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(More customer reviews)I purchase the Hawking HW2R1 repeater in an attempt to extend wi-fi coverage to areas in my home that my Netgear WNDR3700 could not reach. Setup was easy with the Hawking CD and I initially placed the repeater between my computer and router. The computer at that point was close enough to the router that internet speed was 25mb/s from the router wi-fi but dropped to 3mb/s when connected to the repeater. Hawking tech support suggested resetting the router and repeater to channels 1, 6, 9, or 11 to see if the internet speed would improve. None of these channels improved the speed. Tech Support suggested waiting a couple of weeks to see if it improves. I did not think that would work so I looked for a better solution. It appeared that the repeater could not pick up the routers wi-fi signal as well as my laptop so I decided to hardwire the repeater to the router. This worked good. When hardwired to the router the repeaters wi-fi signal would provide internet speeds of about 20mb/s. The speed at the connection going into the repeater averaged 23mb/s so I am happy with this setup. The repeater and router are now located at opposite ends of the house and each provide adequate wi-fi for half of the house. I am disappointed that I had to hardwire the repeater to get it to pick up an adequate signal. I think Hawking should provide a better antenna without having to purchase an upgrade but am happy overall with the solution to my problem. Hawking tech support also could have been more knowledgeable.
Update: Another problem that I didn't notice when I first wrote the review is that computers in my house will not connect to the internet after reboot until I unplug and restart the repeater each time. The computers will connect to the repeater but not the internet. If I disconnect the repeater then the same computers will work fine when accessing the internet directly through the Netgear router so I know the problem is in the Hawking repeater. I have tried to resolve the problem for a couple of weeks and am having a very difficult time contacting the second level of tech support at Hawking. When transferred to 2nd level support I end up being left on hold for 15 minutes and then being forced to leave a message for a return call. I have not been able to get them to call me back so I am looking for another access point to replace the Hawking HW2R1.
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Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless-N Dual Radio Smart RepeaterThe Hi-Gain Wireless-N Dual Radio Smart Repeater is an advanced Wi-Fi connectivity solution that receives the signal of any 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi network and rebroadcasts it locally within your home or office. The HW2R1 is the flagship product for Hawking's award-winning line of Hi-Gain Wi-Fi Range Extending products. Using two isolated Wi-Fi radios, the HW2R1 connects to your desired wireless Internet connection, such as a local Wi-Fi hot spot, neighborhood wireless network or office network and repeats the signal via a dedicated 300Mbps 802.11n Wi-Fi radio locally. With 3 upgradable Hi-Gain 3dbi omni-directional antennas (1 dedicated for receiving wireless signals and 2 dedicated for rebroadcasting wireless signals within your home or office) the HW2R1 can be outfitted with Hawking Hi-Gain antennas to boost the connection range with outside wireless networks as well as locally within your home or office. The HW2R1 is ideal for Wi-Fi connections to marine docks, RV parks, adjacent offices and homes with Wi-Fi networks or any other source for wireless internet connection. In addition, the HW2R1 provides security and functionality via a full featured firewall and router. The versatility of the Hi-Gain Smart Repeater makes it the perfect solution for any wireless application.
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