Tp link tl wr841n review tests. Reviews of TP-Link TL-WR845N

Wireless network technologies are becoming increasingly popular today, but this is no wonder. If ten years ago laptops were quite rare among ordinary users, and tablets were unheard of, today both are commonplace. The commonplace idea of ​​connecting to the network with wires is nonsense, because all their mobility is lost. Of course, if you move your laptop exclusively between your desk and the sofa, then you can still put up with the presence of an extra cable, but if you use it throughout the entire apartment, it’s already inconvenient to carry the cable with you, and wiring the network to all rooms is somewhat expensive and impractical.

As for small offices, here too it is often much easier and cheaper to provide a wireless connection than to lay twisted pair cables and install switches. These things are successfully replaced by one multifunctional device - a Wi-Fi router. Previously, 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 quite affordable prices, but in terms of functionality it is not inferior to more expensive products from other companies.

Specifications TP-LINK TL-WR841N

Manufacturer

Number of ports

Fixed IP

Dynamic IP

PPPoE/Russia PPPoE

802.1x+ Dynamic IP

802.1x+ Fixed IP

PPTP/Russia PPTP

yes, (Dual Access)

L2TP/Russia L2TP

yes, (Dual Access)

Possibility of setting manually MAC

Ability to manually set MTU size

Number of ports

Manual blocking of interfaces

Quantity

fixed, dipole, external 5 dBi

Possibility of replacing antenna/connector type

Forced setting of the working antenna number

Operating frequencies, GHz

Supported standards and speeds

OFDM (30/ 60/ 90/ 120/ 180/ 240/ 270/300 Mbit/s)

BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, OFDM: 54, 48, 36, 18, 12, 11, 9, 6 Mbps

CCK (11 Mbit/s, 5.5 Mbit/s), DQPSK (2 Mbit/s) DBPSK (1 Mbit/s)

Region/Number of channels

Protocol extensions

Possibility of manual speed setting

Output power, dBm

(maximum)

802.11n @270Mbps

802.11g @54Mbps

802.11b @11Mbps

Receiver sensitivity, dBm

802.11n @270Mbps

802.11g @54Mbps-108Mbps

802.11b @11Mbps

Working with another AP

WDS support (bridge)

AP support

WDS+AP support

Ability to work in client mode

Wireless repeater

Safety

Blocking Broadcast SSID

Binding to MAC addresses

yes, up to 152 bit

WPA-Auto-Personal

WPA2-Auto-Enterprise

802.1x (via Radius)

Firmware capabilities

Administration

Setting a password for the admin user

Ability to change adding Login

Management via WAN using specified IP&port

yes, open through the Security menu.

WEB interface

WEB interface via SSL

Own utility

Ability to save and load configurations

Built-in DHCP server

Static DHCP over MAC

UPnP support

Protocols supported by WAN

Operating mode of a regular switch for LAN, WAN and WLAN interfaces

one-to-many NAT (standard)

Ability to disable NAT (work in router mode)

Possibility of working in bridge mode

VPN pass through

Traffic shaping (traffic limitation)

Built-in DNS server (dns-relay)

Dynamic DNS support

yes, dyndns.org, comexe.cn, no-ip.com

Watch

Clock synchronization

Setting the time manually

Utilities

Logging

Logging the execution of firewall rules

Logging Wireless

Logging DHCP Leases

Logging Port Forwarding

System Logging

Storage inside the device

Storage on an external Syslog server

Sending by email

Routing

Static (setting records manually)

Availability and capabilities of built-in filters and firewall

SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) capabilities

SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) support

Ability to use SPI in rules

Availability of filters/firewall

on the LAN-WAN segment, restricting Internet access

on the WLAN-WAN segment, restricting Internet access

on the LAN-WLAN segment

Supported filter types

Including SPI

By MAC address

By source IP address

By destination IP address

According to the protocol

By source port

By destination port

Time reference

By application

By domain

Working with URL blocking list services

Types of actions

Virtual servers

Possibility of creating

With the ability to turn on/off. by time, day of week

Setting different public/private ports for a virtual server

Ability to set DMZ

Ability to set DMZ traffic at the port level

Nutrition

external, 9V AC, 0.6 A

802.1af (PoE) support

Additional Information

Connecting an external USB HDD, Flash

Connecting a WEB camera (video surveillance)

Connecting a USB printer

Firmware version

V 3.12.5 Build 100929 Rel.57776n

Dimensions, mm.

