TP-Link is a major manufacturer of a wide variety of network equipment: home wireless routers, Wi-Fi network amplifiers, Wi-Fi adapters and much more. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the process of setting up WiFi on TP-Link, step by step and with screenshots.
Network Equipment TP-Link
To begin with, it is worth saying a few words about the manufacturer of TP-Link equipment. This large company has been a provider of modern equipment for accessing the Internet for many years. The routers and adapters of this company are at home for many users, so the question often arises of setting up WiFi on TP Link, how to do it correctly and achieve maximum Internet performance on wireless devices.
The manufacturer offers a wide range of equipment: home routers, Wi-Fi amplifiers, ADSL and 3G modems, Wi-Fi adapters, smart home equipment, access points, antennas, etc. For these devices to work correctly, they must be correctly configured.
Connecting a TP-Link Home Router
The most extensive category of network equipment is routers that provide access to the Internet via a wireless network. Consider their configuration on the example of one of the most popular models: TL WR841N.
In order to configure WiFi on TP Link TL WR841N, we need the following:
- The router itself
- a computer or laptop (a device that can be connected using an Ethernet cable);
- twisted pair;
- network cable through which the provider provides access to the Internet.
Connect the router to the power supply, make sure that the indicators on it are on (that the device is correctly connected to the network, the POWER indicator is lit with steady light).
Then connect the WAN cable that enters the apartment from the outside to the connector (this is necessary so that after setting up access to the network appears). The ports on the router look like in the photo below. The cable connector from the provider is highlighted in a different color.
Connect the twisted pair cable at one end to any of the LAN connectors (yellow), and at the other end to the computer’s network card connector. The WAN and LAN 1 indicators should light on the router.
Setup via WEB-interface
After that, you need to enter the interface to configure WiFi on TP Link WR841N. To do this, enter the IP address of the router in the address bar of any browser. Usually it is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. If none of these addresses matches, the correct one can be found on the information sticker on the router case.
After that, in the authorization field that opens, you need to enter the admin login and the exact same password. Again, if the data is not accepted, you need to check the sticker. In the event that no input values are accepted, it is recommended to reset the router by pressing the Reset button.
So, after that you will be taken to the router settings interface. It looks that way.
It is worth noting that setting up WiFi on TP Link is convenient because most models have a standardized web interface that is intuitive even for an inexperienced user, and the official website offers emulators for all popular equipment models.
To configure a wireless network, select Wireless in the menu on the left, Wireless Settings in the submenu that opens.
The following window will open.
In it, we will expose the basic settings of the access point.
- In the SSID section, enter the name of your wireless home network. It may consist of Latin letters and numbers.
- Region choose the one in which you are.
- In the Channel line, you can leave the value “Auto”, then the router will select the most unloaded channel at each reboot, or you can select any other one by analyzing the networks in your home using special utilities. It is important to pay attention to the fact that if you use devices from Apple, you need to select channels in the range from 1 to 11.
- Leave the rest of the settings as default and click the Save button.
Basic wireless settings are installed.
Configure Password
Go to the Wireless Security section, there you can set a password for the network. To do this, just put a dot on the item WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK and enter the desired password. For security, it is better to use the most complex combinations of lowercase and uppercase Latin letters and numbers.
The basic configuration of the TP Link WR841N WiFi router on this can be considered complete. Experienced users can use the official emulator on the manufacturer's website to set advanced settings to suit their needs.
Wireless setup on TP-Link ADSL modem
Many Internet users from providers such as Rostelecom are connecting using ADSL technology. Modern modems using this type of connection can distribute a wireless network. Let's figure out how to configure WiFi on TP Link TD W8961ND.
Since the setup is done using a telephone cable, make sure that it is connected to the appropriate connector on the back of the router. This is a gray connector; it differs in shape from the four LAN connectors highlighted in yellow. Here is how it looks.
Logging into the interface is performed in a manner similar to that described in the previous paragraph, but visually the settings screen is slightly different.
From the top menu, select the Interface Setup section and select the Wireless tab. Here is what you will see:
Here all the settings are located on one screen. We are interested in the following points:
- Check that there is a point at the Access Point (Activated).
- From the list of countries, select Russia, set the desired wireless channel. The rest of the settings in this block are optional.
- Next, go down to the bottom of the page and enter the desired network name in the SSID line, specify WPA / WPA2-PSK in the Authentification Type field, TKIP should be set in Encryption.
- Enter the password at your discretion.
As you can see, setting up WiFi on the TP Link W8961ND is a snap. After all the data has been entered, restart the router, find your network on the wireless devices in the list of available ones and start using the Internet.
Features settings for Rostelecom
In some regions TP Link devices are provided by the largest Russian provider Rostelecom. In addition, modems and routers of this company can be purchased independently.
Setting up TP Link WiFi routers under Rostelecom is practically no different from settings for other providers.
