An absolutely pleasant surprise with minimal restrictions

1 unit
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The Huawei WS320 ("repeaters") is really cute small as a freshener and has only two controls - one large button for WPS connection with integrated LED for the operating state and a small reset button to restore the factory settings can. The optical and color design says to me, but is a matter of taste - if that's not like, the housing may otherwise paste (there are no air vents and the device is also barely warm).

2. Instructions
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The accompanying manual is German, excellent course and guides you step by step - as far as possible and not fail due to any special features of the hardware otherwise used - both by the simple device of "WPS" button and through the manual setup. The "Questions and Answers" have left no questions unanswered even with rather better technical understanding.

3. establishment
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Although I have a Telekom Speedport W722V with WPS functionality as the main access point and router, but there is in all my technical equipment as far as possible on manual setup, so I know what's happening.

Therefore, I have not used the possibly simpler WPS setup, but only the "manual" setting (both of which are detailed in the handbook). So:

- Unpacking

- Plugging into the wall outlet and wait for about 1 minute.

- Meanwhile, the main access point previously used alone ("AP"), the identifier ("SSID"), the encryption method (possible "WPA2 / AES") and determine the encryption key (if possible> 20 characters).

- Also check now that the laptop (smartphone goes well) the automatic acquisition of the IP address, gateway, DNS, etc. is set by the AP (which may be solved technically different for each WLAN adapter).

- Select with the laptop then the wireless settings temporarily the new WLAN access point with the SSID "repeaters" (which can be solved with any WLAN adapters technically different) and with any Javascript-enabled browser (I use Firefox ) accessing any site.

- It now comes in the browser automatically side with the "Quick Setup" of the repeater, when can be easily selected from a list of its own main-AP when the SSID is transmitted by the AP - otherwise the SSID of the AP must be entered manually. Now just enter the encryption key of the main AP, done.

- The repeater connects via the input data to the AP. Everything works, the LED on the repeater lights finally green.

- Now the SSID of root AP for network access must be selected in the WLAN settings of the laptop again (using the previously listed encryption and the listed code).

- Technically, there are now two APs (main AP and repeater) with the same SSID and the same password. The laptop then connects (ideally, below) with each strongest existing AP. The IP settings of the main AP to use in any case - fixed IP addresses and DHCP IP address spaces of the main AP are therefore 1: 1 passed.

- If you want to make changes to the configuration of the repeater, you only need the IP 192.168.1.254 call. There you can also access the repeater with its own password lock (otherwise: "admin" / "admin").

- Open access to the repeater via the SSID "repeater" is by the way only when initially setting available - you have made a mistake somewhere and no longer comes to the configuration, but is enough a simple reset, then all IP settings and passwords will again the factory settings.

4. Effect
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In the previous apartment with partly very problematic walls (plasterboard with metal reinforcements) I was able to increase the range of the wireless network so that now there is Wi-Fi access in all rooms. In my new home I come to the repeater prima "to a tin roof" around, which had prevented the transfer of data between AP and a terminal.

The repeater has nevertheless but actually no particularly strong station, about 20m he is outside the home also no longer be located. Who wants to bridge particularly large distances, it'd better try something else (eg, Yagi antennas, amplifiers - but this can cause telecommunications legal problems ...). But the whole device has only 1W consumption in normal operation - less than many in standby.

5. Pitfalls
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But there are pitfalls:

- Complies with the IP address space of the main AP not the pattern 192.168.1.xxx (eg default in the Speedport devices Telekom: 192.168.178.xxx), then later no longer readily access to the configuration of the repeater possible since the IP of 192.168.1.254 repeater outside of the address space is. In this case, however, the main AP easily turned off temporarily, then use the repeater with its own DHCP server and you can re-open the configuration menu under 192.168.1.254 (assuming the terminal is the automatic acquisition of the IP address, gateway and DNS etc. set). Then you can change the configuration of the IP of the repeater so, so that it is well-behaved in the address space of the main AP and then turn on the AP again. That is, at least for amateur but quite complicated and of course regularly encountered especially with the very popular telecom routers. The allocation of own IP of the repeater would therefore Huawei mE better aligned automatically to the main AP used (at least for a DHCP server on the network).

- Even if the IP address space suits, the IP of the repeater can collide with an already assigned in the network IP address. Then neither affected devices on the network more accessible is (solution above - Turn off the main AP, then change IP of the repeater manually). For this reason the award would have Huawei's own IP of the repeater mE better automatically to the main AP used aligned (eg via DHCP).

- The Samsung Galaxy Ace my wife was able to automatically connect to the repeater after setting up the repeater, a data transfer is not found but for some reason still held. For this I had to delete a whole new and set up the connection in the WLAN settings of the Galaxy.

- When special characters within the wireless password and the SSID of root AP occurs may be connection problems - but I could not check because I have any special characters in the SSID and code used for various reasons.

- The automatic switching between the two APs (main AP and repeater) can eventually be restricted: Some wireless network adapter in devices know absolutely no roaming, other than (rudimentary) security feature a "mandatory IP" of the access point is preset, but at least deselected. But that's not a problem of the repeater, but the terminal.

- Is the main AP to filter the MAC address set, this filtering must first be disabled, otherwise the repeater can not log on to the main AP. Tip: MAC filtering can be easily turned off, because the filtering results in practically no additional security (the own MAC address can be handy namely changed at will). But this is also not a problem of the repeater.

6. Result
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Rating

+ Schnuckelige box
+ Extremely easy initial setup in doubt 98% of cases
+ Very low energy consumption
+ To me completely sufficient range increase
- However, not suitable for extremely high ranges
- For some devices, the Wi-Fi connection must be set up again after the establishment of the repeater
- In specific situations (IP address space on the network differently 192.168.1.xxx or the IP address 192.168.1.254 of the repeater in the network is already otherwise occupied) is a later access to the configuration of the repeater only slightly more difficult possible. This has, in normal operation but regularly does not affect the function or safety.

All in all, despite the little problems an absolutely recommendable device.

Preventive recommendations

To go any problems from the outset of the way, if possible simply take _before_ beginning of the establishment of the repeater on the network the following measures:

Setting the encryption of the main AP WPA2 / AES, at least 20 characters password, and SSID without special characters -
- IP address space of the main AP to the range 192.168.1.xxx Set (usually it is sufficient to set the IP address of the main AP to 192.168.1.1)
- DHCP Server of the main AP switch, for example, for the address space 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.100. Where manual IP addresses must be defined / are, therefore, use the range 192.168.1.101 to 192.168.1.253, let free the address 192.168.1.254 in any case for the repeater
MAC address filtering off the main AP -

Have Fun!