WiFi 7 Pro Extender - I canot get this thing to work, at all!

[xdcx]

Hi, 

I just had my 1.6gbps service installed today and the pro hub is working very well. I'm very happy with the cabled and wifi connection to the pro hub. 

However, the included wifi pro extender is driving me up the wall. At this point, I have tried everything and I simply cannot get the thing to work, at all! 

Trying to pair it via the web interface of the router over wifi. Never once has it worked. Flashes orange, push WPS button and it will then go to flashing aqua and stay like that for hours. 
Multiple factory resets in between of the extender. 
This is in the same room. 1 meter apart. 

Connected directly via eth. The extender shows a solid aqua light. But if I go into the web interface, under "My Network" - there is no extender showing anywhere. Wifi extenders on eth and wifi show as 0. 
If I go to "wireless" and the "wifi extenders" tab, it shows up. 
firmware -  r3.8.25-R-1595997-PROD-1

MAC matches and it is auto assigned the device serial number as its "wifi extender name". 

As soon as I unplug the thing for ETH without power cycle. It shows solid aqua light but it is no longer showing in the hub on the web interface. 
Power cycle it. and it just goes back to flashing orange light. 
Again, 1 meter away from the hub. 


Furthermore, I have tried connecting it via the EE app on my Samsung S23 Android phone. Same process of orange flashing, WPS button and it sits then flashing aqua and the app sits doing nothing for ages. One time it said "your extender MIGHT have paired, check the broadband tab". I did, and it was not there. 

Tried connecting via eth again, use the EE app on the phone and it did show eventually under the broadband tab but said it was offline in the device list. It was showing solid aqua light at this time, but showing as last seen 4 mins ago and offline. 

At this point, I do not know what else to try. This has wasted too much of my day. 
I work in IT. If this is the sort of device that EE are sending out to customers a s simple setup solution, then I have major concerns. It's an absolute piece of junk. Genuinely hoping I have just been extremely unlucky and landed a dodgy device at this point. 

Thanks.

[JimM11]

@xdcx Here is all the EE Help if you need it, once connected paired and working moved to the location and assuming it is wireless WiFi connecting to the 6Ghz backhaul it just requires to be left alone to connect and mesh up! The best option always seems to be do the Ethernet pairing out off the box, leave 24hrs connected then disconnect - move and leave again!

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/setting-up-smart-wifi
https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/setting-up-wifi-extender
https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/fix-problem/fix-problems-with-smart-wifi

FW: r3.8.26-R-1595999-PROD-1 and the gui is at App Version is 3.1.3.19 24/12/2025 is the latest FW for the Pro router as far as i can see, not seen anything on the Forum as a later version updated, so you ARE ONE version back and NOT at the latest.... You will get it all if you leave everything connected up and EE push to all the devices ie your Hub and the Smart Wireless Extender!

[xdcx]

Thanks @JimM11 
I am not sure why the post is marked as resolved from this though. It isn't. 

I have now tried reset extender, ethernet cable to the hub for setup which worked fine. Solid aqua LED. 
I then removed the ethernet cable and it stays solid aqua, shows devices connected and working on hub interface. 
As soon as I unplug it to move it somewhere else, it never pairs again. Flashing orange LED times. This is all within less than 4 meters of where my hub is. 

No matter what I do I cannot get this extender to pair up as soon as I try to move it away and that is after it has sat connected for over 24 hours. 

[JimM11]

@xdcxNo idea who marked it up see someone did it at 12.54pm but does not say who, when you have it connected by the Ethernet cable, how long do you leave it like that before you disconnect it from the main hub?

Some have suggested that it get's left connected for up to 24 hours, then switched off good 5 minutes moved and re connected as a wireless node that it does all by itself.... As a Pro/Smart Wireless connection i believe it relies completely on the 6Ghz band for the connection between both.

You may have to use a wifi mobile analyzer and see that all bands are on for both devices! 

It does seem to be OK when connected by the Ethernet Backhaul between them both, but your home would need to support that cable arrangement for that to work!

[JimM11]

@xdcx Although it may not seem good, EE Considers the Flashing Orange to be a perfectly good indication that the EE Smart Wireless is working and in fact not connected to the EE Hub but waiting to connect, do take a look to see it is all working!

EE WiFi Extender 7 Pro | Device Help

[Redacted]

Hello,

In case you fell into the same trap as me. The extender doesn't show up in the my network page. That shows devices connected to the extender and if none are connected shows 0 even if the extender is connected. The WIFI extenders connected can be found in the page shown below.

[JimM11]

@Redacted It's more about the stupid flashing orange light once the sucker is switched off for the position move and back on again, then it just does not want to re-connect back up to the Hub and go Aqua!

@xdcx Per chance i did a fix with someone couple weeks ago with the hub/mesh can't say but may have been the 6+, anyway he had a couple off Tp-Link Extenders in use that just never came out the woodwork until probed all about what he had and what was going on, and i told him to turn those off, next day the whole thing started working great full coverage all over the ship so just a thought when it came to my head!

[xdcx]

Hi Jim, 

I left it connected for way over 24 hours on ethernet. I then removed the thernet and left it for a good day again, overnight etc on wifi and it stayed solid aqua. Well over 2 days total. 
Then I tried moving it. 
It's just flashing solid orange but I go into the web interface and it is not showing as a wifi extender at all. All I can see is the hub. no devices are connecting to the extender, only the hub. 

When the hub was on solid aqua on both eth and wifi, I could see it listed in the hub web interface and devices connected to it. But as soon as I power cycle it, flashing orange for days now and it's not in the interface nor devices conencting. It is 100% not working at all. 

the page Redacted shows is where I am looking. I can see it in there when on eth as above. Soon as I move it, doesn't show there at all even after leaving it days on flashing orange. 

I am convinced this extender is faulty. 
I do not have any other wifi extenders or routers in the house to interfere. Just the hub and a single extender. 

I am just really not wanting to phone EE and be taught how to suck eggs and go through all this stuff again I have tried. But I am going to have to just get on with that as I have tried everything with this. I'd rather just get some money credited to my account and send this extender back. And then purchase some decent hardware to use instead. This thing is useless. 

[JimM11]

@xdcx You saw it connected both Wireless and Ethernet when it was by the EE Hub, move it back to the same room again and power it up NO ethernet connection and give it time see if it connects, and goes Aqua.