Can anyone get EE WiFi 7 pro extenders to pair & stay paired reliably?

[KeithFG]

My EE WiFi extenders will only pair if I connect them directly to the router with a network cable. They will stay paired if I remove the network cable as long as I don’t unplug them, but if I unplug & move them to another location they just won’t reconnect (pair again). They are effectively useless as WiFi extenders. They are infuriatingly slow to pair at all & then won’t work where they are needed. All in all THESE EE WIFI EXTENDERS ARE NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE. My old BT extenders never gave such problems. Anyone got recommendations for alternative WiFi extenders that will actually work with the EE 7 pro router? 

[JimM11 · Accepted solution]

@KeithFG See the help below.

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/setting-up-smart-wifi

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/fix-problem/fix-problems-with-smart-wifi

[Debbie_G]

Hi @KeithFG.

Thanks for coming to the community.

Sorry to hear you’ve been having trouble with your extender. If you’re still having problems after following the steps in the links @JimM11 shared above, please get in touch with our broadband team and they’ll be able to look into this further for you.

Debbie

[KeithFG]

The online advice simply tells me to do what I’ve already done multiple times. That it should be thought acceptable to have to wait hours to see if an EE Extender & EE router will actually make a sustained pairing is frankly ridiculous. I’ve only got the damn things to pair & stay paired when directly linked with a network cable. Then the EE App unsurprisingly tells me that my Extender is too close to the router & should be moved further away-which is what I want to do, of course. But I do that & 24 hours later the useless thing still flashes orange & fails to pair. TOTALLY UNFIT FOR PURPOSE. 
Has anyone got third party extenders which actually work with an EE router and do the job that they are intended to do???

[bobpullen]

@KeithFG - after relocating, try rebooting the hub rather than the extenders and see if that helps.

On the 'too close' thing, I wouldn't read too much into it. It seems to be a (questionable) nuance of the App whereby it always says the extender is too close if it's directly cabled. Mine is in the same boat but it's definitely positioned optimally.

[daveb10780]

I fear I have an identical issue. I just cannot get my upstairs extender to work properly, this is wireless. Latest weird display is that the App says Online and I have a solid aqua light. However I also have a red No Signal and no devices connect.  I find everything is just so inconsistent which makes it impossible to troubleshoot. Only Lan connected extenders seem to work reliably. I really regret moving away from my BT Smart Hub where extenders connected relaibly and with zero problems. I am so hoping for some quick fixes becaus e I have an unhappy family right now.

[JimM11]

@daveb10780 Try as @bobpullen suggest's and power reset the main Pro Hub to see if that makes the smart wireless kick into life with the Wireless backhaul operation, the 6Ghz band that the unit relies on may be just having a bad day!

[daveb10780]

Thanks, a simple power down and back of the Hub seems to have done the trick and I have devices connecting to the wireless extender. I will leave it for a while then try the same again if I move it again.

[JimM11]

@daveb10780 It's always one off those chicken/egg which sucker comes first or causes the issue with the connection, is it the Hub not sending or the Extender not playing type situation and not enough tools in the toolbox to say what way to go.