Wireless networking technologies are gaining more and more popularity today, but it is no wonder. If about ten years ago laptops were quite rare among ordinary users, and they had never heard of tablets, today both of them are commonplace. The routine that is connected to the network with wires is nonsense, because all their mobility is lost. Of course, if you move the laptop exclusively between the desktop and the sofa, then you can still put up with the presence of an extra cable, but if you use it throughout the apartment, it is already inconvenient to carry the cable along with you, and wiring the network to all rooms is somewhat expensive and impractical.

As for small offices, here it is often much easier and cheaper to provide a wireless connection than to lay twisted-pair coils and install switches. These things are successfully replaced by one multifunctional device - a Wi-Fi router. Earlier we already told you about the TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND model, and today we'll talk about.

TP-LINK is well known to everyone who deals with networks, both wired and wireless. The equipment produced by this company, as a rule, has fairly affordable prices, but in terms of functionality it is not inferior to more expensive products from other companies.

Specifications TP-LINK TL-WR841N

The information given in the table was collected based on the data provided on the manufacturer's website, as well as on the actual capabilities of the WEB interface. In general, the capabilities of the router are quite extensive, almost everything that can be configured can be configured.

Package

The device is sold in a glossy cardboard box, decorated in traditional TP-LINK white and green colors.

On the front side of the package there is a photo of the router and a brief description of its key features. Among them:

high performance;

the ability to operate a wireless channel at speeds up to 300 Mbps;

easy installation;

one-button encryption setup.

Below are logos of supported network standards and technologies used.

At the ends of the box are quite detailed specifications, system requirements and installation diagram.

On the back side, you can find a typical connection diagram, images of devices that can connect to the router, as well as a detailed description of all ports on the rear panel.

Equipment

The package contains everything you need to fully use the device immediately after removing it from the box:

power adapter;

patch cord;

documentation CD;

short and extended installation guide;

warranty card.

Antennas, which are often in the box, in this case are already installed on the router. In addition to printed materials containing information on installation and connection, several promotional brochures were also found in the package.

Router TP-LINK TL-WR841N

The body of the device is made of white matte plastic and has rounded shapes. There are rounded corners, smooth curves of the edges, and a slightly curved top panel. This design distinguishes TP-LINK TL-WR841N from many other routers, which are ordinary rectangular boxes. But, it is worth recognizing that there are much more effective solutions.

Along the perimeter of the front panel there are several grooves in which ventilation slots are hidden. The central part is accented with a black glossy stripe with an influx at the front edge. It contains indicators for power, device operation and wireless connection activity, indicators for connections to LAN ports and WAN port activity, as well as a WPS indicator.

Such an arrangement of indicators can be called successful. They are well readable both in desktop installation and when mounting the device on the wall.

In the center of the front panel is the manufacturer's logo, applied in silver paint.

The bottom panel of the router is replete with ventilation slots. It also has four rubber feet for horizontal installation and two lugs for wall mounting. The sticker located in the middle informs about the model name, power adapter settings, default network settings.

All ports and controls are concentrated on the rear face. Along the edges are two antennas, and between them is a power button, a power supply socket, a WAN port, four LAN ports, a QSS button, and a small recessed reset button.

On the whole, the router case is well thought out, the indicators are well readable, all ports are easily accessible.

WEB interface

TP-LINK TL-WR841N is configured via the WEB interface. Despite the apparent complexity, it is quite easy to learn, all customizable options are described in detail on the right side of the screen.

The first page is Status. Here you can see the main parameters.

The next section is "Quick Setup". With it, you can quickly configure basic settings, which may be enough for home use. We are prompted to select the type of WAN connection, specify a username and password, and configure a wireless network.

In the "QSS" section, a quick setup of the wireless network Quick Security Setup is available. After activating QSS, the mechanism for connecting wireless network clients is enabled, and channel encryption is set using an automatically generated password.

