| D-Link DWL-G800AP Wireless Range Extender, 802.11g, 54Mbps |
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Model: DWL-G800AP
Brand: D-Link
Manufacturer: D-Link Systems, Inc.
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 28
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Up to 54Mbps
2 Operation modes: Access Point & Repeater
802.11b compatible when used as an Access Point
Security Features include WPA and 128-bit WEP encryption |
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| Description: |
| D-LINK DWL-G800AP -- The latest addition to the innovative D-LINK AirPlus Xtreme G family greatly increases the transmission range of your wireless network. Using the 802.11g, standard, the DWL-G800AP offers data transfer speeds of up to 54Mbps. Dimensions - 1H x 4.5W x 5.5L Weight - 0.44 pounds 3 year warranty * Only Repeats the Wireless Signal of - DI-624 Wireless Router (Firmware 2.37 (Rev.C) or newer), DWL-2000AP Wireless Access Point (Firmware 1.56 (Rev.A), 2.06 (Rev.B) or newer), & DWL-G800AP Wireless Range Extender |
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| User Reviews (28 total): |
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DWL-G800AP, December 28, 2007
By Cuong D. Nguyen
I got this repeater/AP 2 days ago, and I got lucky because I made it works within less than 30 minutes. I could be because I am in the IT field for more than 5 years. :)
Anyway, the configuration is really straight forward. All you need to do it login to the access web page with the default 192.168.0.30 and pick the wireless access point that you want it to boost the signal. The important step that I would say many people forget to do, is to change the repeater(DWL-G800AP)IP address to talk to your network. For example, if your network is configured with 192.168.1.1, then your repeater must be set to 192.168.1.XXX in this range. In order for it to talk to your network, they both must be in the same network class. I hope this helps a little bit.
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D-Link DWL_G800AP Range Extender, July 8, 2006
By Timothy J. Healy
The product never worked, even after three calls to tech help. Tech help even changed my computer settings and it took me a while to reconfigure it. I returned the product, and advise anyone not to purchase it.
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Not worth it, February 23, 2006
By GA Steelers Fan (Sugar Hill, GA United States)
I did not have the set up issues the other reviewers mentioned. In fact, I followed the instructions of one reviewer and my set up was smooth and simple. Problem was the PC I was trying to obtain better high speed access on did not pick up the extender any better than the DI-624 router.
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How to get the G810 firmware loaded, February 14, 2006
By Jason E. Smith (Alabama)
I too bought this device hoping to configure it as a bridge, but with the firmware loaded it wouldnt work. After hearing the G810 firmware worked, I tried it out but got a checksum error, but it is possible. You must first load the earliest G800 firmware, reboot, and then load the G810 firmware. Now everything works great.
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Once you get it to work, it does the job!, January 22, 2006
By Kloomnik (USA)
I've read all the warnings and the angry messages, and decided to go ahead and try it anyway, assuming that I'll figure it out, since I managed to get its predecessor (DWL-800AP+) to work when my network was 802.11b.
It didn't work. I tried all the recommended fixes that I saw here and elsewhere (disable WEP, disable DHCP, disable Super G, choose Channel 1, choose long preambles, etc, etc). Nothing worked. The client would get a great signal from the repeater, but there would be no traffic.
My firmware was the latest: 2.70 on the DI-624 router, and 1.05 on the DWL-G800AP repeater.
Then I tried downgrading the firmware on the router to 2.50, and it worked right away! I am using WEP and DHCP without problems, though Super-G is still disabled (the clients on this network are not Super-G capable anyway).
Bottom line: If you too have this pair (DI-624 Version C3 with 2.50 firmware and DWL-800AP Version A1 with 1.05 firmware) - I believe that you should be able to get it to work.
Once it works - it's worth it! No more dead spots in the house!
PS. I remember that DWL-800AP+ (the 802.11b predecessor) also didn't work with the latest firmware. One would expect newer firmware to improve upon the older one! Not the case with D-Link products!
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Extends, but doesn't pick up IP numbers!, January 20, 2006
By Effy Oz (Pennsylvania)
When it works it does extend the range. However, every time you turn off a wirelessly connected PC and turn it on again, the PC is not assigned an IP number. Unplug this extender, and the PC is assigned an IP number by the router without any problem. A brief power blackout will cut IP numbers to your wirelessly-connected PCs. I purchased this particular D-link range extender because I wanted to ensure that it works well with my DI-624 router. I wasted my money buying this device. It's useless, and it's too light to even serve as a door stop...
