TP-Link Extender Red Light? – (07 Instant Solutions)

TP-Link extender red light appears frightening at first glance, but it is straightforward to fix!

The red light on a TP-Link extender is not a good sign, but it’s not critical.

This simply means that the signal from the router is weak, meaning that you only need to optimize the connection.

To resolve the red light on your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender, verify that the device is set up correctly and perform a soft reset by disconnecting from the power.

To unwrap how all of this is done, continue reading!

Deciphering the TP-Link WiFi Extender Red Light

The red light on the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender appears because the signal from the router is weak for one reason or another.

The TP-Link Wi-Fi extender is designed to indicate this by switching from a green solid light to a red solid light.

Here’s a simplified example of the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender light indications:

• When the signal is better than 30%, the light will be solid green.
• When the signal is weaker than 30%, the light will be solid red.

So, if you’re seeing a solid red light, then the most probable cause would be a weak signal, which many factors may cause.

Some of these include the distance between the extender and the router, existing interference near the Wi-Fi extender, and of course, the internet broadband.

Why is the TP-Link Extender Showing a Red Light?

So, now that we know what exactly the red light means let’s unwrap the possible causes:

How to Fix the TP-Link Extender Red Light Easily?

It’s straightforward to address the red light on your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender, so here’s how:

1. Pair the Wi-Fi Extender Correctly

The first and most important part of the troubleshooting is to connect the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender to the router correctly.

TP-Link Wi-Fi extenders connect via WPS, meaning you won’t have to insert passwords or bother with anything besides pressing a button.

So, to verify that your Wi-Fi extender is connected correctly, follow the steps:

1. First, plug your Wi-Fi extender near your Wi-Fi router.
2. Then, find the WPS button on the router and extender.
3. Next, press the WPS button on the wireless router first.
4. Within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on the extender.

This should be enough for both devices to connect.

However, if the TP-Link extender and router are both dual-band, you will have to repeat the steps one additional time.

This will guarantee that your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender will connect to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency networks.

Tip: When the connection is established, you can relocate your extender elsewhere!

2. Soft-Reset Your Wi-Fi Extender

The next step is easy yet very effective.

The soft reset, known as a “power cycle,” will reset the connection between the extender and your router.

This method will likely solve the connectivity throttles and get your Wi-Fi extender back on track with a solid green light.

To power cycle, your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender, unplug the device from the power for 60 seconds and then plug the connector directly into the socket.

While waiting for a discharge, we advise removing third-party devices from the power source, such as strips, dividers, or smart plugs.

Info: Your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender may take up to 3 minutes to reboot and reconnect!

3. Shorten the Extender Proximity

As mentioned, the green light on the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender turns to solid red when the signal is weaker than 30%, which typically has something to do with the distance.

So, to justify whether the red light is there because the distance is too great, you must test by relocating the extender.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when relocating your extender:

• The TP-Link extender must not be on the ground.
• The Wi-Fi extender mustn’t be connected to a strip.
• The TP-Link extender must not be covered/blocked.
• Your TP-Link extender must not be in a dead zone.

If you follow all the rules, but the red light is there regardless, test whether the connection will improve when your extender is next to the router.

If yes, then you are definitely dealing with a distance-related problem, so continue reading the guide further…

4. Power Cycle Your Wireless Router

The next step is to power cycle the primary wireless router that your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender is connected with.

The red light on the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender appears due to a weak signal from the router, so performing a power circulation might bring your wireless network back on track.

Here’s how to power cycle your Wi-Fi router in easy steps:

1. First, power off your router via the Power button.
2. Then, unplug the power adapter from the socket.
3. Also, disconnect the power cord from your router.
4. Wait for 60 seconds with the router disconnected.
5. Connect the power adapter directly to the outlet.
6. Securely plug the power cord into the router’s back.
7. Press the Power button to turn on your Wi-Fi router.

This will refresh the electricity and operating system of your wireless router.

So, remain patient for about 3 minutes until the router turns back on and connects with the broadband service.

Your Wi-Fi will become accessible, and the TP-Link Wi-Fi extender will automatically connect.

Note: While your router is turning on, the LED on the TP-Link extender will remain solid red.

5. Update the TP-Link Wi-Fi Extender

One of the probable reasons for the red light on a TP-Link Wi-Fi extender would be the firmware version and whether it’s outdated.

So, the next step would be to log in to the TP-Link admin tool and check for any updates for the Wi-Fi extender.

However, to log in to the extender’s admin tool (GUI), you will need your computer and a spare Ethernet cable at your disposal.

If you have what’s necessary, let’s continue to the instructions:

1. Plug your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender near the router.
2. Connect your extender to the router via Ethernet.
3. Then, on your computer, open an online browser.
4. Next, in the URL, insert “http://tplinkrepeater.net.”
5. Alternatively, insert “https://192.168.1.1/” to access.
6. You will be prompted to insert the ID and password.
7. Info: Both the credentials are “admin” in lowercase.
8. When you’re in, locate the “Firmware Update” tab.
9. Info: The option is typically found in System Tools.
10. Finally, check whether any OS updates are available.

When your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender is up to date, it’s time to reconnect the device back to the original outlet and test if the light will still be red.

If yes, you must continue troubleshooting…

Note: A TP-Link Wi-Fi extender’s firmware update may take up to 15 minutes!

6. Switch to Another Electrical Outlet

There is one more quick fix to attempt, and it would be to connect your TP-Link Wi-Fi extender to a different outlet, preferably in another room.

The red light is there because the connection with the router is weak or entirely disconnected, which can happen due to power fluctuations.

Sometimes, shortly after a power outage, the voltage from the fuse may be inconsistent, making the Wi-Fi extender or router constantly restart.

This will surely disconnect the extender from the router and bring up the red light, so you must test the extender on an outlet from a different fuse.

Tip: If you identify power fluctuations in your A/C line, restart the power from the primary circuit.

7. Factory Reset Your Wi-Fi Extender

The final and most potent solution would be to perform a factory reset on the TP-Link extender, resetting the device to factory defaults.

This method is a last-resort approach since all the Wi-Fi settings and configurations, including Wi-Fi SSIDs and passwords, will be permanently erased.

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

1. First, identify whether your extender has a Reset button.
2. If yes, press and hold the reset button for 10-15 seconds.
3. In case the Reset button is hidden, acquire a thin object.
4. Reach within the Reset button pinhole and hold the button.
5. Your Wi-Fi extender is resetting when the light goes OFF.

When the reset commences, you must not interact with the Wi-Fi extender or unplug the device from the power.

When the reset is completed, you will have to conduct the connection process again, and when the extender is hooked up to the router, you should see a solid green light.

Note: To set up your Wi-Fi extender, use the TP-Link app or sign into the admin tool!

Quick Recap:

Hence, when the TP-Link extender red light appears, the signal is weak, so you must reboot your router and extender via power cycling.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, update the extender’s firmware, switch to another outlet, and perform a factory reset.

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