The "Network" section has three subsections. In WAN, you can set the method for obtaining an IP address in the external network dynamically using an external DHCP server or in manual mode, as well as select the method of connecting via an encrypted channel with a communication provider through standards: PPPoE, L2TP, PPTP, BigPondCable, specify the MTU, packet size, connection mode, etc.

In the "LAN" subsection, you can manually set the IP address and subnet mask.

If the provider identifies by MAC address, the "MAC Clone" subsection will be useful.

In the “Wireless Settings” menu item of the “Wireless” section, you can select the wireless connection standard and set its name. You can select the point line channel number and enable/disable the wireless segment. You can also disable broadcast SSID (network name and login options).

The “Wireless Security” submenu allows you to select the authorization method and set the encryption algorithm, in addition, the secure data transfer mode can be disabled altogether.

In the MAC address filtering subsection, you can create a black and white list of devices that are prohibited or allowed to connect to your network. This filter is disabled by default.

Among the advanced wireless settings, you can select the packet size, enable WMM (video streaming priority), etc.

There are also statistics on wireless connections.

The "DHCP" section contains DHCP server settings. Here you can reserve a pool of addresses, view information about clients.

The "Forwarding" section is useful for bypassing NAT protocol restrictions. In the "Virtual Servers" subsection, you can set the IP addresses of local machines to which certain ports will be redirected from an external connection. This allows you to implement any servers on local network machines that will be open on the prescribed ports for external traffic and connections.

In the "Port Triggering" menu, you can configure redefinition or substitution of ports for forwarding packets.

In the "DMZ" item, you can specify the IP address of the local station, to which all packets arriving at any port of the router will go. Those. it is she who will have an IP address assigned to the WAN interface and fully respond to requests from an external client.

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology allows all devices in a network environment to automatically discover each other.

Among the security settings available are a standard firewall, blocking based on signs of various attacks. It is possible to restrict access by MAC addresses. There are also access settings from an external network for configuring the device.

As you can see, the capabilities of the WEB-interface are extensive, TP-LINK TL-WR841N lends itself to very flexible configuration depending on the tasks that are set for it. But this statement is true for almost any TP-LINK wireless router, because the contents of their WEB interface are almost identical. If you open the review for comparison TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND, then you will immediately see the last section for managing devices connected to the USB port. For the rest of the points, you can try to find ten differences, and this is unlikely to succeed. In this regard, TP-LINK is pleased: the functionality of even the available models almost completely coincides with the functionality of the "top" solutions. In any case, this is true regarding the settings, but as for the speed capabilities, they are still different.

Testing

Let's move on to speed. Testing is carried out under ideal conditions, the distance between the router and the client is no more than two meters. This is due to the desire to reduce the impact on the results of interference from various equipment: mobile phones, microwave ovens, etc. The throughput of the NAT interface is also measured numerically, and for a visual comparison, we measure the data transfer rate between two LAN ports of the device.

TP-LINK TL-WR841N has been tested in our lab using ASUS RT-N66U and ASUS EA-N66 network equipment and Gigabit Ethernet Intel 82566MC.

Comparative performance testing on a 300 Mbps connection with two meters line of sight using WPA2 encryption.

In both directions

Data flow from access point to client

Client data flow to access point

Comparative testing of the speed of packets passing through the LAN interface for another LAN client in both directions.

In both directions

Data flow in one direction

Comparative testing of the speed of passing packets through the NAT service of this router in both directions.

As you can see, the maximum average data transfer rate that was achieved over the wireless interface is 71 Mbps. This result can be called average, but in general it is typical for this class of devices. The speed of packets passing through the NAT interface does not differ much from that between two LAN ports and is close to the limit for them. Interestingly, in the graph of data transfer over a wired network in both directions, we see an average speed even higher than the declared 100 Mbps.

findings

The wireless router proved to be a well-balanced device. This is not a "top" model in the manufacturer's line, so it lacks some functionality, for example, the Ethernet ports here operate at a speed of 100 Mbps. Wi-Fi of the IEEE 802.11n specification, like any modern router, is supported, but the actual data transfer rate over the wireless interface is far from the limit. But, again, this is true for all similar devices.