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MAJOR PAIN TO SETUP.. BUT WORKS WELL.., October 20, 2005
By BaysideTechnology.com (Clearwater, FL)
As a network engineer, we've setup lots of wireless networks and never has one been so difficult to setup as these DWL-G800AP's and it's partner, the DI-624 rev C.
Their setup manual and live tech support are a joke.
First, make sure you have all correct firmware:
DI-624: Rev2.37 and DWL-G800AP Rev 1.05
(These are the config we used and finally worked)
In the DI-624, Changed the channel to 1, disabled the super G. In the G800AP, run the site survey, and select accordingly, than manually add the GW (default 192.168.0.1). Wallah.. works. I've read that the WEP and security does not work but it doesn't matter since this project is for a hotel.
NOTE: Some changes works immediately where others takes a minute to propagate through the network. If your change does not work after a minute, re-apply that change and try again.
Final word.. don't buy this device if you expect an easy setup.
Tran
Tampa, FL
baotran@baysidetechnology.com
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Works for My Need, July 24, 2005
By outdateboy (Oakland, CA United States)
For those of you who wonders whether this can extender your neighbor's unencrypted network signal, i can tell you the answer is Yes. Just hook up the extender, login to the configuration site(embeded on the device), change it to repeater mode, then choose the network ID that you want to pick up and rebroadcast. It's as simple as that.
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Good wireless repeater with caveats..., July 4, 2005
By isotope (State of Confusion)
The D-Link DWL-G800 works fine as a repeater once you get it figured out, it's the pathetic and inadequate D-Link documentation that's really the sticking point.
This product is advertised as being compatible with the DI-624 AirPlus Xtreme G wireless router/AP and indeed it is... EXCEPT that you cannot run the DI-624 in Xtreme G mode with the repeater, unless you enjoy dropped signal and having to hard-reset the repeater every five minutes.
Here's the quick and dirty if you are using this repeater with the DI-624:
1. Log onto the DI-624, go into the Advanced Options and enable the "Long Preamble", then disable the Xtreme G options. Allow the router/AP to reboot.
2. The DWL-G800 is then considerably more stable and can be configured with WEP or WPA.
3. An aside, if you are using XP with either service pack, know that Microsoft in their infinite wisdom have now included something called "Wireless Zero Config" which, so far as I know, can't be disabled or turned off, unless you're using some sort of third party configuration utility. Briefly, this means that you shouldn't disable the SSID broadcast on either AP if using this Wireless Zero config. In fact, Microsoft advises against it since the Zero config doesn't allow you to statically enter your SSID.
Open question to D-Link: why even purchase the DI-624 in connection with the DWL-G800 if you can't use the Xtreme G with it?
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At this point, don't bother, May 19, 2005
By Dilbag (Pondicherry)
I have the luxury of writing this review a little bit further out in the technology cycle than most of the others, so I can say: Just get yourself a better wireless router.
Based on the reviews here, several online fora, and my own personal experience, I can confirm to you that you have about a 30% chance of actually getting this to work, and you might get that percentage up a little bit if you keep returning defective ones and trying another. But why bother?
At this point, there are higher-power routers, high-gain directional antennae, and there are even products sporting 802.11n, which inherently has a better range that -a, -b, or -g.
If you've gotten into a situation where your router is inadequate for your needs, research and get yourself a top-notch router with good broadcast power--I would strongly recommend against trying to remedy an inadequate router by trying to add this product to your network.
I understand that my suggestion may be more expensive, but I am seriously saying that you will avoid wasting any more than necesary of the precious remainder of your time on this earth. Definitely hours (if, by some miracle, everything works on the 12th or 13th try), and probably a couple of days (assuming that after 24 or 25 tries you send back the first one and try again with a new one).
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Make sure you know what it is compatible with!, May 2, 2005
By yosemite (yosemite)
Make sure you know what it is compatible with! It only works with certain d-link products but they do not tell you this on the website. Make sure you know what works with it. The D-Link WRLS RANGE EXTENDER 802.11G ( DWL-G710 ) works well and with other products.
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D-Link gets it right - encryption and all, April 23, 2005
By Once a geek, ... (Saunderstown, RI, United States)
It's now April 2005 and I have used the DWL-G800AP as both a range extender and a wireless access point - and both with 128 bit encryption. This product does exactly what it should in either mode. I use it now as a range extender at the edge of my wireless LAN with D-Link's DI-624 wireless router. Once I set the encryption key in the DWL-G800AP, it worked perfectly. Instructions are less than perfect (as a repeater, you have to set it up wired, then disconnect it, for it to work), but this product does the trick.
