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Configure the Orange Premium Repeater to improve WiFi coverage

This WiFi repeater also has two Gigabit Ethernet ports for LAN with an RJ-45 connector, this will allow us to connect up to two computers via cable, and provide connection to the local network and also to the Internet. Of course, in case you need more LAN ports, you can always buy a switch and connect it to it.

On the back of the repeater we have a small button to choose the different modes of the LEDs that show the status information. Normal mode is used to turn on the LEDs with maximum brightness depending on the connection status, reduced mode is used to dim these status LEDs. Finally, we have the front only mode that will turn off the side connection light of the equipment, which indicates the general status of the connection. This model also has a small RESET button to restore this device to factory settings, which is normal in this class of equipment.

The strong point of this WiFi repeater is its different operating modes, and that is that we can take advantage of this WiFi repeater to use it in different ways, ideal to adapt to the needs of any user. Next, we are going to show you how to configure it in the different configuration modes available.

Repeater Configuration Modes

This universal WiFi repeater allows us to configure various modes of operation. Depending on how our network is and our needs, we can choose one configuration mode or another, so it will adapt to the circumstances of the network. These configuration modes are as follows:

  • WiFi client mode.
  • Smart WiFi repeater mode (only for Livebox routers).
  • Universal WiFi repeater mode (valid for any router).
  • AP mode (WiFi Access Point).

Once we have seen all the configuration modes, we are going to explain in detail how each of them works.

Wi-Fi client or station mode

This configuration mode can be called WiFi client mode or station or STA mode. In this mode we can connect equipment by cable to any of its two Gigabit Ethernet ports. In this mode of operation, the WiFi repeater will connect in client mode to the main router, through the 5GHz band to provide maximum speed. This makes the repeater an extension of the router itself, but a very important detail is that it will not repeat the wireless signal.

The operating scheme would be as follows:

In the event that you need to connect via WiFi, you will continue to do so against the main router, not against the WiFi repeater because this equipment does not emit WiFi coverage, so you must take this into account.

Smart Wi-Fi repeater mode

This configuration mode is specifically reserved for Orange operator’s Livebox equipment, specifically it is available for Livebox Fibra and also Livebox+. In these routers it is mandatory that they have firmware version 211 or higher, otherwise, it will not be possible to configure correctly. In this mode, the WiFi repeater will connect via WiFi to the main router, either through the WPS button or through the configuration wizard.

What Orange calls “Smart WiFi” is basically the “SmartConnect«, that is, we have the same SSID, authentication and password for the two frequency bands, the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band, with the aim that clients connect to one frequency band or another dynamically . The WiFi repeater also supports Smart WiFi, so we will have the band-steering functionality, ideal for always providing the best coverage depending on where we are.

In this configuration mode, both the WiFi repeater and the Livebox router will also do the WiFi roaming functionality, to go from one access point to another in a completely transparent way, and not notice a cut in the wireless connection. In the event that you are making a VoIP call or a video call, the communication will not be cut off, so it is ideal to have the best possible user experience.

In this operating mode, you will be able to connect devices both via cable to the Gigabit Ethernet ports of the repeater, as well as via Wi-Fi, because it will also broadcast WiFi coverage in both frequency bands. An important aspect is that the backhaul network will always be in the 5GHz band, to achieve the best possible speed.

Wi-Fi universal repeater mode

This configuration mode is exactly the same as the previous one, but we have to use this mode if you use a router other than Livebox Fibra or Livebox+. In this configuration mode, the intelligent WiFi will not be available, so we do not have WiFi roaming to go from the router to the repeater without interruptions, nor do we have band-steering to dynamically place us in different WiFi frequency bands. In this configuration mode, it is necessary that the main router has a 5GHz band, something that most routers have today.

In the following diagram you can see how the universal WiFi repeater mode works:

In this configuration mode, the Gigabit Ethernet ports are also available and we can use them without any problem, so you can connect any device to them.

Access Point (AP) mode

In this configuration mode we can broadcast with simultaneous dual band on routers that do not have the 5GHz band, in this case the repeater will replace the WiFi network of the main router, providing more speed and a 5GHz frequency band. However, in this mode we can also complement the WiFi of the router, because if our house is wired, we can obtain the best possible performance by connecting an Ethernet network cable from the main router to the repeater.

In this configuration mode it is mandatory that the repeater be connected via cable to the main router, once connected, it will broadcast in the two frequency bands with the SSID and password that we want. If we have the WiFi router enabled, we can put the same SSID and password to have the same wireless network in our home.

This configuration mode is ideal for scenarios where our house is wired, in this way, we will not lose speed in the backbone network that uses 5GHz, but everything will go through the wired network and at a very high speed.

Repeater Configuration

Once we have known all the modes of operation of this WiFi repeater, we are going to explain the two ways that we have to configure this equipment. Basically we have the possibility to connect it via WPS, or through the firmware via the web.

Connection via WPS button

To connect this WiFi repeater via WPS, the first thing you should do is check that the main router has access to the Internet and is working properly. Next, we must know if we have the WPS pairing option activated in the firmware, however, by default all routers have this functionality activated, but it is recommended that you verify it.

The steps to follow to connect this repeater via WPS are:

  • Turn on the Orange WiFi repeater and wait about 2 minutes for it to boot. The light will illuminate and stop flashing, the lights will stay as follows: «Power» light green, «signal» light red and «mode» light orange.
  • Press the WPS button for one second, at this time the WPS light and the orange side light of the repeater will start flashing.
  • Press the WPS button on the router for a second, this must be done almost at the same time as on the repeater. Now the light on the router will start flashing.
  • The repeater will connect to the router and copy the SSID, authentication and password data, and reboot.
  • If the process has finished successfully, the repeater’s ‘mode’ and ‘signal’ lights will turn solid green.

If the light is green, it means that the signal reception is very good, if it is orange, it means that it is receiving little signal, and if the light stays red, it will indicate that the connection with the router has been lost.

Once we have synchronized both devices, we must disconnect the WiFi repeater and place it where we want to expand the coverage. You must remember that the location of the repeater is very important, and it must be in an intermediate position between the main router and where we want to connect.

Connection via firmware via web

If you want to access the router configuration via the web, you can also do it, without using the WPS button. The Orange WiFi repeater allows us to enter its configuration through the IP address http://192.168.250.250. To configure this repeater, we must follow the following steps:

  • We connect to the WiFi network generated by the repeater, we have the data in the lower part of the equipment on the label.
  • We access the URL http://192.168.250.250 to make the settings.
  • We follow the configuration wizard with the configuration mode that we want.

In the event that you want to configure the device as AP, we select the AP mode, we enter the name of the device that we want to appear on the LAN, we enter the SSID and the password, and the rest of the parameters are obtained via DHCP completely automatically .

As you have seen, thanks to this Orange WiFi repeater we will be able to extend our wireless connection at home easily and quickly. The possibility of configuring different modes of operation is very important to adapt to our needs. In most cases the modes that we will use are the WiFi repeater mode and also the AP mode if you have your house wired.

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