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

The TL-WR940N is a $25 4 year old (design) router with 10/100 (no gig) ports, single digit Mb/s wifi speeds and a lot of bad reviews, there's probably not much at all you can do to make it any better.

I'd return it, put a few more bucks in to a new purchase and get something that won't get in the way of a good on-line experience.

I wouldn't go to best buy, I'd recommend buying it online. If you can't buy it online go to bestbuy and get them to price match an item.

I'd recommend this one.


Edit: If you want a newer option I'd recommend this one. ~$30 more

For a straight AP that's probably the least expensive reliable model. Other than range, better AP typically give you better speed and reliability even when you have several devices nearby.

if price is at a premium, I'd pick up something like a TP-Link N450 router and put it in AP mode. If it works as a switch too, you're set, if not, it's compatible with OpenWRT. For same-room surfing and such it should work fine.

Check NP-300 (IPV6 ready, 300mbps) and the N450 (450MBPS, three antennas)

Using this router and having a ~130mbps wired connection I get about 60mbps down and i'm about ~15-20 ft away through a wall.

Hey I was just in a similar situation a few days ago. I bought a wireless router and set up my own network using the wifi extender that was already in my room and connected the bridge to the router. Make sure if you do this you look up how to hide your network from other people or someone in the building may shut you down.

Here's the router I used ($30):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y5RYNY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503079458&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=tp+link+wireless+router&dpPl=1&dpID=41Eh6WVWwdL&ref=plSrch

Hope it helps!

Edit: wanted to add that if you set this up correctly then you should have your own network that has a working internet connection. Even though I'm on this private network on my phone I can still stay connected to the Internet.

I got this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5RYNY
about 6 months ago. It's currently $20 and it solved all of my routing problems.
TP Link seems to work pretty good for perking with multiple devices.

So I just upgraded myself and I'm on Xfinity (Comcast) also. Check out the comcast Modem combatiblity list here. I first got a refurbished Arris SB6121 and long story short I nor Comcast could get the Modem to activate. Then after doing some research I picked up the Netgear CM400 New for $60 and its been working great thus far. Since I only need 802.11n wifi capability I decided to get a TP-LINK N450 for $30. But if you want a bunch of bells an whistles or 802.11ac its gonna cost you. Everything I purchased seems to work great, the new router reaches all the way to my upstairs bedroom chromecast, I highly recomend any TP-Link wifi router they have all worked great in the past. Hope I helped.

I got my brother this router a while back and he hasn't had any issues with it. Around the same amount of devices as you.

Its not worth trying to fix the Telus one. It will work for a few days then fail again. Go to staples or bestbuy or amazon and pick up pretty much any dlink/asus router 30$ and over. You'll have to set it up though one of the Lan/Wan ports on your actiontech but itll give you alot less troubles than the actiontech one. The 5GHz that extender that someone mentioned does help but still liable for breaking every few weeks.

Seems silly to me. The rpi3 has a BCM43438 with a single band, 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n... You can grab a $20 AP to load ddwrt on that should meet those specs, use less power and have better antennas.

or splurge for like $30 and get something like this :https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493054975&sr=8-1&keywords=ddwrt

support 5GHz, which is totally worth it.

Ditch that shit. Buy a DOCSIS 3.0 modem that is compatible with your ISP and get your own router. What ISP are you using? Just because you're on a contract, does not mean you need to use their hardware. You can also just get your own separate router ($30 to $200), call your ISP and tell them "I want my modem to be put into bridge mode" and that will make the modem do only modem things while you can handle all the ports stuff and other configurables on your own.

Modems:
https://www.amazon.com/Arris-SURFboard-Providers-Excluding-Refurbished/dp/B00UPLKF4A/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485917433&sr=1-8&keywords=cable+modem

https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-5345-Certified-Spectrum-Providers/dp/B013C4L6OE/ref=sr_1_15?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485917433&sr=1-15&keywords=cable+modem

Routers:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485917553&sr=1-3&keywords=router

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Gigabit-Wireless-Archer-C1200/dp/B01IUDUJE0/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485917553&sr=1-6&keywords=router

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Gigabit-Router-WNDR4300/dp/B008HO9DK4/ref=sr_1_13?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485917553&sr=1-13&keywords=router

So I would recommend https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ which gives you expandability in the future for wireless devices while staying in your budget, if you really need the cheapest possible wired only router, https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Broadband-Recognizing-Protection-TW100-S4W1CA/dp/B00006I5XC/ fits the bill, but again I highly recommend going with the first one I posted.