Products webpage

http://www.tp-link.ua/

The information presented 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 photograph of the router and a brief description of its key capabilities. Among them:

    high performance;

    the ability to operate a wireless channel at speeds up to 300 Mbit/s;

    easy installation;

    One-click encryption setup.

Below are the logos of supported network standards and technologies used.

At the ends of the box are fairly detailed specifications, system requirements and installation diagrams.

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

Equipment

The delivery set contains everything necessary for full use of the device immediately after removing it from the box:

    power adapter;

    patch cord;

    CD with documentation;

    quick and extended installation guide;

    warranty card.

The antennas, which are often found in the box, are in this case already installed on the router. In addition to printed materials containing installation and connection information, the packaging also contained several advertising brochures.

Router TP-LINK TL-WR841N

The body of the device is made of white matte plastic and has a rounded shape. There are rounded corners, smooth curves of the edges, and a slightly curved top panel. This design makes the TP-LINK TL-WR841N stand out from many other routers that 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.

This arrangement of indicators can be called successful. They are easy to read both when installed on a desktop or when the device is mounted on a 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 parameters, and default network settings.

All ports and controls are concentrated on the rear edge. There are two antennas along the edges, 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.

In general, the router body is designed quite well, the indicators are easy to read, and all ports are easily accessible.

WEB interface

Configuration of TP-LINK TL-WR841N is carried out via the WEB interface. Despite its 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 its help, you can quickly configure basic parameters, which may be enough for home use. We are asked to select the WAN connection type, specify a login and password, and configure a wireless network.

In the “QSS” section, you can quickly configure the wireless network Quick Security Setup. After activating QSS, the mechanism for connecting wireless network clients is turned on, and channel encryption is set using an automatically generated password.

The “Network” section has three subsections. In “WAN” you can set the method of obtaining an IP address on an external network dynamically using an external DHCP server or manually, and also select the method of connecting via an encrypted channel with a communication provider via standards: PPPoE, L2TP, PPTP, BigPondCable, specify 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 the broadcast SSID (network name and login options).

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

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. By default this filter is disabled.

Among the advanced wireless connection settings, you can select the packet size, enable WMM technology (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 and 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 from an external connection will be redirected. This allows you to implement any servers on local network machines, which will be open on specified ports for external traffic and connections.

In the “Port Triggering” menu, you can configure override or substitution of packet direction ports.

In the “DMZ” item, you can specify the IP address of the local station, to which all packets arriving on any port of the router will go. Those. it will be the one that will have an IP address assigned to the WAN interface and will fully respond to requests from an external client.

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

Security settings include a standard firewall and blocking based on various attacks. It is possible to restrict access by MAC addresses. There are also settings for access from an external network to configure the device.

As you can see, the capabilities of the WEB interface are extensive; TP-LINK TL-WR841N can be configured very flexibly depending on the tasks assigned to 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 of TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND for comparison, you will immediately see the latter’s section for managing devices connected to the USB port. For the remaining 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 in terms of settings; as for speed capabilities, they still differ.

Testing

Let's move on to speed capabilities. 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 of interference from various equipment on the results: mobile phones, microwave ovens, etc. The throughput of the NAT interface is also numerically measured, and for a visual comparison we measure the data transfer speed between the two LAN ports of the device.

The TP-LINK TL-WR841N model was tested in our laboratory using ASUS RT-N66U and ASUS EA-N66 network equipment and Gigabit Ethernet Intel 82566MC.

Comparative testing of performance at a connection speed of 300 Mbit/s with line of sight at a distance of two meters 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 packets passing through the NAT service of this router in both directions.

