Zyxel Wireless N300 Range Extender WRE2205

Zyxel's Wireless N300 Range Extender WRE2205 solves the problem of dead zones in a wireless network by expanding the network coverage well beyond what the router can deliver. While the WRE2205 is pretty basic and doesn't offer very many features, it does support MAC address filtering, wireless output power management, and a universal repeater mode. There are some quirks in the interface, but it's overall a solid device capable of extending network coverage beyond 100 feet.

Priced at $59.95, the N300 Range Extender doesn't break the bank, and the price tag is middle of the pack compared to that of other competitors, such as Netgear's Universal WiFi Range Extender WN2000RPT ($60, street, Cisco Linksys Wireless-N Range/Extender Bridge RE1000 ($50-$80, street) , and BearExtender's PC Long Range 802.11n ISB WiFi Booster ($44.97).

Specs and Design
The WRE2205 resembles a power adapter and plugs directly into the electrical outlet. The palm-sized device has a power switch and an Ethernet port on the sides. There is a button to turn on Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) on the front face of the adapter, along with four LED indicators for signal strength, wireless, power, and Ethernet. The adapter measures 1.81 inches x 1.59 inches x 2.87 inches (HWD) and weighs a mere 0.18 pounds.

The compact design means it can be deployed practically anywhere and is unobtrusive enough that people would easily overlook it. There are two-dBi internal antennae inside the extender, which is capable of transmitting and receiving data up to 300 Mbps, according to the specifications. The WRE2205 also supports 64-bit and 128-bit WEP, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK security. Zyxel's wireless extender works on the 802.11n band but also offers backwards compatibility for 802.11b/g devices. However it only works on the 2.4 GHz band, unlike the current Editors' Choice Amped Wireless' High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Repeater , which has dual-band capabilities.

Setup
The WRE2205 ships with a CD that contains documentation and a paper "quick install" guide. I had a choice of using the automatic or manual process for configuring the extender. For the purposes of this review, I tried the manual process, since it actually looked easier than the automatic method.

The manual instructions were very straightforward, as all I had to do was connect the device to the computer via an Ethernet cable and then browse to a Web-based interface. From there, I ran the setup wizard which collected the necessary information and scanned the environment for existing networks nearby. The wizard lists the names of all the wireless networks detected, along with encryption levels and signal strength.

The setup wizard is easy to follow, but the instructions and error messages are full of poorly written English. While the meaning is fairly understandable, the poor grammar is distracting.

I ran into one significant problem while trying to set up the WRE2205: I couldn't get onto my secured wireless network. The extender kept rejecting my security key despite my entering it correctly. I tried manually configuring the SSID instead of letting the wizard scan for nearby networks, and still couldn't figure out the problem. I had no trouble connecting to a non-secured network.

It turned out to be a firmware bug preventing the device from connecting to wireless routers running older WPA-PSK security. I was able to finally connect the extender to a secured network after I upgraded the firmware. The only reason I knew I had to upgrade was because Zyxel representatives emailed me to tell me about the issue. There is nothing in the troubleshooting documents, within the interface, or on online support to suggest to regular users they should look for new firmware, and I doubt the average user will get a personal email from Zyxel like I did. I foresee many users spending a lot of time scratching their heads and trying to figure out what is wrong with their network.

Another quirk in the interface came whenever I hit the Back button to see an earlier screen within the wizard and the "next" button would disappear. I had to repeatedly close the wizard and start all over again. While it wasn't a major issue, it was yet another frustrating moment trying to set up.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/zvi1CyANQaM/0,2817,2408835,00.asp

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