When I had issues connecting to Xbox live in the past, it had to do with my router. I recommend connecting directly to your modem with an ethernet cable to see if you can connect that way. If that works, then it's the router.

Do a google search on forwarding your ports in your router settings.

If you haven't purchased a new router in a while, you might want to get a new one anyway. I recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1486574691&sr=1-3&keywords=router

Oh shoot, I just realized you mentioned the router, not the modem. My mistake.
No, Time Warner doesn't care about your router, only your modem. Feel free to buy any old router. I'd recommend a TP-LINK N450 (https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY) as it is more than enough for your speeds. You could also get the N300 as well for slightly cheaper but still plenty of speed.

Hello breathinggames,

Thank you for the message. The TP-Link TL-WR940N is a wireless router. This isn't a modem. You will still need a modem to connect to your DSL service. If you need a wireless router for a wireless network at your home this would work fine to connect to a modem.

If you want more information on this device here is a Amazon.ca page with more information to review: https://www.amazon.ca/TP-LINK-TL-WR940N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B003Y5RYNY






With a little more information I will be able to assist you with this further. What modem are you currently using for your connection?? Make/model??


If there are further questions, please let us know.

regards,

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WR940N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394420126&sr=1-7&keywords=tp+link

This is a really awesome unit for $30, solid wireless connectivity and good routing performance to bring out the most from your internet connection.

This router supports DD-WRT if you feel that the stock firmware is inadequate, or down the line you get a better router and want to use it as a repeater or wireless bridge.

This router doesn't have gigabit ports or a 5 ghz radio, but it doesn't sound like you would utilize those features.

Oh ok so I found 2 routers that catch my eye. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y5RYNY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526526556&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=qos+router&dpPl=1&dpID=31Lsvoeu8RL&ref=plSrch. This one is more expensive and it looks like bandwidth control will work. The cheaper onehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A128S24/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1526526556&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=qos+router idk if this one is any good thoughts?

Honestly anything that is wifi N and has external antennas suffice but even the latter is not necessary. This is a great router. With that said if you have money to spend might as well get a router with wifi AC.

Yes.

This reddit post is pretty helpful.
http://www.reddit.com/r/3DS/comments/1k0g58/setting_up_a_streetpass_relay_at_home

personally I got this from amazon ( it was $20 few weeks ago..)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5RYNY

And I deploy openwrt on it.
http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/start

hell, i bought a TP-Link N router after owning a DIR-601N for years, it was a 40$ router but even still, my wireless speeds have quadrupled, and running speedtest on my 25mbps DSL line i'd get jitter of +/- 5mbps one room away and test at ~21mbps maximum and now, in the basement three rooms away it keeps a solid 24.5, while I pull down 24.8 over cat5. And this router ran me about 30 bucks on amazon.

I used to drop connection whenever I was using multiple high-bandwidth applications, the router's chipset couldn't handle it all and my entire network would go down for a few minutes, but i haven't run into any issues since, I can throw streaming, P2P, and gaming at it simultaneously with no significant latency issues.

It's by no means a top of the line router, but even at the same entry-level price point of my original hardware just the advances in technology have put a huge gap in performance for the same investment.

I had a rig do that so I switched to a wifi extended router:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5RYNY

That one is one click to make it an extender, has more ports for other rigs/stuff than the AC plug ones some are recommending, is available as a router or switch should you need that in the future, and is cheap.

Solid N Router for 22 Bucks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y5RYNY/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It just depends on your particular bandwidth situation. I've got 200 Mbps up and down so the above linked hardware works for me (although I wouldn't recommend less than 8 channel modems even if you don't need that yet, you probably will soon).

The wifi router recommended by amazon on the modem's product page looks decent and cheap (although it only supports up to wireless n and not ac, which may or may not be a big deal for you):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y5RYNY/ref=pd_aw_fbt_147_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q3GKYA2RHNZDH6DKJMZQ

Already bought this modem and router from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5RYNY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XC6GJ0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I got these 2 (for about 70 bucks)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010Q29YF8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5RYNY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd also recommend that you use an ethernet cable on your main computer, if you want to get full speeds. In my complex due to signal noise and such I get 66% of my full speeds over Wi-Fi.

Example router

Example modem

The router is a TP-Link TL-WR940N.

Here is the exact link for it

you can spend as low as $20

I'm going to buy this: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501689967&sr=1-9&keywords=tp+link

I've been talking with people outside the internet that had the same problems and when they connected this to their router, it solved their issue.
What's funny is that my wifi signal is always full, but I've read that the icon can be misleading.

