TP-Link TL-WR941ND

The slightly retro-looking TL-WR941ND from China-based manufacturer TP-Link offers a bare bones solution to setting up a wireless home or small business network.

Connectivity includes a WAN port for your modem and four Ethernet 10/100 ports. The TP-Link has a low RRP of $165, but even in that price range you can find routers with more bells and whistles.

To help make your network more secure the TL-WR941ND provides Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), separate service set identifier (SSID) broadcast control and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. It also features a “Quick Secure Setup” (QSS) button which, when pressed, allows Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) compatible devices to connect without the need for an encryption key. Configuring the router using the boxed mini CD or a web browser is relatively hassle-free as well, assuming you’re not a complete router virgin.

Like many modern routers the TL-WR941ND claims to be able to provide a theoretical throughput of 300Mbit/s, but in reality this will be impossible to attain.

During our testing we pitched TP-Link’s creation up against a Belkin N1 Vision router to gauge its file transfer speed. Both of the routers are designated draft-n, having been released prior to the final signoff of the new N wireless standard, and like many of their ilk they run on a mixed signal mode (b/g/draft n) instead of draft-n only.

The TP-Link router took an average of 16 minutes to transfer a 1.6GB test file from a desktop PC connected to the router via an Ethernet cable and a Dell Vostro 13 laptop situated five metres away. Sending the file back was slightly faster (surprisingly), taking an average time of 13 minutes and 30 seconds to transfer. That equates to a sluggish average transfer rate of approximately 14Mbits/s from desktop to laptop, and 17Mbits/s for the return journey.

The older Belkin router was significantly faster, taking only 9 minutes and 30 seconds on average to transfer the same file to the laptop and completed the transfer back to the desktop in an average time of 12 minutes. That’s approximately 24Mbits/s from desktop to laptop and 19Mbits/s transferring back the other way.

On the plus side the TL-WR941ND had surprisingly good range, aided by its three large antennas, allowing us to surf the internet without noticeable reductions in speed from distances of up to 30 metres.

With that in mind, it’s not the worst choice if all you’re looking for is a cheap router that will allow you to wirelessly surf the net from around your house on your laptop. But if you expect to be transferring large files regularly or can’t handle a slightly uncouth looking device in your lounge, we suggest you look for a younger, sexier model.