Router TP-LINK TL-WR720N: an overview, features, descriptions and reviews of the owners

The review, characteristics, description and feedback of the owners in this article will touch upon one very interesting product in the market of inexpensive home routers - the TL-WR720N device from the manufacturer TP-LINK. Attracts potential customers network equipment primarily by its price. After all, as practice shows, it is the low cost (up to 1000 rubles) that is the main criterion when choosing equipment on the computer market.

Standard set

The device TP-LINK TL-WR720N does not differ in its configuration from its more expensive colleagues in the market of network equipment. And this is the advantage of such an inexpensive router. Cardboard box with a glossy coating is made in firm white-green tones. Its content includes all the necessary components for connecting and starting up network equipment - it's a router, power supply, patch chord, instruction and disks with software.

On the device itself, the user will find an external antenna, which the manufacturer made irreplaceable for unknown reasons. The accessory for signal amplification is present in a single execution and looks somehow incomplete on the general background of the router itself.

Declared technical specifications

First of all it attracts in the router TL-WR720N the possibility of creating four independent wireless Wi-Fi networks (SSID) with their own names, passwords and settings. In fact, you can create four access points, for example, for personal use, guests, neighbors and home equipment. Such functionality is inherent in expensive Cisco equipment, which is used in the corporate segment, that's why this characteristic attracts many customers who are versed in network equipment.

Wireless security is implemented with support for all existing connections with 64, 128 and 152 bits keys. Also, users will like the presence of all types of connections (speaker, statics, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, BigPond). At the hardware level, the device has a Firewall, protection against DoS attacks, a filter of incoming and outgoing traffic.

Disadvantages of the device

Strangely enough, the TL-WR720N has a number of shortcomings, which many owners pay attention to in their reviews. Unlike other inexpensive network devices, the router only has two LAN ports for wired connection of two PCs (instead of four). The second misunderstanding is the range of operating frequencies: 2.4-2.4835 GHz. If we were talking about the organization of one wireless network, there would be no questions. In this case, the manufacturer provides the possibility of four SSIDs at the same time.

There are also questions to the WPS button - fast connection to a wireless network without entering a security password. Implemented function on one button with reboot of the device. As a result, instead of connecting to a smartphone router over Wi-Fi, you can easily make a Reset to the router. Do not like many users and the cooling system. Once again, TP-LINK technology installed a radiator grille on the bottom of the enclosure, limiting the decent heat dissipation from the heating elements.

Connection and management

Before setting up the TL-WR720N, the owner is encouraged to connect the wireless router to the computer using a patch cord cable. Step-by-step actions, accompanied by color pictures, will not allow the user to do something wrong. Everything is described in detail in an accessible language and it really pleases many people who are poorly versed in network equipment.

At this convenience does not end, after all, getting into the control panel of the router, the user is immediately invited to choose the interface languages, among which there is a Russian. However, for further customization, you will still have to spend time studying the instructions, since even the quick setup wizard sets too many complex questions, which even an IT specialist can not always quickly answer.

Creating a Fortress

Many owners of the wireless device in their reviews note that the TL-WR720N tuner is more like a designer, with the help of detailed instructions, it is offered to create its own wireless fortress. A lot of menu items, a detailed description of the functional, examples of settings and results. In this, of course, it's possible to get confused by a newcomer, but on the other hand, many buyers, on the contrary, dream of creating a private wireless network and enjoying its safe work.

The creation of a fortress can help and the provider of Internet services. The fact is that on the site of the service provider you can find a specialized firmware for this router and, having installed it, get automatically ready settings for free. However, embarrassing in this version of the names of networks and passwords - they will be identical for all firmware, and therefore for millions of users.

What are they different?

Testing the TL-WR720N router in work with a wired and wireless communication channel, experts discovered another strange thing. LAN-connected devices worked, both with each other, and with Internet resources with minimal loss of quality (less than 1%, which is acceptable for all budget devices). But if you go to the review of the wireless interface, as soon as there was a negative. The declared speed of 150 Mb / s the manufacturer was not reached by any device. The maximum that it was possible to squeeze out of the Wi-Fi network within the line of sight is 105 MB / s.

There are questions to the work of IPTV. With a set-top box for TV and a wired channel (using UTP-6 cable), it was not possible to achieve a stable signal without losses. The TL-WR720N router simply overheats and freezes. The problem can be solved only after installing an active cooling system under the bottom of the router. Given the cost of the cooler, many buyers question the feasibility of acquiring such an unstable device.

General impressions

Judging by the feedback of the owners, they still like the TP-LINK TL-WR720N network equipment, despite some problems with the operation of Wi-Fi and the connection of digital television. First, low cost, small size and light weight attract attention of potential users. Exquisite appearance and light indication of the panel are also not left without attention. Excellent in the work showed itself an antenna. Let it be immovable, but changing the angle of inclination, you can achieve good results when improving the signal through several walls.

The lack of a USB port in the case of the device was noticed only by a few users. Wired drives and printers are out of fashion - they are replaced by wireless technologies, so no one cares about the technology of the last century. True, the transition of technology to a new level affected the production of low-quality power supplies to the router. More than 5% of the reviews claim that the BP overheats and burn out as a result of continuous use for more than one year.

Finally

To the golden middle by the criterion of "price-quality" the wireless device TL-WR720N is very difficult to assign. There will have to the buyer in something to concede. Either in price, or in full working capacity. If work at home does not involve using IPTV and downloading torrent files, then the device will be the best purchase, because the rest of the functionality meets all the requirements of customers. But the rest need to look at the routers in the expensive segment.