Once again, the competent implementation of the built-in WEB-interface pleases. Despite the apparent complexity, the router is actually quite simple to set up. And a large number of available options allows you to configure the device depending on the tasks assigned to it.

In the design of the case, I liked the well-placed indicators, which remain equally well readable both on a desktop installation and when mounted on a wall.

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Wireless routers are gradually moving from the category of devices for geeks to the category of very mass products. Almost every wealthy family today has two or three Wi-Fi-enabled devices (laptop, tablet, phone), and some of them can only be connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Today we will look at an inexpensive TP-Link TL-WR841N router, which can be bought for less than 300 UAH.

Specifications TP-Link TL-WR841N

• Type: wireless router.
• Wireless part: 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz).
• Wired part: one 100 Mb WAN port and four 100 Mb LAN ports.
• Processor and Memory: Atheros AP81 (400 MHz processor core), 32 MB RAM.

Appearance and design TP-Link TL-WR841N

The appearance of the router immediately gives out its budgetary origin. The case is made of the simplest white plastic and cannot boast of designer finds. Separately, I would like to note the persistent and unpleasant smell of Chinese plastic, well known to buyers of cheap cars from China. Another interesting point is the non-replaceable antennas. To be honest, this is the first time I have encountered such a solution in a router. Exactly the same model, but with the ND index, has interchangeable antennas.

The status of the router is indicated by a row of identical green LED indicators.

There are no surprises on the back: a power supply connector, an on / off button, a WAN port, four LAN ports, a button for quick setup using WPS and a recessed Reset.

Below is a sticker on which information about the router and information necessary for the initial setup of the device are printed.

Router at work

TP-Link WR841N operates in the 2.4 GHz band and supports two spatial streams simultaneously (MIMO 2x2), so theoretically the maximum connection speed can reach 300 Mbps. In practice, even when the router was in line of sight from the laptop (MacBook Pro 13" - we use this model for tests, as it is one of the few laptops equipped with a Wi-Fi adapter with MIMO 3x3: 3 support), the maximum connection speed was 130 Mbps For comparison, the more expensive TP-Link TL-WR1043ND in the same conditions shows a connection speed of around 180 Mbps.

The router management web interface is typical for TP-Link models. In general, I would call it "Spartan". TL-WR841N supports the following types of connection to the provider:

• static IP;
• dynamic IP;
• PPPoE (with Dual Access support);
• PPTP/L2TP (with Dual Access support).

In general, TL-WR841N supports all the basic functionality required by a modern router, including IPTV.

Performance

The performance of the router, taking into account the speed of the interfaces, can be called sufficient. The speed of copying files from computer to computer (both LAN-to-LAN and WAN-to-LAN) was 11 MB / s with a wired connection and 9 MB / s with a wireless connection. We can say that the router will not be a bottleneck when connecting to a provider at speeds up to 100 Mbps.

Testing showed that the router does not “digest” a large number of active connections in the best way (for example, when downloading files using the BitTorrent protocol). At the same time, the stability of its work deteriorates significantly.

In the dry matter

TP-Link TL-WR841N is a typical representative of the class of inexpensive routers. Yes, it cannot boast of advanced functionality or special performance, but it does not need it. Its main task is simply to distribute the Internet to several wireless clients, and it copes with this task quite well (except for stability problems when downloading a large number of files via BitTorrent). Given the price (less than 300 hryvnia), it is difficult to make excessive demands on the device.

Attention! Competition! Win one of eight TP-Link TL-WR841N routers!

Editorial gg I am happy to announce the next competition, which we are holding from September 17 to October 14 (inclusive) together with TP-Link. The prize fund is played by 8 (!) TP-Link TL-WR841N routers.

