TP LINK 741: specifications and reviews

For most home users, buying a standard router turns into agony, because there are so many different models on the market that, apart from the extensive functionality, also have a rather strange run-in cost. In order to somehow help the potential buyer, the well-known manufacturer of network equipment decided to take a desperate step by introducing the budget router TP LINK 741 for public view with a set of popular functions.

The approach to the buyer is unchanged

Whatever competitors, experts or ordinary users say about the network equipment TP LINK, the manufacturer always adheres to its own rules and never abandons them. Speech, of course, is about packaging the product and its bundle. 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 software disks and a large set of advertising brochures, in which you can learn about all products manufactured under the manufacturer's brand. 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 count on the fact that the Chinese manufacturer in the cheap segment (up to 2000 rubles) will provide him with a decent product, quality 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. 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, it is impossible to demand much from the manufacturer in the budget segment, because this product is still equipped with rich functionality and provides many requested settings to the user. But still, the quality of assembly can never be forgotten, because it is always a visiting card of the manufacturer.

Communication, interfaces and equipment

Many buyers who looked after the TP LINK 741 ND on the market believe that one of the important factors that should be paid attention to before purchasing 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's better to begin with the fact that the router is equipped with a full-fledged network hub, which allows the owner to connect up to 4 personal computers to the Internet via a wired connection. On the body of the device there is color marking of ports, so it is impossible to confuse interfaces when connecting.

Speaking of the shortcomings, the owners, judging by 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 with the help of a normal 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 start setting up.

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

First steps

And before proceeding directly to the configuration of 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 only about the firmware of the network hardware. 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 the operating instructions and 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 had to deal with a software assistant built into the equipment, which offers its services in tuning equipment. To simplify the task in work, the Chinese manufacturer also decided to equip with its software solution its TP LINK 741. 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 for users who want to perform a full setup of the equipment, it is better to immediately abandon the services of the automatic program and, taking the instruction 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 device TP LINK 741, there is one unpleasant feature. It's about not saving settings after successful activation (as implemented in the Windows operating system as restore 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 easily solved. After setting the basic parameters (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 is recommended by experts 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, almost 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 high 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 here - you 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 urgent.

Feedback

The first negative about the TP LINK TL 741 router, which users leave in their feedback, concerns the stability of the 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 over long 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 the Internet services. There are more questions to the antenna amplifier - it just 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 router is 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 the low stability of the work (it is only about 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.