AVM Fritz! WLAN Repeater 300E
The most predictable thing about wireless networks is that they never quite reach the location you most need them in. The Fritz! WLAN 300E is a small, portable, mains-powered Wi-Fi repeater that can extend the range of almost any router, making it perfect for use in offsite meetings, exhibitions, conferences — or even in that temporary meeting room at the back of the office.
It complements the previous Repeater N/G product, and is the same shape and size (101mm by 76mm by 76mm), but loses the quirky touch display and audio streaming features. The front panel has status lights for WPS mode, wireless signal strength and LAN activity, plus a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button. A Gigabit Ethernet port is located under the bottom edge.
Configuration very easy if a WPS-capable router is available — simply press the 300E's WPS button until the status light flashes, then initiate the WPS pairing procedure on the router. Alternatively, the commendably simple web interface can be accessed via Wi-Fi or wired LAN connection, where a setup wizard takes care of the procedure.
The 300E can connect to 802.11a/b/g/n networks at up to 300Mbps, using either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency bands, and supports all security standards up to WPA2. Wi-Fi bridge operation is also supported, using the 300E to add wireless capability to any device with an Ethernet network port, such as a printer or NAS device.
There are plenty of configurable options, such as giving the repeater its own network name and turning off the LAN port. A Night Service allows the wireless radio to be turned off at a set time each day (if there are no active clients), or according to a daily schedule.
It's not particularly cheap, but the 300E is one of the easiest repeaters to use that we've come across, requiring no messing around with IP subnets for configuration. And once paired with a network, the admin interface can be accessed by simply pointing a web browser at 'fritz.repeater'.
The Fritz! WLAN Repeater 300E has a retail price of around €89 (£75), and is available immediately.
Kelvyn Taylor