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Knowledge document #438

Mesh Repeater cannot establish a Wi-Fi connection

After you set up a Mesh Repeater, it cannot establish a Wi-Fi connection to the FRITZ!Box. If you are using a FRITZ!Repeater as a Mesh Repeater, depending on the model, the signal strength LEDs flash for a while and then switch off, or the Connect LED flashes quickly for a while and then flashes slowly.

Work through the following steps to resolve the problem.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Installing the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box

  1. Install the latest FRITZ!OS on the FRITZ!Box.

2 Optimizing the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi settings

Enabling the 2.4 and the 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Network" ("Radio Network") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. In the section "Active Frequency Bands", enable the Wi-Fi network for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency band.
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Adjusting the name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Network" ("Radio Network") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Disable the option "Different names for the Wi-Fi networks on 2.4 and 5 GHz" to use the same name (SSID) for both Wi-Fi networks. Only then can the FRITZ!Box automatically steer your wireless devices to the ideal frequency band ("band steering").
  4. Enable the option "Name of the Wi-Fi network visible". This way, all wireless devices can connect to the FRITZ!Box and the FRITZ!Box can optimally control your wireless devices in the Mesh ("Mesh Wi-Fi Steering").
  5. Enter a unique name in the field "Name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)". This prevents your wireless devices from trying to connect to the wrong wireless router if there are Wi-Fi networks with the same name in the vicinity.
  6. If you changed the name of the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network (SSID), remove all special characters from the Wi-Fi network name. Since some wireless devices do not support all of the special characters allowed by the FRITZ!Box, only use letters (but not special characters such as ä, ë, ö, ü, á, é, í), numbers, and spaces.
  7. Click "Apply" to save the settings. All Wi-Fi connections to the FRITZ!Box are cleared when the new Wi-Fi network name is adopted. You must then reconfigure the Wi-Fi connections to the FRITZ!Box.

Disabling the MAC address filter

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Allow all new wireless devices".
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Enabling the WPS function

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Security" in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Click on the "WPS Quick Connection" tab.
  4. Enable WPS.
  5. Click "Start WPS" to save the settings.

Unlocking the buttons

  1. Click "System" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Buttons and LEDs" in the "System" menu.
  3. Click on the "Keylock" tab.
  4. Disable the "Buttons locked" checkbox.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

3 Reconfiguring the Wi-Fi connection

  1. Reconfigure the Wi-Fi connection between the Mesh Repeater and the FRITZ!Box. Use the appropriate guide for your Mesh Repeater:
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