To enter the competition, collect all your Wi-Fi devices in one pile, take a photo and upload it to the site (in JPEG format). The end result should look something like this:

By tradition, only residents of Ukraine who have reached the age of 16 and are not affiliated with the Magnet media holding and TP-Link can take part in the competition. Only one entry will be accepted per participant. Prize-winners are selected among all participants admitted to the drawing at random. The results will be summed up and announced on the website no later than October 17. Follow our news. Good luck and may the Force be with you!

TP-Link TL-WR841N is a N-series wireless router that can provide up to 300Mbps wireless bandwidth and up to 100Mbps wired bandwidth. The router uses 2T2R MIMO technology in WDS-Bridge wireless network mode. This allows not only to expand the bandwidth of the channel, but also to achieve a sufficiently stable signal, which should have a positive effect on the good performance of applications with video streaming and online games. That's what the manufacturer says. To what extent this is so, we will find out today in the process.

Appearance of the device (design and back panel)

The device has a nice design, not bulky dimensions (width, height, depth: 192 x 33 x 130 mm). It also has the ability to mount on the wall (specialized notches for wall mounting are located on the bottom), which will also be very beneficial for those who want to achieve an optimal and stable signal within their home / office wireless network.

The body is made of white plastic. The device has two antennas. The display panel is located on the top cover, which should be beneficial when installing the device on the wall.

Expanding the device and looking closely at the rear panel, we can see the following:

→ Back panel (listed from left to right):
√ On/Off button devices
√ Power supply connector
√ 4xLAN ports
√ 1xWAN port
√ Mode switch on/off WiFi
√ Universal WPS/Reset button

Typically, wireless routers do not have so many buttons on the case. This makes the device quite versatile, and its control is convenient. After all, now it is possible not only to enable / disable the WPS protocol and reset to factory settings, but also it is possible to disable the Wi-Fi module itself and even turn off the device completely.

Equipment

In a modest discreet box you will find the same modest package, which includes everything you need. More specifically:

→ Equipment:
√ Quick Installation Guides (English and multilingual(including Russian))
√ Brochure with a license agreement for the right to use
√ Warranty card
√ A disk with a utility for updating the router software and its quick configuration
√ Power Supply
√ RJ-45 cable
√ 2 fixed omnidirectional antennas

Screws for wall mounting, unfortunately, are not included. But this is not such a huge drawback, but it is present.

Device Specifications

→ Hardware specifications

√ Interfaces: 4 X 10/100 Mbps LAN ports; 1 10/100 Mbps WAN port
√ Antenna: 5dBi*2 fixed omnidirectional antennas
√ Frequency range: 2.4 GHz
→ Signaling rate:
√ IEEE 802.11n: up to 300 Mbps (dynamic)
√ IEEE 802.11g: up to 54 Mbps (dynamic)
√ IEEE 802.11b: up to 11 Mbps (dynamic)
√ Transmitter power: 20dBM
√ Features: Enable/Disable broadcast, WDS bridge, WMM, Statistics
√ Wireless network standards: 64/128/152-bit WEP / WPA / WPA2, WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK

→ Software features

√ Supported WAN protocols: Dynamic IP/Static IP /PPPoE/PPTP/L2TP/BigPond
√ VPN protocols: PPTP, L2TP, IPSec (ESP Head)
√ DHCP: Server, Client, DHCP Client List, Address Reservation
√ QoS: WMM, Bandwidth Control
√ Port forwarding: Virtual server, Port forwarding, UPnP, DMZ
√ Dynamic DNS: DynDns, Comexe, NO-IP
√ Access control: Parental Control, Local Control, Host List, Access Schedule, Rule Management
√ Security (firewall): DoS, SPI firewall, IP address filtering / MAC address filtering / Domain filter, IP and MAC address binding

Device programming interface

The software interface of the device is quite simple and easy to set up, especially after updating the router software. Initially, the factory firmware is in English. After the update, it becomes in Russian, which allows the user to easily navigate the menu and configure the router.

