TRENDnet TEW-822DRE AC1200 Review

Tamara By: Tamara | Last updated August 15, 2017

TRENDnet AC1200 wifi extender white
TRENDnet AC1200 wifi extender white
TRENDnet AC1200 wifi extender white outlet

9.0 / 10

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PROS:

  • Affordable
  • Compact
  • Easy setup

CONS:

  • One Ethernet port
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SUMMARY:

TRENDnet AC1200 is a perfect WiFi extender for medium-sized homes. It’s small and compact, and while it doesn’t cost much, it has powerful performance ratings. Since it plugs directly into the wall it can be easily moved to where you need it the most. While it’s not the best WiFi booster on the market, the TRENDnet AC1200 is an excellent choice for someone looking for a reliable, smaller device.

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COMPLETE REVIEW

The TRENDnet AC1200 is a WiFi range extender meant for medium sized homes. Although it’s not the “best looking” device on the market, it packs a powerful punch inside its small casing. And while it has its flaws, this WiFi booster proved to have an excellent reach across a wide surface while maintaining a stable signal through several different building materials.

Design

The design, obviously wasn’t TRENDnet’s top priority when they were coming up with the AC1200. Although range extenders come in many different shapes and sizes, this device is one of the smallest on the market. It features a small, square shaped body that offers to be compact above all else. Although it’s much smaller than many other similar devices, this can be an advantage in case you’re looking for a range extender that’s very inconspicuous. And while the designers didn’t go with a more lavish design, they opted for functionality above all keeping the device small and compact so it would take up only wall plug when you set it up. The AC1200 comes with two adjustable antennas that, unfortunately, can’t be detached. One drawback, however is that the device has only one Ethernet port which can make it difficult if you have multiple devices you’d like to link like game consoles, printers, Smart TVs and more. And although this isn’t such a big deal (unless you have a big device collection), most range extenders in our review have up to five Ethernet ports.

 

Pricing

The TRENDnet AC1200 is among the more affordable range extenders out there. The item can be found listed on Amazon and Walmart for $59.97. TRENDnet is a company that has one of the best warranty policies, granting you a three-year limited warranty when you buy the AC1200 range extender. Both Amazon and Walmart offer extended protection plans for a few dollars more.

Performance

In order to be sure that all devices in our review deserve to be there, we looked at their test results in a few different areas. The range and throughput test stressed the device to its maximum capabilities, while the setup test was designed to measure the time needed for regular user to fully setup the device.

The TRENDnet AC1200 scored among the highest contenders in its category, recording an impressive 150 ft. range. The longer the reach, the more freedom you have to move around your home without your internet connection being interrupted. The throughput test results were overwhelming as well. The TRENDnet AC1200 proved very reliable measuring the throughput rate at 360Mbps at 5ft. Unfortunately, as with most range extenders, the further you move from the router, the weaker the signal is going to get. For example, the throughput rate measured at 50 ft. dropped by more than a third to 228Mbps. Although a rate drop is expected in WiFi extenders, some other devices we reviewed recorded a much slower decline than the AC1200.

Since the TRENDnet AC1200  is very small and can be plugged directly into a wall outlet, the installation process is much simpler than with some bigger WiFi extenders. As soon as the device is connected to power, all you have to o is press the WPS button on both the range extender and your router and you’re good to go. TRENDnet’s Setup Wizard will take you through the rest. And since this device works on both the 2.4GHz and 5Ghz frequencies, the setup process automatically installs both so you don’t have to worry about it later.

Help/Support

Phone number: 1 (866) 845-3673

Website: https://www.trendnet.com/products/wifi/AC-range-extenders-bridges/AC1200/TEW-822DRE

Support: http://www.trendnet.com/support/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRENDnet

TRENDnet’s website doesn’t offer much in the way of finding answer to questions about your new device. The site lacks a FAQ area, any type of tutorial section, a community page and basically any other type of resource users find useful. You can contact support if you need to through the website by submitting a ticket, or over the phone on their international toll-free line manned 24/7 by English speaking representatives.

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Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.

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