How to set up your WiFi Extender kit

First, just give us a call and a Customer Care Representative will walk you through the ordering process. The current price is $99 per kit plus applicable taxes and $4.95 shipping.

Note: G.hn stands for “Gigabit home network” and refers to the specialized technology used in this type of electrical-based WiFi extender.

When you order a CenturyLink WiFi Extender, you’ll receive the Starter Kit. Here’s what’s included in the box:

• 1 G.hn Network Adapter (Bridge), model CTLPB – WF-802G
• 1 G.hn Wireless/Ethernet Extender (Access Point), model CTLAP – WF-802GW
• 1 Ethernet Cord (yellow)

The WiFi Extender is a self-installed device. You can get CenturyLink support over chat or by phone if you need it. 

IMPORTANT: Preview Steps 1-3 before you begin. Once you complete Step 1, you will have two minutes to complete Steps 2 and 3 for the pairing process to work correctly. 

Near your high-speed internet modem, find an electrical power outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch. Plug the Network Adapter (model WF-802G) into that outlet.

Plug one end of the yellow Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on the bottom of the device you just plugged in (WF-802G). Plug the other end of the yellow Ethernet cable into any one of the Ethernet ports on your high-speed internet modem.

Find a nearby electrical power outlet, also not controlled by a wall switch. Plug the second device, the Wireless Extender (model WF-802GW) into that outlet.

TIP:  We recommended that, whether you do manual or auto-pairing, you keep the two devices in the same room during the “pairing” process. This makes it easy to see the LED lights on both devices at the same time, so that you know the status (see the light indicator table). Once the two devices are successfully paired, you’ll be able to move the extender (access point) to the whatever area of your house needs the added WiFi coverage. 

The two devices will begin auto-pairing. Look at the LED next to the house icon.  It should be blinking green on both devices once powered up. During auto-pairing, the G.hn light should blink slowly in amber. Do not unplug either device during this process.

Once the two units are paired, if you have one of our newer modems and it’s connected both to the internet and to the bridge via Ethernet cable, then the access point will automatically clone, or create a copy of, your WiFi network. This means that you can connect to your extender using your same WiFi network name (SSID) and password (security key). Easy!

The initial pairing and cloning process will take about 4 minutes. Once it’s complete, the G.hn home light will turn solid green on both devices.

If for any reason auto-pairing is unsuccessful, the G.hn home light will turn off. If this happens, you’ll need to reset the devices before trying pairing again.

Once the two devices are paired, they will stay linked even if power is lost, which gives you one less thing to worry about if there’s an outage, or if one of the devices accidentally gets unplugged.

NOTE: If you are using a third-party modem, you will need to manually pair the two devices. Read the instructions below for manual pairing.

Now unplug the second device (WF-802GW) and move it to a room where you would like extended Wi‑Fi coverage. Plug it into an electrical power outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch. You are ready to enjoy extended Wi‑Fi coverage!

• G.hn Extenders must be installed on the same power grid (electrical panel) — see the diagram for an illustration. If you’re unsure whether you have the same circuit or not, you may need to test it using your home’s main electrical box. Plug two lamps or similar into the two outlets you want to use. Then flip one circuit at a time in the circuit box, and see if the two items turn off and on at the same time. If they do, then you know they’re on the same circuit.
  
  If the power is split between two power meters or two panels (as in the second image below), the two extender devices will not pair correctly.

• For best results, always plug both extender devices directly into electrical wall outlets.
  • Do NOT use power strips or extension cords. This will not allow the extenders to work properly.
  • Do NOT use 3-prong to 2-prong plug adapters. This will also impair performance of the extenders.       

If auto-pairing does not work, you can reset the devices and try to prompt pairing manually in a single step. 

Step 1:  Make sure both units are plugged in and fully powered on (the G.Hn light is solid green).

Step 2: Push the WPS button on each device, hold it for 10 seconds, then release. You can do this at the same time with two hands, or do one after the other. It doesn’t matter which unit is triggered first.

Step 3:  This will trigger the pairing process on both units. The G.hn light on both units should begin to blink amber, about one blink per second.

• If the auto-pairing process works, the G.hn light will turn solid green.
• If the auto-pairing process doesn’t work, the G.hn light will turn off.

If the process fails, restart the process to attempt paring again. If, after a couple of tries, you still aren’t able to get the units to pair successfully, contact us and we’ll help you figure out what’s going wrong.

Cloning is where the extender makes an exact copy of your existing wireless network. This means the name of the network (SSID) and security key (password) stay the same, so your devices can connect to the new extender signal using the same WiFi login info.

The access point unit will automatically copy the wireless information from your modem once pairing has taken place (provided the modem is online). The cloning process takes about 2 minutes. This applies only if you have a newer modem (see below).

If you don’t have one of the modems listed above, you may want to consider upgrading to give you the easiest and most seamless pairing and use with your WiFi Extender devices.

You can manage device settings using your personal Actiontec G.hn control panel, which you can access on any device with an internet browser.