Test

Since I do not have specialized hardware and software at hand, I decided to do some tests, which I conducted in real conditions. Those. tests were done in normal operating mode without excessive squeezing the maximum out of this device.

Wireless Internet connection performance test

This test involved a router and an old Emachines em350 netbook. The router was connected to an Internet provider with the declared speed of the tariff plan up to 30 Mbps. The test was done in an ordinary apartment, which is located in a panel house built in the 70s of the last century. At three points. A is the closest point to the router. B - a point somewhere approximately in the middle of the apartment. C - the most remote point of the apartment. At two different heights: the height at the level of a regular desk/book/kitchen table and the second point was located at the same distance, but at the lowest level (the netbook was located directly on the floor). The test was run at each point three times, after which the result was summed up and divided by the total number of measurements taken. The time was chosen in the evening so that the test result turned out to be the most realistic (since in the evening the load on the Internet channel is quite high). Here are the test results:

From the graph, we can clearly see that there are no very noticeable deviations at the first two points, but at points C they are already noticeable decently. But at the same time, the value of the Internet connection speed is still high enough to actively surf the Internet and view multimedia content without any problems. This indicates that under the set conditions, the router copes with its task without any problems. Yes, and the Wi-Fi module of the netbook does not differ in high performance in terms of bandwidth. So the result can be easily increased using a different type of device (for example, a laptop with a Wi-Fi module that will be an order of magnitude more powerful).

Test for prioritizing Internet connections between clients

This test was carried out both over a wired channel and between wireless and wired connections. On one of the computers, the download was turned on, which uses the entire Internet channel, and on the other, the game was online. Available in two versions: computer-to-computer (wired connection only), computer-to-netbook (wired/wireless connection).

As a result, surprisingly, downloading on another device did not affect the ping in the game. Ping was stable and did not jump. It was still possible to score a connection with one computer when downloading a torrent file for which a retracker was available on the network. Those. the speed has reached the speed of the local connection (100 Mbps). But usually downloading via the Internet channel no longer favorably affects the ping in the game and it starts to jump and sometimes its value goes beyond a reasonable limit. Those. the router, although not perfect, but quite competently distributes priorities for using the Internet channel between clients.

Conclusion

This router does its job perfectly and will suit most users. But this device has its pros and cons.

→ Pros

+ Low cost
+ Decent design
+ Thoughtful organization of governing bodies
+ Sufficiently stable signal in the coverage area of ​​the device
+ Competent distribution of the priority of using the Internet connection between clients
+ Convenient software interface

→ Cons

- Pretty modest set

But this minus is rather just a nitpick. Just for him to be. Looking at the cost of the device, you can very easily turn a blind eye to it.
P.S. Thanks for being patient. I hope you enjoyed the review. =)

Wireless router TP Link TL WR841N is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the market of devices for creating a home network. The router has a standard set of wired interfaces (1 wan + 4 lan), as well as a modern Wi-Fi wireless module with a connection speed of up to 300 Mbit / s and a DHCP server for issuing IP addresses to home devices. The powerful and efficient TP-Link TL-WR841N router is capable of providing stable and high-quality HD video broadcasting, VoIP transmission, as well as uninterrupted operation of online games. The router is made in a stylish plastic case and has a WPS function, that is, a quick wireless connection, and is also very easy to set up. A detailed overview of all features is later in this article.

Appearance

TP-Link TL-WR841ND differs from a similar device without the letter "D" in the presence of detachable antennas. Otherwise, both devices are identical. The router is made in a white plastic case, has two external antennas. On the front side there are service indicators, on the back there are WAN, LAN connectors and a power connector.

