TP-Link N450 WiFi Router - Wireless Internet Router for Home (TL-WR940N)

I purchased this router a week ago, so I cannot comment about the longevity of it. I'm out of my element when it comes to IT since I don't really know what I'm doing or what to look for when it comes to IT-related devices, network, etc., but I took a chance on this since the reviews were pretty good overall. I was worried about the many poor reviews and the chance that I'd get one that didn't work, but I haven't been disappointed. I had a Cisco Linksys router that needed to be replaced which is why I bought this one. My connection is SO much better with this router. I would constantly get buffering and connection problems with Netflix and Plex, and my wifi status on both my laptop and Surface would switch to "Limited" pretty often. Even browsing on my phone was a pain and often I'd have to turn off the wifi. It got much, much worse over the last month. For now, though only a week old, this router has been great. The set up was quick and easy. I did it myself (and I'm not super tech savvy) within five minutes or so. The only problem I had with the set up was the cable that came with it; it didn't work. I swapped it with one I had lying around and it worked just fine. I was able to easily log into to the router using the internet and set up a static IP for my NAS (with A LOT of help from Google searches!) and that's worked well so far. I had no problem connecting all my devices and I have not experienced any problems with my connection. I have been able to watch things on Netflix with no buffering, no stopping for "internet connection" issues, no problems whatsoever. My download speed is also much faster. My phone can say connected to my wifi and I can browse quickly with no issues. It is seriously night and day with my connection. I understand it seems like this router is fantastic when it was actually the old one was just poor from the start, but for the money this router seems to be pretty great. I'm assuming this router acts like a router is supposed to so I have no complaints thus far. Once I've had it for a few months, I'll post an edit to this review stating whether it still works well or not at all as some people have claimed.

NEWSFLASH: An average computer user does NOT need to spend $200 on a wireless router! We do computer service and sales, and we constantly are asked what we recommend in wireless routers. Back in the day, almost all routers were under $100. Today, things have gone completely crazy! This unit, like most other routers, can handle up to 100 devices with ease, no drops, and little interference right out of the box. I set this one up in our busy store to test it in less than two minutes. Between wired and wireless devices, all sharing 100 MBPS cable internet service, I had 73 devices simultaneously connected and all doing something online with no noticeable drops in performance. Even our network specialist was impressed with the TL-WR940N performance. The range is admirable but not crazy. We connected wirelessly to devices up to 40 feet away through two walls with metal studs. If you have a large 3,000 square foot home with multiple stories (like ours), chances you're going to need a repeater even with that overpriced super range router. The FCC regulates the amount of power routers are allowed to transmit, so don't believe the hype. Yes, some produce a little stronger signal, but it's negligible at best. Bandwidth-wise, gamers are always complaining about lag (although it's usually a lame excuse for poor performance), so gamers should be hardwired. Your Smart TVs should also be hardwired if you intend to run the tiny bit of 4K content currently available. Honestly, I can't see the difference in 1080 and 4K, and we have Samsung's SUHD 4K Quantum Dot TV. A good wireless signal is enough to run 1080p Netflix streams, and this router does that just fine, transmitting about 30 feet with no drops through a complete episode of Better Call Saul while simultaneously streaming Pandora, Spotify, and lord knows whatever else those crazy techs were doing at the time. For under $30, this is a terrific deal. If you're concerned about reliability as poorly described in some of the negative reviews, buy two, and you'll still be well ahead of the game. We're a week into hours with occasionally heavy 24x7 usage, and it's performing flawlessly. Just bought a second WR940N that I will use at home - this will be our third router (the cable modem itself is a router that connects the first floor, a Linksys runs the kid's rooms upstairs with the gamer hard-wired, and this TP-Link will supply wireless to our outside patio, which is very important to the boss. Happy wife, happy life.

I use this router to broadcast my AT&T / Optimum internet connections. It is simple to set up and works well with both internet providers. I have had each of these providers lose connection (their issue, not this router) and the household network stayed up with no issues. This is a great, low cost unit to allow a wireless backup for your cable internet connection. I have both providers feed the router. The router feeds my MESH network. Works great.

The TP-Link Festa FR205 is a solid router that impresses with its ease of installation and overall performance. Setting it up was straightforward: I connected it to my network, logged in to create a user and password, and enabled the "Managed by Cloud" option. The whole process was seamless and user-friendly. With a 950Mb/950Mb internet connection, I’m able to achieve those speeds reliably with this router, which is a huge plus. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is the reboot time—it takes up to three minutes to reboot, which is quite lengthy for a router in this category. The cloud interface is another strong point. It’s easy to manage, and I have two access points (APs) along with this router configured within it. However, the cloud app isn’t without its limitations. It lacks some advanced options, which may be a drawback for more tech-savvy users. Additionally, I’ve encountered an issue where I’m unable to see wired devices connected to the router, even though they receive an IP address from the DHCP server. A major downside, and a reason why I’m considering giving this router a four—maybe even a three-star rating—is the lack of an easy way to contact support through the cloud interface. You would expect a simple option for sending issues or feedback, but it’s noticeably absent. Despite these issues, the TP-Link Festa FR205 is still a good router, especially given its price point. I’m yet to explore the VPN options and other advanced features, but so far, with over 50 devices connected, I haven’t experienced any major issues. I would love to see TP-Link enhance the support options and add more advanced features in the cloud interface (even with the "Advanced Menu" enabled, it’s still somewhat limited). In summary, if you're looking for a router with strong performance and ease of use at a reasonable price, the TP-Link Festa FR205 is a solid choice. Just be prepared for some minor inconveniences and limitations in the cloud interface.