Thank you very much! That's much more affordable than the ones I was looking at before and they both still look really good.

What do you think about this router? It's by the same brand as the one you linked, but it's less than half the cost:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-300Mbps-TL-WR841N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482709709&sr=8-2&keywords=tp%2Blink%2Brouter&th=1

I think the big thing that makes this one cheaper is that the max speed is less. This one's is 450 while the one you linked is 1750. But honestly I'm never going to be able to afford internet that fast lol so I don't think I would get enough use out of the ultra expensive one to justify the extra cost. Is there anything else you think I'd be missing out on if I went with the cheaper one? Like I said I don't do a whole lot of demanding activities and I'm not a super tech person. I just want something that's above average and not more expensive than necessary.

Also, if I wanted to switch from Xfinity Comcast to AT&T, would that modem still work for that? It says it's compatible with Xfinity, Time Warner, WoW, and some others, but not AT&T. AT&T is a pretty big company so I figured if it works with all those companies it must also work with AT&T, right?

Thank you again!

If anything, if you got access to a ethernet cable then just get yourself a cheap router and make your own WiFi for your room/dorm.

Otherwise, this one works with the Switch

If you're still looking, I've bought a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND a while ago (I have rev V1, this is V2) and it supports everything. I've been playing around with it extensively (subnetting, SSH server, USB NAS, virtual WLAN interfaces, bridging, multiple DHCP servers, boosting WLAN transmission, troubleshooting with WLAN interferences from other routers etc.) and I haven't had any issues with the hardware at all.

Archer C7 is fantastic for the cost.

WR940N is more basic, but I've never used a better router for under $40.

Either is completely capable of supporting your 100Mbps connection and space size. Most major options with 17 antennae (I'm looking at you, Nighthawk) etc, perform worse than these in my own repeated tests, aside from their useful-but-not-perfect features like QoS and easy-to-use interfaces.

Not that either of the above options are complex to get going, but if you like tinkering on a detailed level some more expensive options will make you feel a bit more like a star cruiser captain.

There are $30 routers new and with a warranty: TP-Link, Asus, Meco, Tenda, etc.

+ $25 for a 200Mbps powerline adapter to connect PC and router.

Like your apartment community said, the ethernet jack in the wall will provide you with your internet signal all you need is a router to redistribute it to your devices like the one linked below.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=twister_B01MR29ULB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Sorry for the late reply, here is the Modem. I can't remember the one they gave me, I do know I had to return at least 2 of them over the course of 2/3 years (tech support requested that I return them). The thing to do is to go HERE and pick one that is more than your max speed that you are paying for (please note that the modem I linked before is actually rated 3.4x what they have on their site, which I think is a screw up on their chart). Basically, as long your modem's Mbps is higher than the speed your paying for, you're good. It's also a good idea to have some extra to grow into. I would shy away from the wifi modems. I prefer to handle all wifi access via a router (a Wi-Fi modem is just another security hole and you should always have a router just for troubleshooting and it's an extra security layer). Also, here is the ROUTER I paired with the aforementioned modem. They've worked pretty much flawlessly for over a year and it costs about $80-$90 for both. You can certainly find more robust systems, but this is a really good value in my opinion.

I know Roku has updates, maybe that could be the issue. But as far as any router updates, the fastest way to go is buy a new one and hook it up to your existing comcast service and set the roku up. I just got this one for my mom this weekend (has comcast as well), and just bought a roku stick, and set it up all by herself. I just picked the router. Here's a link to the one I picked out (very cheap and great quality).

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WR940N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1458579142&sr=1-3&keywords=tp+link+router

https://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-SURFboard-SB6141-RB-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00OMDZAV0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1538714118&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=sb6141&psc=1

​

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N450-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=pd_bxgy_147_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003Y5RYNY&pd_rd_r=12c1fbb5-c858-11e8-9abb-7d2cd28fbd32&pd_rd_w=B3NVq&pd_rd_wg=hixrV&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3f9889ac-6c45-46e8-b515-3af650557207&pf_rd_r=RMSV9JQNBEK2AXMWGW91&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=RMSV9JQNBEK2AXMWGW91

​

This is what I was running before I upgraded, the router is really up to you and how much you want to spend. If you aren't pushing too much bandwidth just get something cheap, There is a Asus router everyone loves that goes on sale at Tmobile every once in a while that you can flash with a custom firmware that makes it act like the next higher model, I just can't remember the name of it.

Oh damn, that's actually rather annoying.

