Review on 📶 Hawking Technology HW7ACW: Wireless-AC Multi-function Range Extender, Access Point, Bridge - Wall Plug by Justin Smith

We had trouble getting enough coverage with a standard wireless router in our small office. With a separate conference room across from the lobby, we didn't have a stable connection wherever we needed it. Since we already had a PoE switch with available ports to control our VoIP phone system, stealing a few ports to add those "smoke detectors" wasn't a big deal. As always, routing the cables through the ceiling is the biggest challenge. It has multiple mounting options including two sizes of track clips for drop ceilings. Make sure to download and install the latest firmware version before setting it up - it only makes life easier. You can also do this offline as the device has a fixed IP address. While it runs in DHCP mode, it's much easier to manage if you assign it a static IP address outside of your DHCP range. It has a built-in web interface, but you need to keep track of and manage the IP addresses for each device individually. This isn't a problem for a home or small office, but it will be a nuisance for a large business. They also have a repeater mode that connects to an existing 2.4GHz or 5GHz WiFi network and then wirelessly deploys a new hotspot on either band. I chose not to use this mode as we had a cable available at a remote location, but it would be a decent way to extend the network range when there is power but no network cable. You can't use it as a repeater in PoE mode, only as an access point, but a power adapter is included - very convenient to set up since most computer network ports don't provide power.