TP LINK 741: specifications and reviews

For most home users purchasethe usual router turns into torture, because there are so many different models on the market that, apart from the extensive functionality, also have a rather strange run-up in value. To somehow help the potential buyer, the well-known manufacturer of network equipment decided to take a desperate step by presenting the budget router TP LINK 741 for public view with a set of claimed functions.

The approach to the buyer is unchanged

Whatever competitors say, experts orordinary users about the network equipment TP LINK, the manufacturer always adheres to own rules and never deviates from them. This, of course, is about packaging the product and its packaging. A standard green box, a set of necessary components for the organization of wireless communication in the room and detailed operating instructions are the manufacturer's proprietary pass to the world market.

The TP LINK 741 router is also equipped with adisks with software and a large set of advertising booklets, in which you can learn in detail about all products manufactured under the brand of the manufacturer. There's nothing to complain about, so for packaging and equipment, you can safely put the manufacturer's factory an excellent rating.

Build quality

The future owner should not expect that,that the Chinese manufacturer in the cheap segment (up to 2000 rubles) will provide him with a worthy product, qualitatively assembled at the plant and not having flaws. In fact, TP LINK 741 WiFi-router looks more like a plastic toy, which was assembled in a hurry. The plastic case in white design has many flaws:

• on the joints irregularities are visible;
• The connectors and built-in panels are not centered;
• the power button has a slight distortion.

On the other hand, demanding a lot fromproducer in the budget segment can not, because this product is still equipped with a wealth of functionality and provides many desired settings to the user. But still, the quality of assembly should never be forgotten, because it is always the business card of the manufacturer.

Communication, interfaces and equipment

Many buyers who looked closely at the TP RouterLINK 741 ND on the market, believe that one of the important factors that should be paid attention before the acquisition is the possibility of detaching the antenna. Experts assure that this indicator is not important, it is better to pay attention to interfaces and the possibility of connecting additional equipment.

It is better to start with the fact that the router is equippeda full-fledged network hub that allows the owner to connect up to 4 personal computers via a wired connection to the Internet. On the body of the device there is color marking of ports, so it is impossible to confuse interfaces when connecting.

If we talk about shortcomings, then the owners, judgingaccording to their feedback, do not like the lack of a USB port in the router - in the yard of the XXI century, and the controller with the chip is not that expensive. Also, the purpose of the device's turn-off button is not clear, because most users install the router on the cabinet and forget about its existence.

The right approach to the end user

Configuring the TP LINK 741 is possible by forcesordinary user who does not even understand the network equipment. And this really is the advantage of the router. To connect, you only need to connect the cables correctly (as described in the user's manual) - and you can immediately begin to configure.

Here it is worth noting that the manufacturerI was also worried about the convenience of authorizing a user who wants to fine-tune network equipment. On the lower edge of the router there is a special sticker, which shows the network address of the device, login and password to enter the control panel. Everything is done for people.

First steps

And before proceeding directly toconfiguring the router, the device will prompt the user to update the software for correct operation. No, the TP LINK 741 driver is not needed at all, it's just about the firmware of the hardware of the network equipment. Everything is simple - the user goes to the official website of the manufacturer, finds his router in the list of products and uploads fresh software to his computer.

After that, you need to open theand find the item "Firmware Update". Following the manufacturer's recommendations, the user simply needs to install the previously downloaded software. And, before you start working with the control panel, you should make sure that you have the input information that the internet service provider always provides to configure the router.

Evil Master

Many users have already encounteredwith a software assistant installed in the equipment, which offers its services in tuning the equipment. To simplify the task in work, the Chinese manufacturer also decided to equip its product TP LINK 741 with a similar software solution. The setup with the assistant is interesting only in cases when the Internet is provided on a dedicated line without additional parameters. In such cases, you just need to connect the cable, press the "Next" button several times, specify the name of the wireless network and give it a password.

But to users who wish to performfull adjustment of the equipment, it is better to immediately abandon the services of the automatic program and, taking the instructions in hand, begin to study all the parameters of the network equipment. In their responses, many owners assure potential buyers that it is easy to configure the router, it is only necessary to follow the recommendations of the management.

Consolidation of knowledge

In all routers, including the TP LINK 741 device,there is one unpleasant feature. It's about not saving settings after successful activation (as implemented in the Windows operating system as recovery points). That is, by making the wrong setting in the control panel, you can easily disable the entire router. In such situations, the only solution for the owner is to reset the network equipment to the factory settings.

In fact, this problem is known and easyis solvable. After configuring the basic settings (Internet and Wi-Fi), the user needs to make a backup copy of the configuration. To do this, go to the "Administration" tab, specify the path for saving the file and start the backup. This procedure experts recommend to do after each successful setting. In case of failure, you can always restore the required configuration.

Advanced Configuration

In the operating instructions of the TP LINK 741 routeralmost all basic settings are available. It's not just about wireless interfaces, but about security, port forwarding and work in the demilitarized zone. However, only one setting, judging by the feedback of the owners, can spoil the mood not only for the average user, but for an expert who understands network equipment.

It's about the functionality for watching videos in thehigh quality - IPTV. Shrewd Chinese by default reserved one of the four ports for the corresponding equipment, only forgot to tell the owner exactly which interface this setting is registered with. There are not many options - we need to find the "correct" port by the selection method (4 options). True, this problem is relevant only for devices with old firmware. When updating the software from the official website of the manufacturer, the problem should not be relevant.

Feedback

The first negative about the TP LINK TL 741 router, whichleave in their feedback users, concerns the stability of network equipment. Here it becomes clear to the owners why the manufacturer has equipped its product with a hardware button to turn off the device - the router sometimes hangs and needs to be rebooted.

There are also questions about the quality of data transmission tolarge distances. Wi-Fi coverage of the device is large - the router is visible even at a distance of more than 10 meters in the room (1-2 concrete walls). However, when connected, the transmission speed is negligible and does not allow users to comfortably use Internet services. There are more questions to the antenna amplifier - it simply does not work. By the way, you can still solve the problem - you need to set the location of USA in the settings of the region (the "Administration" menu).

Finally

It can not be said that the TP LINK 741 routeris the best purchase. In the budget class (up to 2000 rubles) there are many other interesting solutions that can compete freely with this network equipment. However, TP Link products have one interesting feature - along with low stability of work (it is only a question of budget devices), the router is rather tenacious. As the long-standing practice shows, the products of this company can be used for decades without significant breakdowns.