Range Extender Setup Guide

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Variable

Don't forget to mark steps complete as you go through GPs.

Don't forget to ask the guest how they heard about us and document it in the Session Properties.

2. Setup Type

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

Is this an initial setup or helping the guest with a setup that they already started?

3. Network Credentials

Does the guest know their Wireless Network name (SSID) and Key?

4. Get the Manual

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

Unless you're familiar with the range extender in question, we recommend that you download the product manual before you begin service.

Below is a list of some of the more common support sites. If the site you need is not listed below please use your Googlefu.

ManufacturerSupport SiteBelkinhttp://www.belkin.com/us/supportLinksyshttp://www.linksys.com/us/support/Netgearhttps://www.netgear.com/support/TP-Linkhttp://www.tp-link.us/support

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5. Location

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

As they say location, location, location. Location is key when it comes to the placement of a range extender. Please follow the guidelines below to ensure the range extender is located in a place that will maximize its potential.

• First things first, before going into the range extender's location, it's generally a best practice to have the main wireless router in a centralized location of the usage area. In most average use cases if the router is centralized, there is no need for a range extender.
• Assuming the router is already as centralized as possible, we need to consider what gap in the coverage area we are trying to fill and put the extender as close as possible to the halfway point between the main router and said coverage area.
• Once we have determined where were are going to place the range extender, we need to be sure that there is an AC outlet there to power it.
• Now that we've found our location and know that we can power the range extender we just need to verify that the signal is sufficient there. Ask the guest to take a portable wireless device such as a laptop, tablet or smart phone there to check the signal.

The key thing here to remember is that you are going to be repeating/extending the signal based off the signal the range extender is getting. If the range extender itself has a poor connection to the main router/gateway, the signal it extends will be weak in regards to its throughput.

A very common mistake a lot of people make when configuring a range extender is that they put it right at the edge of their router's coverage area and then all the devices that are connected through the extender in turn also have a weak signal.

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6. Understanding the Basics

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

We are going to be using the device's specific manual for the setup and configuration but before we get into that let's just cover the typical basics of configuring a range extender.

1. Power on the range extender.
2. Using a computer's network manager, connect to the range extender's SSID, just as you would to any other wireless network.
3. On said computer, launch the web browser and go to the configuration page for the range extender. Typically it will have a domain name but that can vary, using 192.168.1.1 is a safe bet but a sure bet would be using the ipconfig command in a command prompt and using the value listed as the Default Gateway.
4. Using the web GUI, configure the range extender. Typically this consists of finding the SSID of the network you wish to extend, entering the password for that network and configuring the range extender's SSID and password.
   Important note: Do not set the extender's SSID to be exactly the same as the main network, that will cause problems. Typically the best practice is to set the SSID the same as the main network's SSID but with an "_ext" at the end. For example if the guest's SSID is "home-wireless", set the extender's SSID to "home-wireless_ext".
5. Then once the extender is configured, it's just a matter of connecting the devices to it. As a rule of thumb, if a device has a stored profile for both the main network and the range extender it will automatically connect to whichever one has a stronger signal at the location the device is trying to connect from.

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7. Setup

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

Now that we understand the basics and have an idea of what to expect, let's use the instructions from the manual we previously downloaded to configure the extender.

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8. IoT Reminder

Take this opportunity to inform the guest that Target has a large inventory of IoT devices and can be a one-stop shop for the modern connected home!

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9. Disposition

Disposition the Session

1. Ask the guest if they would like to participate in a survey for the service they received.

If the guest accepts, warm transfer them to 1-855-302-1599, enter the Session # from this Cloud session and then complete the transfer ensuring the guest hears the rest of the IVR prompts. Do not give the guest the aforementioned phone number. That number is only intended for us to transfer to.

2. Click "Session Info" at the top of the session window and update all of the applicable fields to the best of your ability.

3. Click Done in the left pane

4. Click Close at the top of this session window.

A. Resolved: All calls where a service or path to a resolution was provided.

B. Not Resolved: Dropped calls / Ghost Calls / Guest needs to call back

10. Refer to ISP/Router OEM for Credentials

If the guest does not know their SSID and Key we will need to refer them to either their ISP, Router OEM or 3rd party Network support to obtain the information before we can proceed.

Please kindly inform the guest that we are here to help but without the required information we cannot proceed with the connection. Kindly refer them appropriately to obtain their network credentials and ask them to call us back once they have the information in hand.

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11. Power Cycle

Pro tip: If you feel it would be beneficial to see what the customer sees, feel free to use SeeSupport. Check out the guide here: How to Use SeeSupport.

Please have the guest do the following in this order:

1. Power off the device.
2. Power off their router.
3. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Power on their router.
5. Wait until all applicable lights are on and the router is ready.
6. Power on the device.
7. See if the connection is working now.