As you can see, the maximum average data transfer speed that was achieved via the wireless interface is 71 Mbit/s. 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 is not much different 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 stated 100 Mbit/s.

conclusions

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 Mbit/s. Wi-Fi specification IEEE 802.11n, like any modern router, is supported, but the actual data transfer speed over the wireless interface is far from the maximum. But, again, this is true for all similar devices.

Once again, we are pleased with the competent implementation of the built-in WEB interface. Despite its apparent complexity, the router is actually quite simple to configure. 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 readable both when mounted on a tabletop or when mounted on a wall.

ASUS for the provided auxiliary equipment.

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They are very different from everything we have seen before from this manufacturer. New case design, new web interface design, new features and a new hardware platform. In general, the updates are significant, and, of course, I would like to see them not only in the most expensive models, but also in simpler devices. TP-LINK Archer C8 and Archer C9 are very, very similar to each other, but the “eighth” has a slightly simpler radio module. In Russia, only the Archer C9 router is officially available so far. It's funny that the Archer C8 can also be found in online stores, but it costs more than the C9.

The TP-LINK Archer C9 case is made of white plastic. The front panel is covered with a glossy overlay, in the upper part of which dim blue indicators are hidden. Removable antennas, also made of white plastic, are attached to the top. The device is equipped with a non-removable curved frame that encircles half of the body and goes back - due to it, the router is always at an angle to the surface on which it stands. Wall mounting is not provided, but some “craftsmen” on the Internet suggest using screws with an L-shaped head and hanging the device upside down from this frame. The frame itself is made of plastic, although from a distance it seems that it is aluminum. There are rubber anti-slip inserts on the bottom and on the body.

The back half is matte. It is covered with ventilation holes, but the cooling is clearly not enough, since the device heats up noticeably during operation. At least its front panel. The radiator is probably too small. However, this does not affect performance. Almost all sockets and buttons are located on the lower part of the rear panel. Only a pair of a USB 3.0 port and a Wi-Fi button are located in a small recess at the end of the device. You need to be careful with the USB 2.0 port on the back; long and thick external devices - modems in the first place - may simply not fit because of the frame. But there shouldn't be any problems with regular flash drives. The included power supply is quite large, with a power of about 40 W.

TP-LINK Archer C9 can currently be found in three versions: V1, V2 and V3. The first one we tested was V1. It's hard to say how much they differ from a consumer perspective. For modification V2, for example, the layout of the motherboard has changed and it is directly stated that the 2.4 GHz antennas are internal. They have the same platform: Broadcom BCM4709 series CPU (2 Cortex-A9 cores, 1 GHz) and two Broadcom BCM4360 radio modules, 128 MB of RAM and 16 MB of memory for firmware. We already saw a similar set one and a half to two years ago in the NETGEAR R7000 Nighthawk and ASUS RT-AC68U. True, they had much more memory. Especially constant, and this directly affects the number of available functions in the router firmware.

Standards IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz)
Chipset/controller Broadcom BCM4709 (2 × ARM Cortex-A9, 1 GHz) + BCM4360 × 2
Memory RAM 128 MB/ROM 16 MB
Antennas 3 × external RP-SMA
Encryption WPA/WPA2 (Enterprise), 802.1x, WPS; 2 × guest network; WEP (WDS)
Maximum speed 802.11ac: up to 1300 Mbps, 802.11n: up to 600 Mbps, 802.11g: up to 54 Mbps
Interfaces 5 × 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, 1 × USB 2.0, 1 × USB 3.0
Indicators Power, 2 × Wi-Fi, LAN, WAN, WPS, 2 × USB
Hardware buttons Power, Wi-Fi off, factory reset/WPS
Dimensions (W x D × B), mm 221 x 86 x 169
Weight, g 612
Nutrition DC 12V 3.3A
price, rub. 12 300
Possibilities
Access to the Internet Static IP, DHCP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, BigPond
Services DLNA, FTP, SMB server; print server; IPv6 (Static/DHCP, 6to4, PPPoEv6, bridge); parental control
Port forwarding Virtual Server, Port Triggering, UPnP, DMZ; IPTV LAN-Port/VLAN/IGMP Proxy v2/3
QoS support WMM; QoS by MAC address/port+protocol (TCP/UDP/All)/application type
Dynamic DNS Services DynDns, NO-IP
Operating mode Router
VPN forwarding, ALG PPTP, L2TP, IPSec; (T)FTP, H.323, RTSP
Firewall DoS protection, SPI, MAC filtering