If you use an ADSL modem, enter the data in the same way as in the previous paragraph. In addition to setting up a wireless network, you may need to set the type of connection on the modem. As a rule, Rostelecom uses the PPPoE connection, the username and password for which can be specified in the technical service.
When connected using GPON or Docsis technologies, the router is used as an auxiliary device. The connection itself is done through a terminal or cable modem. In these cases, the router will connect using an additional network cable to the main network device.
In order to configure WiFi on TP Link for Rostelecom, you just need to go to the web interface in the same way and enter the desired data. Typically, the provider does not put any restrictions on the wireless network.
Tip: if the setting was performed by a specialist when connecting the service, it is recommended to change the standard network name and password, because devices with default data are often hacked.
Wireless amplifier setup
An amplifier, or repeater, Wi-Fi network is a device that allows you to use wireless devices in a much wider area. It is connected in cases where the area of the apartment exceeds the coverage area of the router.
Let's see how the WiFi TP Link amplifier is tuned.
If the device is connected for the first time, the basic configuration is performed, thanks to which the device will know which router will communicate with in the future.
- Connect the repeater to the computer using a network cable.
- In the browser, enter the IP address 192.168.0.254, log in by entering a standard pair of login and password.
- You will be in the quick setup menu. Follow the onscreen recommendations. As soon as you select a region, a search for available wireless networks starts. Select yours and click "Next."
- Enter the SSID and password of your network, go to the next screen, make sure the entered settings are correct and complete the wizard.
This is what the TP Link repeater quick setup screen looks like.
Through the same web interface, after making basic settings, you can configure other parameters of the wireless network, for example, set the encryption type and key to the network.
Repeater connection
After the setup of the WiFi TP Link amplifier is completed, plug the repeater into an electrical outlet in the place where the signal of the main router is reduced, make sure that the indicator is on.
Press the WPS button on the main router, and within 30 seconds after that - a large button with a lock icon on the repeater. An indicator appears showing the level of the wireless network. Two or three divisions on it indicate that Wi-Fi will be at a good level.
How to choose a Wi-Fi adapter
Often, you need to connect via a wireless network a device that does not have a built-in Wi-Fi module, for example, a desktop computer. In such cases, special adapters are used that allow such equipment to receive a wireless network signal.
The range of such devices is very extensive, therefore, depending on the required functionality, you can choose the right adapter.
If you use a laptop that does not have a built-in Wi-Fi module or this module is damaged, you can use a compact adapter, for example, TP-Link TL-WN725N.
In those cases when you need to work on a wireless network on a desktop computer located far from the Wi-Fi source, it is better to purchase an adapter with an external antenna.
Wi-Fi adapter can be connected via USB-connector or PCI (internal).
Step by step setup
How to configure the WIFi TP Link adapter, we will consider further.
- First connect it to the computer using the appropriate connector. If the system unit is located on the floor, it is recommended to use a USB extension cable to position the adapter higher for a better signal.
- Next, driver installation is required. It can work automatically - then you will immediately see the available Wi-Fi networks, but if the operating system did not download it right away, you can put it from the disk that comes with the adapter, or download it from the manufacturer’s official website.
- If you download the driver yourself, you need to know its version - it is indicated on the package or sticker. There are versions V1 and V2.
- Download the driver, launch it and follow the instructions on the screen. It is enough to click “Next” several times without changing any parameters, and the driver will be installed, after which access to the wireless network will appear.
By setting up the equipment according to this instruction, you will be able to connect to the Internet anywhere in the apartment without cluttering up the space with a large number of wires.
User Recommendations
As you can see, configuring WiFi on TP Link is not a big deal for users. The intuitive interface, the availability of shared firmware emulators and a large amount of available information make this process very convenient for everyone.
In order for the wireless network to work properly, we will give some recommendations.
- None of the devices can operate uninterruptedly for a long time, therefore it is recommended to restart the equipment at least once every two to three weeks.
- When using a large number of devices connected via Wi-Fi, it is best to use a router that supports the network at a frequency of 5 GHz. It is important to remember that many budget or old models of smartphones and tablets may not be able to connect at this frequency.
- In apartment buildings, the same Wi-Fi network channel can be occupied by a large number of devices. You can analyze the network with special utilities and change the channel in the settings to increase the speed of the Internet over a wireless network.
- When giving preference to budget models, you need to remember that they can work very efficiently and stably, but they often maintain a lower speed than your provider may claim. Therefore, when buying a new router, always pay attention to the technical specifications.
Many users believe that wireless technologies are significantly inferior to connecting over a cable network, but with the correct use of the equipment and the basic rules of its operation, very good results can be achieved.
Conclusion
It is already very difficult to imagine working on the Internet without the ability to connect devices over a wireless network. In this article, we covered the basic WiFi settings on TP Link. Our recommendations will allow you to always stay in touch and do what you love on the Web.