On the rear panel of the TP-Link TL-WR841N router, there is a power button on the left, then there is a connector for connecting the power supply (9V, 0.6A). In the center is a block with network connectors of the RJ-45 standard. The blue WAN port is required to connect the ISP cable, through which the connection with the server goes and the device receives an IP address. Yellow LAN ports for connecting home devices. Next are two buttons WPS / Reset and enable / disable the Wi-Fi module. Pressing the WPS/Reset button once activates WPS mode to quickly set up a wireless connection.

If the WPS / Reset button is held down for a few seconds, the router settings will be reset and it will have to be configured again!

There are 8 indicators on the front panel that display the status of the router. From left to right:

• power indicator
• Wi-Fi indicator (wireless module)
• 4 LAN port activity indicators
• WAN port indicator
• WPS indicator

The indicators can be used to carry out initial diagnostics in case of problems or when setting up a TP Link router. For example, if the WAN LED is off, then there may be a problem with the ISP cable, or the network has experienced an accident on the backbone equipment or server. User reviews indicate that the indicators of the TP-Link router help when setting up the device.

The products of the network brand No. 1 in China have long been known to the domestic user, and are known as a fairly high-quality product for relatively little money. Not so long ago, we already considered one of the top models of routers from this company, TP-Link TL-MR3420, as well as a kit for organizing a local network through an electric TP-Link TL-PA211. Today, two more devices from this manufacturer came to our test lab. They do not shine with technical frills, but they can please the widest range of users, as they are designed to organize a wireless Wi-Fi network of the 802.11n standard with a bandwidth of up to 300 Mbps. We are talking about the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router and the TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter, which we are starting to study.

⇡ Specifications

The TP-Link TL-WR841ND model is a classic 100-megabit router with a wireless access point operating in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networks. The device is equipped with two standard detachable antennas with a gain of 3 dBi, which are part of MIMO technology, which provides high performance wireless network segment, as well as wide coverage area and high signal stability. The wired segment of the router has four RJ-45 ports for connecting LAN clients and one external WAN port. All of them belong to the 10/100Base-TX standard.

The TP-Link TL-WN822N model for a regular USB Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n adapter is not too compact. But it, like the router, found room for two powerful omnidirectional antennas with a gain of 3 dBi, which should provide better performance compared to the internal antennas of various devices, including laptops, which do not always do a good job of finding a weak WiFi signal. Among the interesting features of the novelty, one cannot fail to note the officially declared work of the adapter with the Sony PSP prefix.

One of the options for the structure of a wireless network based on a TP-Link TL-WR841ND router, a TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter, and other TP-Link network devices

It should be noted that both new items are equipped with a built-in QSS (Quick Secure Setup) function for quickly setting up a secure wireless connection. It is enough to press the corresponding button on the case of any of the devices, and the automated QSS tool will automatically establish a connection using WPA2 encryption algorithms. The user will only need to set the desired password. In fact, this function is nothing more than the more well-known WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) technology, only it is called differently.

Quickly set up a secure wireless connection with QSS

⇡ Equipment

The boxes in which the new items are delivered are decorated in light green colors common to all TP-Link network devices. Delivery sets are nothing outstanding. Together with the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router, the user will find:

• a pair of folding antennas,
• power adapter,
• ethernet cable,
• CD with proprietary software and instruction manual in PDF format,
• printed quick installation guide in Russian.

New packaging

Package contents of the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router

The TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter has fewer accessories. However, he no longer needs:

• miniUSB to USB cable,
• CD with proprietary software and instruction manual in PDF format.

TP-Link TL-WN822N USB Adapter Package Contents

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

With the change in design of the entire TP-Link product line, the network devices of this company began to look modern and somehow light. In some ways, they even surpass the most beautiful samples of various eminent manufacturers. Here, for example, is one of the heroes of our today's review, the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router. This is the rare case when the live device looks even better than in the promotional photo.