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Interchangable Firmware, but..., January 9, 2005
By C. Bolduc
I have a computer at the other end of the house I bought this for. I thought I read in the newsgroups that this device was (unofficially) compatible with Linksys routers, but alas, it isn't. (Which is only fair, since it said so on the package.) Actually it is the DWL-800AP+ that is "compatible" with Linksys (which is 802.11b only).
So I switched out the firmware and converted it to a bridge; now I can run an ethernet cable to my computer and place my wireless antenna in a spot where the coverage is better. However, I later tried to switch the firmware back, to see if the newer version was Linksys compatible, etc, and it gave me a checksum error. D-Link apparantly has discovered this and newer firmwares will not allow you to switch between the G800 and the G810.
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DOES NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED, November 20, 2004
By Jim MacKrell (FL)
DO NOT BUY this product if you are intending to use it as a repeater. It does not support WPA or WPA-PSK in repeater mode. Their web site does not mention this, nor does their firmware upgrade documentation. I spoke with a tech who admitted this fact, but the idea that their ads were [...] did not mean much to him. This product will NOT work with their DL-624 in repeater mode if you want to have a WPA secure network.
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Interchangable firmware, November 19, 2004
By Techniq
This may (or may not) void your warranty, but the firmware on this product (DWL-G800AP) and the Bridging product (DWL-G810) is interchangable. This may be more useful for people who purchase this product and find it useless in some ways (since the repeater is only compatible with a few select D-Link products). See other reviews.
I purchased a DWL-G800AP by mistake, intending to purchase the bridging product. I'm happy to say that, after switching firmware, I'm bridging my network at 54mb/sec. The web interface even says DWL-G810 on it. All thanks go to D-Link for keeping production costs low by introducting two identicle products and marketing them in different ways!
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Please Step Away from the D-Link!, August 21, 2004
By LondonLover (London, UK)
Another steller D-Link product. Works great as long as you don't want to use WEP Encryption. After going through 5 phone techs, I finally had one level with me, saying "look, this thing never works with the encryption turned on". After that, I called back and the 2nd-Tier phone tech told me the same thing. Buyer Beware, don't purchase if you want to keep your network WEP turned on!!
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DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING THIS ONE, August 12, 2004
By J. Hambleton
Being in need of this product I went to the the only retail store in my area that had them. Fry's Electronics had ten of them on the shelf, all with customer returned stickers on them. The salesman assured me that they were ok & were probably bought to use with an incompatable router. Since I knew that my router a DI-624 had to be revision C to work with this item I reluctantly went ahead & got it.
After 4 calls & many hours spent on the phone w/ tech support I finally took mine back...
I would say there is probably a problem with this model... too many returned ones on the shelf & I would imagine the majority of them didn't work too.
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D-Link?? Should be D-STINK, July 23, 2004
By HerrGamemeister (Baltimore, MD USA)
I am very disappointed in this unit, especially since they make such a great router. It has NEVER worked right despite all the tech support calls and e-mail I have made and sent. Don't waste your money. Get a high range 2.4 GHz antenna instead.
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What More Can I Do For D-Link, June 20, 2004
By unknown
At this point, about 5 days after receiving the range extender, I have spent more time on the phone with tech support than I have with my family. And it still doesn't work. The config is easy, but it still doesn't work. Power up, power down, reset. And it still doesn't work. The first level techs say they don't understand (with an accent). The second level can never be found. The third level only works M-F 9-5. Well, so do I, and I can't dedicate my entire life to making myself available at D-Link's convenience so that I can make their product work. If they hadn't sucked the life out of me, it would have been funny. But my 624 router performance is fine if you are within 20 feet and no obstructions. As the D-link tech told me, "well, are there walls in your house?" Yes, I have one of those funny houses with walls. D-Link never figured on that. What a total, unmitigated disaster this piece of useless junk is. And I want D-Link to give me back the hours of my life lost to making its junk work. Added 6/29/04: D-link tech finally tells me that this repeater is defective (duh). But their RMA mechanism is worse than their wares. It's a 32 step procedure that ends up costing even more money even though you've already paid for their defective equipment. If you should happen to be interrupted in the middle, you can't finish. The qualifications are ridiculous. And, as I've now found out, the defect rate on repeaters is extraordinarily high. Don't expect to get one that works on the first 3 tries.
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Works well, however..., June 4, 2004
By wm912 (Petoskey, MI United States)
After three hours and getting to the second level of Tech-Support, we were able to get this extender to work. It works very well and, really, there is NO OTHER option if you need to expand your wireless network.
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