The web interface has changed a lot for the better. It’s not that it has become more convenient, it’s just that the design has changed to something more pleasant and modern. We have already seen something similar in the M7350. The functionality of the firmware is not much different from what we saw before: features such as working with 3G/4G modems, Internet service provider profiles and other less significant details have disappeared; but now there is support for multiple localizations of the web interface (including Russian, of course) and - for the first time! — support for prioritization (QoS) for applications with an updated database of these same applications.

TP-LINK Archer C9 - quick setup wizard

How is it structured? First, the user manually specifies the speeds of the incoming and outgoing channels, then sets the weight of each of the three available priority levels. Then selected devices (MAC addresses), port and protocol combinations (UDP/TCP/Both) or specific applications (traffic type) are distributed into layers. So far, there are very few applications that the router can recognize. A manual update of the database with descriptions of applications is available, but not a single such update is available on the manufacturer’s website yet. If you enable prioritization, hardware NAT acceleration will not work.

TP-LINK Archer C9 - web interface

We didn’t find any other significant innovations, apart from pleasant little things like a nice home page and a memory and CPU load indicator, in the new firmware. As for alternative firmware, not only do they void the warranty, they are also not very useful in this case - there is no OpenWRT for Archer C9, and DD-WRT, due to the small amount of flash memory, cannot offer much.

Having completed our study of the new software, let's move on to examining the performance of the C9.

Standard stands were used to test Wi-Fi. Configuration of the first: Intel Core i7-2600K, 12 GB RAM, ASUS PCE-AC68 (indicated as A in the table), Windows 7 SP1 x64. Configuration of the second: Intel Core i7-4700HQ, 12 GB RAM, Windows 8.1 Update 1 x64, Realtek RTL8168 (indicated as R in the table). The stands were in direct visibility at a distance of four meters from each other. In the router settings, WPA2 encryption was enabled, the maximum possible channel width was manually specified, and WPS was disabled. There is no option to reduce interference from USB 3.0 in the firmware, although testing was still carried out without USB devices.

Router TP-LINK Archer C9
Streams 1 2 4 8 16 32 64
Average Wi-Fi speed 802.11ac 5 GHz, Mbit/s
A -> R 322 325 361 403 485 480 525
R -> A 370 483 618 771 788 657 600
A<->R 467 509 615 806 803 759 608
Average speed of Wi-Fi 802.11n 2.4 GHz, Mbit/s
A -> R 205 208 209 226 251 274 270
R -> A 256 278 310 328 291 282 284
A<->R 290 320 338 359 362 289 279

There are no complaints about full-duplex Wi-Fi operation. But the direction from the adapter to the router turned out to be noticeably slower than the reverse, although this is not so critical. The speed of direct connection to the Network was at the level of 800-900 Mbit/s, and the FDX connection reached almost 1.3 Gbit/s. In the case of VPN connections, an asymmetry was observed - the outgoing channel (from the client to the router and beyond) was faster than the incoming one. For PPPoE, the average output was 600-700 Mbit/s, but duplex, of course, was also at the same level. The L2TP connection worked at a speed of about 200 Mbit/s, but there was a problem with PPTP - the incoming channel was less than 100 Mbit/s, and the outgoing channel was twice as fast.

Wireless routers TP-Link TL-WR841ND (right) and TL-WR842ND

The main difference between the two models is only one - the presence of TL-WR842ND one USB port, which traditionally allows you to connect USB drives or printers to it.

TP-Link itself is also not new to Russia. At the beginning of the year, it launched a new factory in Shenzhen, where managed to visit our correspondent, and the routers we are considering today are precisely from there.