I recently upgraded to the TP-Link N450 WiFi Router (TL-WR940N), and it has been a fantastic addition to my home network. This router offers reliable performance and excellent coverage throughout my house. The setup process was straightforward and quick, thanks to the user-friendly interface and detailed instructions. The N450 speed ensures that my internet connection is fast and stable, whether I'm streaming videos, playing games, or working from home. The router's range is impressive, reaching every corner of my home without any significant drop in signal strength. It’s also equipped with robust security features, providing peace of mind with network protection. The build quality is solid, and the router operates quietly, which is a nice touch. Overall, the TP-Link N450 WiFi Router delivers outstanding performance and value for its price. I highly recommend it for anyone in need of a reliable and efficient home router.

Out of the box, the FR365 has almost no features. To use even the most basic of networking functions, such as a firewall, you have to register to use the Festa Cloud site, where you will need to figure out the differences between a controller, a site, and a device. Then you get to hope like hell that when you get everything apparently set up correctly, the "Festa Controller" and the router itself will cooperate. They won't. Each will attempt to override the other's settings, and once one of them "grabs" the right to handle configuration, the other will be locked out. Either you will be told via the Festa Controller that your device has been "preconfigured", so you have to manage it thru the device's own web interface, or your device's web interface will tell you that you cannot log into the device itself because it is being managed by the Festa Controller (which you won't be able to log back into). The device's own web interface offers almost no controls: you can create WiFi networks and set up DHCP, and that's about it, which belies TP-Link's claim that you can use it as a standalone device without having to use the Festa Controller interface. Without even having a firewall to configure, or being able to give your own names to the clients in your DHCP list? Hard to believe that the Asus RT-AX55 that I thought I was upgrading from actually offers more local features, but without the Festa Controller interface, the Festa FR365 is really nothing more than an access point. I thought I was buying a router. Wrong. Even trying to back all the way out won't work. The Festa Controller and the device's web interface each tell you that you need to delete a setting from the other, and the Festa Controller site will tell you, at the drop of a hat, that you need to do a hard reset of the router to be able to proceed. Wiping everything from the Controller will take you quite a while because a site, a controller, and a device will all tell you that you need to delete a setting from one of the others first. Once you've finally managed it, and tried as carefully as possible to configure the device using the enclosed leaflet, you're just back where you started. After having re-entered all of my network settings over and over again, about nine or ten times over the past several hours, I am a very tired man. Back to Amazon it goes, and the Asus RT-AX55 goes back into service as I continue my search for the next step up

This is a GREAT Wi-Fi router especially for its price of $30! I've had at least a half a dozen different Wi-Fi routers in the past. About 6 months ago I upgrade my cable modem and Wi-Fi router to a combo modem/Wi-Fi router - a $149 Motorola SBG6580 DOCSIS 3.0 so I could upgrade my Comcast speed to 57MB. This worked very well but on the other side of my house the Wi-Fi signal would degrade a little, I'd lose a bar or two, some speed and it would be noticeable on occasion streaming HD videos. This was further complicated by numerous Wi-Fi routers across all 2.4Ghz channels in my neighborhood. I tried a pair of TRENDnet Powerline adapters for a direct connection but they were worse. Since this was cheap and had good reviews I gave it a try. I plugged it in to a port on my existing router, downloaded the latest firmware/updated it and just sat it a few feet away from my Wi-Fi router. I tested it on two smart Wi-Fi enabled TV's, one with a Chromecast, a tablet and my notebook. In all cases there was visible improvement, one or two extra bars and faster internet speed tests on my tablet and notebook at far distances. I have a free program named inSSIDer that I got off the web. It will show you all visible Wi-Fi signals in your area, their strength, what channels they are broadcasting on, rank them and assorted information. I left this router set at all of the default auto selections and did not choose a channel. Most Wi-Fi routers broadcast on a single channel that overlap the frequencies on either side (1.5 channels each way) of the channel for a spectrum of 20. Some router can broadcast on two channels for a spectrum of 40. BUT in the US routers are supposed to automatically kick down to 20 when they encounter competing signals (like I have in my neighborhood). This router does not kick down and broadcasts on channel 3 & 7 for a very wide and stable signal.

Purchased the Festa FR365 and FR205 VPN Routers. Units work great as routers but as I was sold on very easy Site-to-Site VPN configuration connection, I was sold but having these units since October 2024, have not been able to establish any configuration options between the units. Frustrated with these units not being able to connect branch with office.