TP-Link Extender Not Connecting To Router? (Quick Fix)

If your TP-link extender not connecting to router, then this guide will definitely help you out!

The TP-Link extender can connect to a wireless router in two different methods based on the router’s capabilities and setup.

If your TP-Link extender can’t connect to the router, then you must inspect all the factors involved and address each of them accordingly.

To solve a connection problem between a TP-Link extender and a Wi-Fi router, start with simple steps, such as restarting and shortening the distance. If this doesn’t help, resolve the wireless interference.

Let’s unwrap how all of this is done correctly!

How Do I Connect My TP-Link Extender to My Router?

Connecting a TP-Link extender to a wireless router is possible in two general ways.

The method you must use depends on whether the router has a “WPS” button.

So, the first step is to check if there is a “WPS” button somewhere on your router, typically found on the back, near the ports.

Method #1 Using a Web Browser

If your router doesn’t have a WPS button, continue with the steps below:

1. Plug the power adapter near your wireless router.
2. Connect the power cord to your TP-Link extender.
3. The extender’s Power icon must turn to solid blue.
4. Option 1: Connect to the default extender’s Wi-Fi.
5. Option 2: Connect to the extender via Ethernet cable.
6. On the connected machine, open any web browser.
7. In the URL, insert the “http://tplinkrepeater.net/” link.
8. Use “admin” for both the Username and Password.
9. Set the TP-Link extender’s Wi-Fi SSID and password.
10. When you’re ready, click “Finish” to save the changes.

Note: When the connection is successful, the 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz extender’s light will turn on (according to the capabilities of your router and settings).

Method #2 Using a “WPS” Setup

If your router does have a WPS button, continue with the following steps:

1. Turn on your TP-Link extender near the Wi-Fi router.
2. Wait until the extender’s light switches to solid blue.
3. Locate and press the “WPS” button on the Wi-Fi router.
4. Within 2 minutes, press the “RE” button on the extender.
5. Wait until the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz light starts glowing.

Note: If using a dual-band router, you must repeat the steps to connect to the second Wi-Fi frequency thread.

TP-Link Extender Not Connecting to Router – Instant Solution!

Tip: Follow the solutions chronologically!

1. Reboot the TP-Link Extender & Router

The first and most straightforward solution would be to reboot your wireless router and TP-Link extender.

This will restart the operating system on both devices and allow them to reconnect.

Here’s how to restart your router and TP-Link extender:

1. Turn OFF your router by pressing the Power button.
2. Unplug the power adapter of the router and extender.
3. Wait for 3 minutes for both devices to discharge fully.
4. Then, reconnect the power adapter of both instances.

If the TP-Link extender does not automatically reconnect to the router after restarting the setup, follow the connection instructions shown earlier in the guide.

Tip: Always plug your devices directly into the wall outlet, and avoid power dividers such as A/C extenders, smart plugs, and power splitters.

2. Relocate the Extender Closer to Router

If you’re doing the TP-Link extender setup correctly, but the device can’t connect to the router, you must close the distance proximity between both devices.

The space between the router and extender plays a vital role in the setup, so keep them next to one another during the connection.

There are two essential rules to follow regarding the connection:

• The router and extender must be within 10 feet during the initial connection with the wireless router.
• After the setup, you can relocate the TP-Link extender between the router and the dead Wi-Fi zone.

Note: Taking your TP-Link extender too far away from the router (even after the setup is complete) will ultimately disconnect the device from the Wi-Fi.

3. Avoid Wireless or Physical Interference

Another significant factor related to the distance between the TP-Link extender and the Wi-Fi router is interference.

There are many objects, appliances, and circumstances that may impact the wireless connection between the router and TP-Link extender, preventing the initialization.

Here are some factors to consider and reduce wireless interference:

• Keep the TP-Link extender away from RF or IR transmitting electronics.
• Avoid placing the extender near phones, microwaves, and fish tanks.
• Dislocate the TP-Link extender from reflective surfaces such as mirrors.

If necessary, test if your Wi-Fi is accessible from a secondary device, such as your smartphone, from the exact spot where the TP-Link extender is connected.

This will help you find out whether the Wi-Fi from your router is accessible at the top of your extender.

Important: Verify that your router’s Wi-Fi is accessible!

4. Correct Your Router’s Wireless Settings

In most cases, whenever the user is doing all the TP-Link extender connection steps correctly, but the device won’t connect, the problem comes from the router.

There are quite a few settings that may prevent the extender from connecting, so it’s important to correct them accordingly.

Turn On the Router’s Access Control:

The first setting that you must check is whether the Access Control is enabled, which typically implements limitations such as Whitelist/Blacklist and Mac Filtering.

This will ultimately block the connection attempts from your TP-Link extender.

To access the router’s settings, you must use a device connected to the router’s network (not the extender) and type “https://192.168.1.1/” into a web browser.

Then, you need to sign in with the login credentials and locate and disable any Access Control limitations.

Tip: The Access Control settings are typically under the “Security” tab!

Turn Off the Router’s Band-Steering:

Band-steering, also known as “Smart Connect,” is a feature many routers have, which simply combines the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks into one single Wi-Fi SSID.

This allows the router to provide you with the best possible internet speed based on the distance and your Wi-Fi device.

Hence, this feature sometimes makes it extremely difficult for your TP-Link extender to connect with the router, so you must disable it and try again.

Tip: The “Band-Steering” or “Smart Connect” feature is typically found within the “Advanced Wireless Settings” of your router.

Test by Switching the Wi-Fi Channel:

You must select which router’s Wi-Fi thread to extend with your TP-Link extender during the setup, and this particular Wi-Fi band must be accessible.

Sometimes, when the Wi-Fi channel is overcrowded, the Wi-Fi may be extremely slow or inaccessible.

Such “congestion” typically appears in residential blocks or offices, where many other routers use the same Wi-Fi frequency channel.

So, the solution is to switch to a different channel, which happens again from the router’s settings.

• To switch from one Wi-Fi channel to another, in the router’s GUI, go to “Wireless” > “Advanced Wireless Settings” > “Wi-Fi Channel.”

If your router is dual-band, you should switch the Wi-Fi channel for both frequencies (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) since it’s unknown where the issue comes from.

You will notice that there are far more channels for the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and fewer channels for the 5 GHz.

Tip: Test with multiple different Wi-Fi channels!

5. Factory Reset Your TP-Link Extender

If nothing helps, you may need to perform a factory reset on your TP-Link extender, which will resolve most of your problems.

However, the factory restoration will not only unpair the extender from the router (if existing pairing exists) but also erase all settings and configurations made.

Here’s how to factory reset the TP-Link extender in easy steps:

1. First, locate the Reset button pinhole on the extender.
2. Then, acquire a sharp and thin object to reach within.
3. Press and hold the Reset button for about 10 seconds.
4. All the lights on the extender will turn on simultaneously.
5. When you see the indication, release the Reset button.
6. Wait until the TP-Link extender resets to factory default.

When the TP-Link extender is reset to default settings, connect the device near the Wi-Fi router, verify that the router’s network is accessible, and re-attempt the connection.

Tip: Trace back the TP-Link extender instructions from earlier in the guide!

Quick Recap:

Hence, whenever the TP-link extender not connecting to the router, reboot both instances, then shorten the proximity between both devices and resolve interference.

In addition, you must disable the router’s “Band-Steering” & “Mac Filtering” and reset the extender.

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