您(Are)是否正在寻找可以帮助您将无线网络覆盖范围扩展到您(wireless network)家或办公室(house or office)的偏远角落的高端范围扩展器(range extender)？然后，您将需要支持 802.11ac 网络标准的设备，可以提供快速传输，而TP-LINK RE580D是同类设备中速度最快的设备之一。我们对这款双频范围扩展器(range extender)进行了大约一周的测试，经过多次测试和测量，我们准备在这篇评论中分享我们的意见：
拆箱TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi 范围(TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi range)扩展器
用于TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 范围(TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 range)扩展器的包装使用淡绿色。在盒子的正面，您可以看到设备图片和包含其最重要功能的列表。
背面详细介绍了该产品的功能，并与TP-LINK(TP-LINK)产品组合中的其他类似设备进行了比较。
包装盒内包含：增程器(range extender)、3根可拆卸天线、电源适配器(power adapter)、网线(network cable)、快速安装指南(installation guide)、产品许可证(product license)、技术支持信息(support information)和保修。
了解了拆箱体验后，让我们看看您在硬件和规格(hardware and specifications)方面得到了什么。
硬件规格和设计
TP-LINK RE580D是该公司2016 年网络产品组合中的顶级范围扩展器。(range extender)它具有运行频率为 1 GHz的双(GHz)核处理器(core processor)。不幸的是，我们不知道确切的型号，但它可能只是用于该公司的几个无线路由器的Broadcom BCM4709 。此外，此设备上的RAM 内存(RAM memory)量未知。宣传的最大总带宽令人印象深刻，为 1900 Mbps，如下所示：2.4 GHz无线频段为 600 (wireless band)Mbps，5 GHz无线频段(wireless band)为1300 Mbps . 三个外部天线是双频的，范围扩展器(range extender)使用波束成形技术来确保高度针对性和高效的无线连接。
TP-LINK RE580D看起来像一个无线路由器(wireless router)，在我们看来，这是一件好事，因为它的设计相当优雅。它在外置天线和以太网(Ethernet)端口方面也与无线路由器相似。(wireless router)
在设备的背面，您会发现五个千兆(Gigabit)端口，以及大量用于执行以下操作的按钮：重置范围扩展器(range extender)、打开WPS、打开和关闭LED(LEDs)以及打开和关闭设备。除了这些按钮，我们还有电源插孔(power jack)。
范围扩展器(range extender)可以水平和垂直使用。要垂直使用它，请找到提供的底座支架(base support)，将其夹子插入其标记的插槽中，然后将其向左推。同样(Again)，这是您倾向于从无线路由器而不是范围扩展器(range extender)获得的那种灵活性。
在标准支持方面，TP-LINK RE580D 适用(TP-LINK RE580D work)于所有现代标准：802.11ac、802.11n 到 802.11b。显然，它几乎与任何无线路由器兼容，无论品牌和所有主要操作系统，从Linux到Mac OS X再到Windows。
尺寸方面，TP-LINK RE580D有以下尺寸：宽9.5英寸或242毫米，深6.4英寸或162毫米，高1.7英寸或44毫米。该设备重 3.9 磅 1.8 公斤，安装了三个天线以及底座(base support)。
如果您想阅读此设备的官方规格，请访问此页面：TP-LINK RE580D 规格(TP-LINK RE580D Specifications)。
设置和使用TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi 范围(TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi range)扩展器
设置TP-LINK RE580D 范围(TP-LINK RE580D range)扩展器类似于其他同类设备：使用包装中的以太网电缆(Ethernet cable)连接到计算机，或者打开它并从笔记本电脑或平板电脑(laptop or tablet)连接到默认的无线(default wireless network)网络它广播。然后，您启动Web 浏览器(web browser)并转到“http://tplinkrepeater.net”并开始配置设备。我们喜欢它要求用户更改默认用户名和密码(default username and password)，这样不受欢迎的人将很难访问您的范围扩展器(range extender)。
下一步是选择您所在的地区，然后选择您要扩展的两个无线网络：2.4 (wireless network)GHz 无线网络(wireless network)和 5GHz无线网络(wireless network)。
然后，您为范围扩展器(range extender)广播的两个WiFi网络设置名称，并显示所有初始设置的摘要。
您现在可以开始使用TP-LINK RE580D 了(TP-LINK RE580D)。但是，我们建议您继续访问其更高级的设置并配置所有内容。当您登录其用户界面时，您会注意到以下方面：
- 它看起来不错，而且非常易于使用，即使是初学者
- 它仅提供英文版本
- 它不包含太多高级设置，仅包含完成工作所需的基础知识
- (Help documentation)单击 ? 即可轻松获得帮助文档。（问号(question mark)）右上角的按钮
您应该考虑的步骤之一是检查固件更新并安装它们。这很容易做到，它将改善您在使用此设备时获得的体验。在进行测试之前，我们将TP-LINK RE580D更新为当时可用的最新固件版本。
TP-LINK在其网站上吹嘘它提供的用于管理此设备的移动应用程序。该应用程序看起来不错，并且可以轻松地从带有iOS 和 Android的智能手机配置(iOS and Android)范围扩展器(range extender)的功能。您可以在下面看到其主要功能列表的屏幕截图。
