TP-Link TL-WA860RE 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender with AC Passthrough

TP-Link 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender with AC Passthrough (TL-WA860RE) - 3 Years Local Warranty

The TL-WA860RE is a wall-plugged N300 range extender whose distinguishing feature is in its official name: AC passthrough, so the mains socket it occupies is not lost. It repeats an existing 2.4 GHz network at up to 300 Mbps across two external antennas, adds one 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port for a wired device, and can also run in Access Point mode.

AC Passthrough Means You Keep the Socket

TP-Link names this model the 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender with AC Passthrough. In a Singapore flat where sockets are scarce and often already carrying a fan, a lamp or a charger, that is the practical difference between this model and a plain wall-plug extender: the extender goes where the signal needs help rather than where a socket can be spared. TP-Link does not publish a rating for the passthrough socket in this model's specification table, so ask us before planning a high-current appliance behind it.

N300 Coverage Across Two External Antennas

The published wireless specification is IEEE 802.11n/g/b on 2.4~2.4835 GHz, with signal rates of up to 300 Mbps on 11n, 54 Mbps on 11g and 11 Mbps on 11b, across two external antennas. External antennas can be angled towards the router or towards the dead zone, which usually buys a more reliable link than the internal-antenna models in the same family. Wireless security covers 64/128/152-bit WEP and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK.

An Ethernet Port for a Wired Device in the Dead Zone

The single 10/100 Mbps RJ45 port turns the extender into a wireless bridge for one wired-only device. A smart TV, a games console, a network printer or a desktop in a back bedroom can take a wired connection from the extender rather than needing its own Wi-Fi adapter — often a more stable arrangement for a device that streams or prints large jobs.

Range Extender and Access Point Modes

TP-Link publishes two working modes for this model: Range Extender and Access Point. Range Extender mode repeats an existing wireless network. Access Point mode takes a wired uplink through the Ethernet port and publishes a new Wi-Fi network from it, which is the better option wherever a cable already reaches the room, because an access point does not halve throughput the way a wireless repeater does.

Low Power Draw and Straightforward Setup

Input is 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz at about 3 W maximum, so the unit costs almost nothing to leave plugged in. It carries an RE (Range Extender) button for pairing and a Reset button, and measures 110.0 x 65.8 x 75.2 mm. Certification is published as CE and RoHS, and the unit is rated for 0°C to 40°C operation at 10% to 90% non-condensing humidity.

Ideal For

Singapore homes and small offices with a dead zone at the far end of the flat, especially where the only available socket is already in use and where one wired device in that room also needs a connection. Supplied by SourceIT with local Singapore warranty and a GST invoice.