TP-Link TL-WR841ND and TL-WR842ND | Specifications and Features


Models/Specs TL-WR841ND TL-WR842ND
Standards 10/100 Base-T
10/100 Base-T
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (300 Mbps)
Ports 1 x RJ-45 WAN (10/100 Mbps)
4 x RJ-45 LAN (10/100 Mbps) 		1 x RJ-45 WAN (10/100 Mbps)
4 x RJ-45 LAN (10/100 Mbps)
1 x USB 2.0
Frequency range, GHz 2,4–2,4835 2,4–2,4835
Hardware buttons Quick Security Setup (QSS) button
Reboot button 		WPS/Reset Button
WiFi On/Off Button
Max. wireless signal power, dBm
Antennas 2 x external detachable omnidirectional, 5 dBi
Safety


Binding IP and MAC addresses 		IEEE 802.1x, WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Connection Inspection (SPI) Firewall
Access control based on a list of MAC addresses
Binding IP and MAC addresses
Network protocols PPPoE/PPTP/L2TP PPPoE/PPTP/L2TP
Hardware version 7.2 1.0
Firmware version 3.13.9 build 120201 rel. 54965n 3.12.22 build 120424 Rel.39632n
Dimensions, mm 192 x 130 x 33 mm (excluding antennas)
Possibility of wall mounting Yes Yes
Warranty, months 12 12
Approximate price at the time of publication of the review, rub. 1100 1300
useful links Description of TL-WR841ND on the manufacturer's website
Price on Yandex.Market 		Description of TL-WR842ND on the manufacturer's website
Price on Yandex.Market

From the hardware point of view, they are almost identical. They are built on the Atheros AR7241 processor and the Atheros AR9287 wireless controller and formally differ only in the layout of the USB port and the corresponding firmware. In the model TL-WR842ND The manufacturer decided to cover the controller chip with a heatsink, which is attached to regular velcro. Probably, working with USB leads to an increase in heat generation, and TP-Link decided to play it safe.

Internal device TP-Link TL-WR841ND


Internal device TP-Link TL-WR842ND

The main criticism is caused by low-speed WAN and LAN ports - gigabit ones would look much more interesting. However, taking into account the usual speed of providers and budget orientation TP-Link TL-WR841ND and TL-WR842ND, this drawback is not critical.

Among the main features, it is worth noting the CCA technology, which is capable of assessing the congestion of Wi-Fi channels and automatically changing to a freer one, thereby increasing the speed of the wireless connection.

As another advantage, we can note the “Easy Setup Assistant” utility with a step-by-step mode for connecting a wireless network and protecting it. The utility is very simple and easy to use.

However, simply turning on the routers and connecting to them via Wi-Fi will also be quite sufficient.

TP-Link TL-WR841ND and TL-WR842ND | Contents of delivery

Packaging TP-Link TL-WR841ND


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

Appearance of the device (design and back panel)

The device has a nice design, non-bulky dimensions (width, height, depth: 192 x 33 x 130 mm). It also has the ability to be mounted on a wall (specialized recesses for wall mounting are located on the bottom), which is also 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 have a beneficial effect when installing the device on a wall.

By unfolding the device and looking closely at the back panel, we can see the following:

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

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

Equipment

In a modest, discreet box you will find an equally modest package that includes everything you need. More specifically:


→ Equipment:
√ Quick installation guides (English and multilingual (including Russian))
√ Brochure with license agreement for the right to use
√ Warranty card
√ A disk with a utility for updating the router software and quickly setting it up
√ power unit
√ RJ-45 cable
√ 2 fixed omnidirectional antennas

Unfortunately, screws for wall mounting 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 Mbit/s WAN port
√ Antenna: 5dBi*2 fixed omnidirectional antennas
√ Frequency range: 2.4 GHz
→ Signal transmission speed:
√ 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: 20 dBM
√ Features: Enable/Disable broadcast, WDS bridge, WMM, Statistics
√ Wireless standards: 64/128/152-bit WEP/WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK

→ Software capabilities

√ 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 software interface

The device's software interface is quite simple and easy to configure, 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 equipment and software at hand, I decided to do several tests, which I conducted under real conditions. Those. tests were done in normal operating mode without unnecessarily squeezing the maximum out of this device.