不幸的是，至少在Android上，这个应用程序会要求它不应该请求的权限，例如管理您的手机、联系人和存储空间。为什么它必须访问我的联系人？当您无法使用它从范围扩展器(range extender)或网络下载文件时，它为什么要管理我的存储？
我们对此应用程序存在严重的隐私问题，我们不建议您使用它。我们遇到的另一个缺点是缺少USB端口，而且我们无法将范围扩展器(range extender)设置为为我们的客人广播单独的网络。
一旦我们完成了范围扩展器(range extender)的配置，我们就开始将我们的设备连接到它并测试它的工作情况。我们没有遇到连接或稳定性问题(connectivity or stability issues)。我们能够在Windows中加入或创建(Windows)家庭组(Homegroup)、在网络上共享文件、流式传输视频(stream video)等。此外，我们对我们在 5GHz 频段上的无线连接速度感到非常满意，因此我们迫不及待地想要进行更彻底的测试。
即使在长时间使用后，该范围扩展器也往往保持相当凉爽，这对于需要将其放置在温暖环境中的用户来说可能是一个重要功能。(range extender)
在使用它时，您会注意到它的LED(LEDs)非常隐蔽。但是，如果您不想被它们打扰，您可以使用设备背面的按钮或其固件将其关闭。
增程器(range extender)顶部的闪亮表面看起来非常漂亮，但它也是灰尘和指纹磁铁(dust and fingerprint magnet)，因此您可能需要相对经常地对其进行除尘。
这就是我们不得不说的关于该设备提供的用户体验(user experience)的全部内容。如果您想了解TP-LINK RE580D广播的无线网络有多快、它的额外功能和我们的最终判断，请转到本评论的下一页。
Reviewing the TP-LINK RE580D range extender - Impressive WiFi at 5 GHz!
Are you looking for a high-end range extender that can helр you еxtend the coveragе of your wireless network tо those remote corners оf your house or office? Then you will want a device wіth support for the 802.11ac networking standard that can offer fast transfers, and TP-LINK RE580D is one of the fаstest devices of its kind. We tested this dual-band range extender for about a week and, after many tests and mеasurements, we are ready to share our opinion, in this review:
Unboxing the TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi range extender
The packaging used for the TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 range extender uses calm green colors. On the front of the box you see a picture of the device and a list with its most important features.
On the back there's a detailed presentation of what this product does, as well as a comparison with other similar devices from TP-LINK's portfolio.
Inside the box you will find the following elements: the range extender, 3 detachable antennas, the power adapter, a network cable, the quick installation guide, the product license, technical support information and the warranty.
Now that you know about the unboxing experience, let's see what you get in terms of hardware and specifications.
Hardware specifications and design
TP-LINK RE580D is the company's top range extender in their 2016 portfolio of networking products. It features a dual core processor running at 1 GHz. Unfortunately we don't know the exact model but it might just be the Broadcom BCM4709 that is used on several of the company's wireless routers. Also, the amount of RAM memory on this device is unknown. The advertised total maximum bandwidth is an impressive 1900 Mbps, split as follows: 600 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz wireless band and 1300 Mbps for the 5GHz wireless band. The three external antennas are dual band and the range extender uses the beamforming technology to ensure highly targeted and efficient wireless connections.
