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D-Link AmpliFi WiFi Booster DAP-1525 Review

MY KINGDOM FOR STRONG WIFI STRENGTH

WiFi coverage in my home is not the greatest. I keep my router in the basement where all my telecommunications lines enter the house. WiFi signal strength in the basement and main floor is okay, but coverage in the master bedroom (opposite end, top floor) is weak at best.

My quest for wifi signal strength improvement continues with my purchase of D-Link’s AmpliFi WiFi Booster DAP-1525. The AmpliFi WiFi Booster was brought to my attention from Dell’s Deal of the Day promotion. The AmpliFi Booster was almost discounted by 50% so I decided to give it a try.

THE UNBOXING

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZibOBYvM9YY

MY REVIEW

D-Link’s AmpliFi WiFi Booster works in one of two ways (not both), Access Point mode and Media Extender mode.

In Access Point mode, the AmpliFi Booster will require a direct link (not wireless) to your existing router and allowing wireless devices connect to the Booster. In Access Point mode, none of the ports on the back of the Booster can be used execpt for the uplink port to your router

In Extended mode, the AmpliFi Booster will link wirelessly to your router but your devices will only connect to your AmpliFi Booster with a direct connection (ethernet). This would come in handy if you had a desk with stationary network devices that required a network connection.

Using the AmpliFi Booster was relatively easy. When changing modes, you need to remember to RESTART the device.

I was able to configure the device in Extended mode and it worked just fine. When I was playing around in Access Point mode, well, then the experience got frustrating.

For some reason, ALL my devices had a difficult time connecting to the AmpliFi Booster via wifi. I used MacBook Pros, iPad, IPhone, PlayStations….all the devices would ‘see’ the network, but after connecting, the network was not found.

So while you’re thinking I may have been too far from the AmpliFi Booster, you’re wrong. I was standing in the same room right next to the device. Trying to operate in Access Point was very challenging and frustrating and in classic D-Link fashion, the thing just didn’t work. After fiddling around for over an hour, I made the decision to pack up the AmpliFi WiFi Booster and return it.

D-Link’s AmpliFi WiFi Booster wasn’t cooperating in Access Point mode and rather than hanging on to it, I think it was best to return the product and continue looking for other solutions.

For me, the D-Link Amplify Booster is not that great of a product..in terms of hardware. The function is handy and useful, but I was struggling with some of it’s features so not it’s not a great device.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCV3lhd8mJM

DD-WRT SUPPORT

Short answer, NO. As of this writing, DD-WRT has not been coded for the D-Link AmpliFi WiFi Booster.

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