Test the efficiency of Internet connection over a wireless channel

This test involved a router and an old Emachines em350 netbook. The router was connected to an Internet provider with a stated tariff plan speed of up to 30 Mbit/s. 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 point closest to the router. B is a point somewhere approximately in the middle of the apartment. C is the most remote point of the apartment. At two different heights: the height 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 was the most realistic (since in the evening the load on the Internet channel is quite high). Next, the test results:

From the graph we can clearly see that at the first two points there are no very noticeable deviations, but at point C they are already quite noticeable. But at the same time, the speed of the Internet connection remains high enough to actively work on the Internet and view multimedia content without any problems. This indicates that under the given conditions the router copes with its task without any problems. And the netbook’s Wi-Fi module does not have high throughput rates. So the result can be easily increased using another type of device (for example, a laptop with a Wi-Fi module 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 played online. 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 remained stable and did not jump. It was still possible to block the connection with one computer when downloading a torrent file for which a retracker was available on the network. Those. the speed reached the speed of the local connection (100 Mbit/s). But usually, downloading via an Internet channel no longer has a favorable effect on the ping in the game and it begins to jump and sometimes its value exceeds a reasonable limit. Those. The router, although not perfect, quite competently distributes priorities for using the Internet channel between clients.

Conclusion

This router copes well with its tasks and is suitable for most users. But this device has its pros and cons.

→ Pros

+ Low cost
+ Decent design
+ Thoughtful organization of governing bodies
+ A fairly stable signal within the coverage area of ​​the device
+ Proper distribution of priority for using the Internet connection between clients
+ Convenient software interface

→ Cons

- Quite modest equipment

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

Score 3

Advantages: excellent model, any except version 13 (the new one has a MediaTek processor installed)

Disadvantages: revision v.13 with MediaTek processor (all other versions have Atheros)
(description of all revisions of the 841st router - https://goo.gl/6WL1eU)

Stanislav C. October 14, 2017, Belgorod

Score 2

Pros: Dispenses well when it distributes.

Disadvantages: Every 4 hours, and with a heavy load every 1.5-2 hours, you have to reboot. I'm sick of it. I had enough nerves for a week. Passed.

Comment: I don’t know if I got a copy of this or a model g..., but it didn’t work normally for even a day.

Score 4

Advantages: The speed on the wafer is the provider’s (90-95 Mbit), it’s easy to set up, you won’t have to deal with the torrent load.

Disadvantages: Not suitable for networks with a VPN connection. When using iptv it freezes once every couple of days (can be cured by rebooting)

Comment: I installed about fifty of these routers in different networks. It holds all connections and does not fall under load. This router is an excellent choice for networks with connection types DHCP, Static IP, PPPOE. Difficulties may arise with VPN-type connections. In L2TP you cannot register IPsec, in PPTP you cannot enable MPPE (on native firmware, on ddvrt you can, but it will significantly slow down the connection speed). Now about IPTV. Suitable for wired IPTV use, but will freeze every couple of days. For Wi-Fi IPTV is suitable for SD channels, everything in HD starts to scatter the picture (tested on several DUNE HD models). The power of the antennas is average, I didn’t see anything outstanding, it’s suitable for a two-room apartment, but I wouldn’t put it in a three-room apartment. The speed remains normal, 100 MB with a normal receiver it will be easy. From the conclusions: An excellent router for a small apartment, it performs its functions with a bang, if you need a VPN network and/or you need IPTV via wafer, take a closer look at the 842 model, there are more settings and it holds the IPTV load much better.

Gosha B. May 23, 2014, Belgorod \Using experience: several months

Score 2

Pros: Easy to set up and update.

Some people write that it works for a long time without rebooting, but that means I got a defective model. Because Once every 2-3 days you have to reload. Local network via wi-fi only (laptop and two Android phones). The wi-fi connection periodically disappears (when the laptop was connected with a cord, no problems were noticed), only a reboot helps, even after updating the firmware to 3.14.19 Build 130122 Rel.43330n, the problem did not disappear.