Firstly, as it turned out upon close acquaintance, the snow-white body of the novelty is not made of easily soiled, easily scratched lacquered plastic, but of slightly rough matte. It seems like a trifle, but for many it will be very pleasant. At the same time, a matte router looks no worse than a glossy one! The secret lies in the fact that the eye is constantly distracted either by the black trim elements or by the original concentric ventilation slots - a beautiful and at the same time practical design concept. By the way, the detachable antennas are also made black, thanks to which the appearance of the TP-Link TL-WR841ND acquires very serious shades. A number of standard LED indicators are slightly compressed and are also located on the black insert.

Appearance of the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router

The bottom of the router is no less pretty. It is all cut up with small ventilation holes, between which there was a place for two plastic loops, for which you can hang the router on the wall. In addition to the vertical placement of the device, the usual horizontal installation on four small rubber feet is also provided.

The bottom of the case TP-Link TL-WR841ND

All connectors and interfaces are traditionally concentrated on the rear wall of the router. In addition to the RJ-45 ports specified in the specification, there is a socket for connecting the power adapter, a reset button for all settings, a button for quickly setting up a secure QSS wireless connection, and a pair of RP-SMA connectors for installing antennas from the package. In addition, there was a place on the rear panel of the router for the power on / off button, which developers often “forget” about. Meanwhile, using this button is much more convenient than each time reaching for a plug with a plug, located, as a rule, in a far dusty corner.

Back of the TP-Link TL-WR841ND case

The TP-Link TL-WR841ND router, although it stands out from the general mass of its kind, still has a classic layout. In contrast, the TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter looks completely unusual. With the antennas folded, it is a small box of lacquered white plastic with rounded edges, no larger than a pack of cigarettes. The side-mounted foldable antennas can be rotated up to 180 degrees independently of each other to achieve the best possible signal.

Bottom view of TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter

The adapter has a single QSS button for quickly setting up a secure wireless connection, as well as an LED activity indicator. The developers have provided only one way of installation - on a table or other horizontal surface. At the same time, it will be connected to the computer with a one and a half meter USB cable.

Appearance of the USB adapter TP-Link TL-WN822N

I must say that the novelty not only looks attractive, but also easy to use. Such a compact and lightweight box is not difficult to carry in a bag with a laptop. At the same time, the adapter still takes up little space, and its sensitivity is higher compared to more compact samples with internal antennas.

⇡ Internal structure

TP-Link is a partner of the world's largest provider of wireless network solutions, Atheros, so it is not surprising that microchips from this manufacturer were found inside the new products. For the router, the developers chose an Atheros AR7241 processor running at 400 MHz. Interestingly, this processor is designed to work with the USB 2.0 interface, but this is not provided in our new product.

The internal structure of the TP-Link TL-WR841ND router

Atheros AR7241 processor

The processor does not have its own built-in wireless interface, so another important Atheros AR9287 chip is installed nearby on the motherboard, which plays this role. The controller belongs to the fourth generation of Atheros wireless ready solutions and is compatible with 802.11b/g/d/eassets/external/varn standards and 2x2 MIMO enhanced reception technology. Interestingly, on the motherboard around the wireless module there is a place to install a shielding metal casing, but the new casing itself is missing.

RF Wi-Fi Controller Atheros AR9287

In addition, the router has a Zentel A3S56D40FTP-G5 DDR SDRAM memory module with a capacity of 32 MB manufactured by Zentel Electronics Corp. The soldering of all components is very neat and does not raise any complaints.

Buffer memory module Zentel A3S56D40FTP-G5

The compact USB adapter is assembled on a printed circuit board with one-sided mounting of elements. Moreover, the wireless module of this device, unlike the one in the router, is covered with a metal casing, so it is not possible to find out its model. However, we can assume that this is an Atheros AR9102 controller, but we will not say whether this is so. But the USB interface controller is in plain sight - this is the Atheros AR9170 chip.

The internal structure of the TP-Link TL-WN822N USB adapter

Atheros AR9170 USB interface controller