better start up my own DHCP server"? Is that a known bug?

 

Any help would be appreciated :)

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Re:What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?-Solution
2020-04-07 19:23:12 - last edited 2020-04-07 19:23:17

Okay, so apparently this had to do with some bad WiFi signal. I changed the channel of the original router (there where other nearby WIFIs that used the same channel), and now the connection is better, and the SmartIP works as intended. Maybe this had to do with rebooting the original router, I dunno.

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Re:What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?
2020-04-06 22:12:06

@red_trumpet 

 

Has the device since been defaulted and uploaded with the existing firmware to see if the issue still happens?

 

What is the router model the TP-Link device is extending?

 

Have other modes been tried such as client to see if the DHCP is obtainable that way, although not the original application it was needed for.

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Re:What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?
2020-04-07 07:12:33

@Tony 

 

So I reset the device and installed the latest firmware, but the issue persists. The behaviour in client mode is the same, Smart IP starts up the DHCP server of the TL-WR802N, and if I disable the DHCP, I don't get any IP-address from the regular router.

 

The router I try to extend is provided by the ISP, and is a "Speedport W 724V Typ A".

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Re:What's the easiest way to run a TL-WR802N as a repeater?-Solution
2020-04-07 19:23:12 - last edited 2020-04-07 19:23:17

Okay, so apparently this had to do with some bad WiFi signal. I changed the channel of the original router (there where other nearby WIFIs that used the same channel), and now the connection is better, and the SmartIP works as intended. Maybe this had to do with rebooting the original router, I dunno.

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