Well, unfortunately I'm out of options other than saying a new router is probably your only option, can probably find a better one but I found one for 30$ on Amazon.

Hope someone provides a better solution than myself.

I thought you needed a router/modem combo? That device you linked to is only a router.


Here is a cheaper router/modem: https://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-SURFboard-SBG6400-DOCSIS-Router/dp/B00WJOV23O/


If you do in fact only need a router, here is a dirt cheap one: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY

I really appreciate your reply. So, you're saying that if I bought a WiFi router, powered it up, and connected my Pi through ethernet cable, I could then connect to the router (and thus to my Pi) with my phone's WiFi?

I have never set up a home network (with or without internet access), so to be clear, is this the type of router I would need? I am not going to buy that exact router, but I am talking about the correct component, right? I might try to find an old router lying around if that's the case!

TP-Link N450 Wi-Fi Router - Wireless Internet Router for Home(TL-WR940N) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_v29RBb20HPPS3

Since you’re not looking for speed or features, something like this should do just fine. You can just go on amazon and type in wireless router and lookin for the cheapest one from a reputable brand with good reviews. That’s all I did to find the one I linked.

Ah I see. The ONT is the box that they installed in my home, right? That's in my basement (I think), so does that mean I would need to hook up an ethernet cable from that to my router? There's an ethernet port on the same coax outlet where the coaxial cable that connects to my current rented verizon cable is. Could that possibly also be connected to the ONT too? I guess only way to find out is to try it right? xD

Also, if you don't mind me asking (sorry for all the questions), assuming I have that the ONT stuff all set, I currently have this TP-LINK router that I was recommended by a friend. Would it be better to get this adpater or would this cheaper one work just as fine?

Thanks a lot for your replies.

Would buying this https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N450-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY work? It seems like it acts both as a switch and as an access point.

u/Bugs212

Just this cheap one on amazon, has worked perfectly!!

TP-Link N450 Wireless Wi-Fi Router, Up to 450Mbps (TL-WR940N) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MnNZAbPSGVGJN

Buy a shitty router that has WDS bridging such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N450-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=tp+link+router&qid=1562035850&s=gateway&sr=8-7

You can get gigabit switches and routers for cheap. Here's a 16 port switch for $70. A router with wifi for $29. However, if I was buying a house that was advertised as pre-wired, I wouldn't expect or want someone else's network gear to be there.

When I sold my last house, we had ethernet in a few rooms and the inspectors that came in didn't make a note of it one way or the other.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2945MB5S7X2JC&coliid=I2A4ZV52OX4JIR

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00A0VBPLM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474360675&sr=8-1&keywords=powerline%2Badapter&th=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-EX2700-100UKS-Range-Extender-Booster/dp/B00NIUHAG6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474361769&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+extender

A few options I'm looking at, need it PS4 specific though.

If you want to use the full Ultimate 200 service speed, you will need one of the devices from this list that say they are 300Mpbs compatible.

https://www.timewarnercable.com/content/dam/residential/pdfs/support/internet/twc-compatible-modems.pdf

I've personally had really good luck with the Netgear CM500 modem. It's $89.99 at the Office Max @ Perimeter Parkway.

You will need a wifi router too, but I'm not sure what your budget is...the options are endless there. A lower end solid budget unit that will utilize your speed is the N450 (NOT N300): https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-300Mbps-TL-WR841N/dp/B003Y5RYNY

Yes, although for the same price you could get something better that's a full router with better coverage and bandwidth like this.

EDIT: here is the same router on amazon for the same price.

This is super helpful. Would you dissuade me from pairing the CM500V with a budget router like this? TP-Link Router

I don't think our plan is for more than 100Mbps

Router number 2 just went down permanently so I panicked and ordered two of these with one day shipping.

TP-LINK TL-WR940N Wireless N300 Home Router, 300Mpbs, 3 External Antennas, IP QoS, WPS Button https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_XSwZtb1J4SY6H595

What do you think?

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Wireless-Router-450Mbps-TL-WR940N/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483947253&sr=1-3&keywords=router&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY/ref=twister_B081P5XFRS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You can do it with a modem alone, though most only have one input Ethernet port, so you'll be limited to one device, the PS4. A router allows you to use wifi and Ethernet for whatever you like. Since OP has a router built into his modem, it wouldn't work with just getting a new modem.

>are there good modems and routers that are under 100$ total that would be good

I haven't used these personally, but they'll work fine. http://www.amazon.com/7610/dp/B010Q29YF8 and http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y5RYNY You'll want to check what modems work with your ISP, though, as some modems might not.