The TL-WA860RE from TP-Link is an affordable way to extend Wi-Fi coverage and it’s easy to setup too.
The unit is white in color and it is of plastic build, nothing out of the ordinary. The antennas are pretty solid though, movement is tight but don’t get me wrong because it’s in a good way.
The only problem with such build is that the antennas’ placement may come in conflict with other plugs when in use on a multi-socket adapter. The TL-WA860RE comes with LAN (RJ-45) connection and it also has AC Passthrough so you need not sacrifice a power socket.
Below are the details of the TL-WA860RE as seen on the official product page.
User Experience
The TL-WA860RE is a range extender with 300Mbps connectivity but what good is a device if the setup is complex? The TL-WA860RE is one where setup is easy.
I connected my notebook to the LAN port and it automatically loaded the page, all I did was launch the web browser. Once in the steps are easy, you could get it done without having to refer to the quick start guide.
You have the option to extend the network based on the existing SSID or if you prefer, use a different SSID to identify the signal source.
Connecting to the TL-WA860RE was easy, I did not face any hiccup as the middle-person handled the data packets well. Connection seems very zippy as if I’m close to the Wi-Fi signal. Moving the adapter around wasn’t an issue, the settings are all in tact and it takes a minute or 2 for the TL-WA860RE to re-establish the bridging of networks.
The Verdict
The TP-Link TL-WA860RE 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender retails at around RM 115, it is a simple device and the only time you need to exercise your brain is when it comes to choosing which socket to place it at. The setup process is easy and once you’re done with it (takes only a few minutes) the device will be up and running and you’ll be enjoying the extended Wi-Fi signal.