Rating 5

Advantages: price

Disadvantages: cuts speed in the upward direction (Upload)

Comment: there were no problems with wi-fi, the reception in the apartment is quite reliable (50 m2), the neighbor below also connects without problems. At the same time, there are no problems when connecting any devices: 2 laptops, a tablet, 2 mobile phones - there have never been any problems.
[no problems now - see below]
Problems with the fact that the speed is reduced upwards (via WAN). Connection 40Mbps. for uploading it consistently gives these 40, for uploading - the pipe, even uploading a 1MB image to email is a problem. At the same time, having connected the computer directly without a router, I received my 40 Mbit/s in both directions. It seems like there is a problem with the Ethernet controller: by kicking the router, sometimes it is possible to switch it to 10 Mbit/s mode for Ethernet - then 10 will appear both up and down.
As a result, I buy Kinetic...

P.S. the problem resolved itself - everything is OK with the router. just in case, I decided to re-crimp the cable - it turned out that the cable was crimped poorly when laying the line into the apartment. like this...

Rating 5

Pros: Quality of work.
Of course the price (750 rubles).
On/off toggle switch for wi-fi (when you are not using the network, you can turn it off, and there is less radiation for the body, and you do not interfere with neighbors’ networks).
Antenna range.

Disadvantages: As a nitpick - non-removable antennas (for some this might be a disadvantage, but it doesn’t matter to me).
I couldn’t find any more for that kind of money))

Comment: Now to the point. The device was purchased 3 days ago. Immediately after purchase, I uploaded the latest firmware (as of the current date) 3.14.19 Build 130122 Rel.43330n, from the official website.
Router v8.3, Beeline provider, L2TP, speed 40/80 (day/night).
I don't use IPTV.
The settings took about 10-15 minutes. I entered my logins and passwords, cloned the MAC and everything worked right away. The interface is completely in Russian, with detailed explanations for each item for beginners. Everything is on a green background, pleasing to the eyes. Feature: the most correct setting would be through IE (this is true), this is the browser recommended by the manufacturer.
In the air the speed does not cut. Everything is according to the tariff (of course, in the direct line of sight of the router, i.e. in the same room with it, through 2 walls the speed will naturally be lower - physics is physics).
The antenna power was set to average - the signal throughout the entire apartment was at least 2 bars out of 4. Standard is only N - there are simply no other adapters at home.
I connect 2 smartphones, 1 tablet and a player via Wi-Fi at the same time - no one feels any discomfort. The router is a little warm. We don't indulge in torrents.
Conclusion - as a workhorse for ordinary needs such as online video and web surfing, it’s just right. I simply didn’t check it in other conditions because there was no need.

Anastasia Zh. June 11, 2013, Ivanovo \Using experience: less than a month

Rating 5

Advantages: 1. Very inexpensive
2. Interface in Russian (after flashing)
3. Doesn’t slow down the speed (even with a VPN connection, the speed easily reaches 85 megabits), I compare it with DIR-615
4. Has wifi signal strength setting
5. Allows you to quickly configure the issuance of specific IP addresses with DHCP by mac address
6. Has the function of accessing settings from the Internet
7. If necessary, allows you to control the channel width for each user
8. The light bulbs are not halogen; their blinking does not disturb sleep at night (which cannot be said about DIR-615)

Disadvantages: 1. Cannot automatically check/install firmware updates
2. Does not have a “port forwarding” system... you can, of course, use “virtual servers” or DMZ, but this does not give the desired effect (you can specify a range, but you cannot specify a set of ranges and individual ports separated by commas)
3. There is no built-in function for determining the correct MTU size, and due to the incorrect MTU value given by default, with my provider, all owners of such routers initially have problems
4. It is impossible (or very difficult) to determine whether the VPN connection is working by the lights on the router (on the DIR-615, when the VPN connection was lost, the orange light was on instead of the green one)



 

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