TP-LINK RE580D looks like a wireless router, which in our view, is a good thing, as its design is quite elegant. It's also similar to wireless routers in terms of external antennas as well as Ethernet ports.
On the back of the device you will find five Gigabit ports, as well as plenty of buttons for things like: resetting the range extender, turning WPS on, turning the LEDs on and off and turning the device on and off. Alongside these buttons we also have the power jack.
The range extender can be used both horizontally and vertically. To use it vertically, find the provided base support, insert its clips into its marked slots marked and then push it leftwards. Again, this is the kind of flexibility that you tend to get from wireless routers, not range extenders.
When it comes to standards support, TP-LINK RE580D work with all the modern standards: 802.11ac, 802.11n down to 802.11b. Obviously, it is compatible with just about any wireless router, no matter the brand and with all the major operating systems, from Linux to Mac OS X to Windows.
In terms of size, TP-LINK RE580D has the following dimensions: 9.5 inches or 242 mm in width, 6.4 inches or 162 mm in depth and 1.7 inches or 44 mm in height. The device weighs 3.9 pounds 1.8 kgs with the three antennas mounted, as well as the base support.
If you want to read the official specifications of this device, go to this page: TP-LINK RE580D Specifications.
Setting up and using the TP-LINK RE580D AC1900 Wi-Fi range extender
Setting up the TP-LINK RE580D range extender is similar to other devices of its kind: you connect to a computer using the Ethernet cable that's found in the packaging or you turn it on and connect from a laptop or tablet to the default wireless network that it broadcasts. Then, you launch a web browser and go to "http://tplinkrepeater.net" and start configuring the device. We liked that it asks the user to change the default username and password, so that unwanted parties will have a hard time accessing your range extender.
The next step is to choose the region you're from and then to select the two wireless networks that you want to extend: the 2.4 GHz wireless network and the 5GHz wireless network.
You then set the name for the two WiFi networks that are broadcast by the range extender and a summary is shown of all your initial settings.
You can now start using TP-LINK RE580D. However, we recommend that you continue by accessing its more advanced settings and configuring absolutely everything. When you log into its user interface, you will notice the following aspects:
- It looks good and it's very easy to use, even by a beginner
- It's available only in English
- It doesn't include much in terms of advanced settings, only the basics that you need to get the job done
- Help documentation is easily available with a click on the ? (question mark) button on the top-right corner
One of the steps that you should take into consideration is checking for firmware updates and installing them. This is easy to do and it will improve the experience you get when using this device. Before doing our testing, we updated the TP-LINK RE580D to the latest firmware version that was available at the time.
TP-LINK brags on its website about a mobile app that it offers for managing this device. The app looks good and makes it easy to configure the functioning of the range extender from your smartphone with iOS and Android. Below you can see a screenshot of a list of its main features.
Unfortunately, at least on Android, this app asks for permissions that it shouldn't request, like managing your phone, contacts and storage. Why does it have to get access to my contacts? Why does it want to manage my storage when you can't use it to download files from your range extender or your network?
We have serious privacy concerns about this app and we don't recommend that you use it. Another downside that we encountered was the lack of USB ports and the fact that we couldn't set the range extender to broadcast a separate network for our guests.
Once we were done configuring the range extender, we moved on to connecting our devices to it and testing how well it works. We did not encounter connectivity or stability issues. We were able to join or create a Homegroup in Windows, share files on the network, stream video and so on. Also, we were very pleased by how fast our wireless connection was on the 5GHz band so we couldn't wait to test things more thoroughly.
This range extender tends to remain quite cool, even after extended periods of use, and this may be an important feature for users who need to place it in warmer environments.
While using it, you notice that its LEDs are quite discreet . However, if you don't want to be bothered by them, you can turn them off using a button on the back of the device or from its firmware.
The shiny surface on the top of the range extender looks very nice but it is also a dust and fingerprint magnet, so you may need to dust it relatively often.
This is all we had to say about the user experience offered by this device. If you would like to learn how fast the wireless networks that are broadcast by TP-LINK RE580D are, its extra features and our final verdict, go to the next page of this review.
