TP-Link: router firmware methods. Updating the firmware of a TP-Link WiFi router Updating a wi-fi router

Do you know when your router needs to be updated? Although not as often as a smartphone. Replacing your old model will definitely pay off for you. Today we will reveal 5 reasons to upgrade your router and increase Wi-Fi speed.

The Wi-Fi logo is used to decorate devices that can operate using one of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication standards. Of these, we are only interested in 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac. Older and budget devices most often use the 802.11g standard, characterized by data transfer rates of up to 54 Mbit/s at an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz.

The newer and more common 802.11n is capable of operating at speeds of up to 600 Mbps at 2.4 or 5 GHz. The most advanced standard to date, 802.11ac, delivers a stream at a speed of 6.77 Gbit/s and uses a frequency of 5 GHz.

They are all backwards compatible. N-devices can connect to AC networks and work, but, of course, at lower speeds.

The practical speed of a Wi-Fi network with one transmitting and one using device is at least two times lower than the theoretical speed, which is indicated in the description of the standard.
The router communicates with only one device at a time. While the smartphone is downloading something, other devices on the network are in delay mode. Latencies are short, but can be noticeable when using old equipment, its incorrect configuration, or a large number of gadgets connected to the network.

In addition, there are additional sources of problems - interference. In apartment buildings, the main cause of this is neighbors' routers. Today there are many of them, and in order for them not to interfere, it is necessary to use other data transmission channels. Optimal speed can be achieved if there are at least five more channels between yours and the neighbor’s (that is, if the neighbor’s router is on the ninth channel, you need to switch to the fourth).

Several other sources of interference: Bluetooth, microwave ovens and baby monitors. They all operate at 2.4 GHz and clog the channel. It’s not for nothing that some tablets and smartphones cannot use two interfaces at the same time.

802.11 wireless communications are designed so that the maximum speed in a network of a router and several consumers cannot be higher than that of the slowest device on this network.

5 reasons to upgrade your router

Speed increase

If you want more speed, switch to a new standard. True, it is worth changing all Wi-Fi consuming devices, otherwise 802.11ac speeds will not be achieved.

It is unlikely that your provider provides real Internet access at speeds higher than those supported by 802.11n. But if it does, the router must be changed.

There can be several reasons for slow Internet

Increasing number of home gadgets using the Internet.
Network problems. At the same time, it is worth checking whether there is any slowdown with a wired connection. If the speed is low in the wireless network, then first of all you should try to select a channel that is free from other devices.

If this doesn't help, it's time to run for a dual-band router.
Outdated devices may not work well due to weak hardware. The router does not send information directly, it processes it, encrypts and decrypts it, and redirects it. A powerful processor and a large amount of RAM allow the router to not shut up during operation.

Wireless connection to a printer

Many modern Wi-Fi distribution devices have a separate system service - Print Server. It ensures direct operation of the router with a printer connected to a wireless network.

The drivers are installed directly into the router, and you can print from any device that uses this Wi-Fi network.

More convenient firmware

Many routers have problems with the firmware, causing connection interruptions, difficulties connecting devices to the network, and the like. To eliminate this, it is worth updating the firmware or even installing a third-party one.

One of the best today is OpenWrt. But in order to flash the router, you may need a USB port. Therefore, if you want customization options, you will have to spend a little money and buy a more modern device.

In addition, a larger amount of permanent memory may be required: this is what guarantees the operation of the device with additional functions and the possibility of flashing.

Creating a torrent or media server

The USB port may be required for other purposes. For example, to connect an external hard drive. Many modern router models with native or third-party firmware not only have tools for creating home cloud storage, but also allow you to install a “torrent downloader” in its own memory.

Some router models can even be turned into media centers. If the built-in memory allows, of course. To do this, you will need to install as firmware one of the specialized *NIX systems, cleared of all unnecessary things. The result is an excellent energy-efficient home server, which can be accessed from any of the gadgets you use.

A router consumes significantly less electricity than a computer. For many, this configuration replaces NAS - a full-fledged network home server.
However, firmware, even the smallest one, requires at least 64 MB of memory. To effectively use the router as a server, 128 MB is preferable.

Increased coverage area

The higher the data transmission standard, the larger the coverage area. The 5 GHz band used in more modern 802.11ac/n is better at penetrating concrete walls over short distances.

On the other hand, most often, to increase the coverage area, it is enough to either move the router, or change the antennas, or install a signal repeater (repeater). But a new gadget can be chosen so that it definitely has better transmission and a larger coverage area.

To do this, you need two antennas (preferably removable: they are of better quality and can be replaced if necessary) with a gain of 5dBi and MIMO support. The latter means that the antennas are spaced apart to ensure maximum performance and not interfere with each other.

It makes no sense to use more than two antennas at home. Cheap devices can create interference from the third antenna to themselves, and expensive ones rarely pay off.

Conclusions

The router needs to be changed only if there are problems with data transmission via Wi-Fi. Or if your gadgets support more modern standards than the current distributor. As your wired Internet speed increases and your equipment fleet expands, you should also think about purchasing a new unit.

But if everything is installed, everything works and nothing changes, keep your money to yourself.

Great, I suggest you update!

How to update the firmware on a Wi-Fi router?

Attention! You only need to flash the router by connecting it to the computer via a network cable. You cannot update the firmware via Wi-Fi! If your computer has Wi-Fi, turn it off. Do not turn off the router while updating the firmware!

Attention! Make sure you have selected the correct firmware. If the firmware is not for your device, then you may lose the warranty and the router itself.

Attention! At the time of flashing, disconnect the cable from the WAN socket from the router (cable from provider).

Attention! All settings will be reset to factory settings, but that’s okay, you can set it up in a couple of minutes. You can also make a copy of the settings before flashing the firmware, and after flashing the firmware, simply restore them.

Before downloading the firmware, we need to find out the hardware version of our router. If you upload the firmware of a different version, there may be bad consequences, be careful. We take the router, turn it over with the antennas down and see what version is indicated there.

You see, it says “Ver: 7.2″, which means I need to download the update for version 7. Remember which version you have.

We go to the website (in our case) http://www.tp-linkru.com and in the search bar on the site we write the model of our Wi-Fi router, by the way, the model is also indicated at the bottom of the device itself.

We look at the search results and select our router. I need TL-WR841N.

Go to the "Downloads" tab.

So, now where "Software" Opposite the version of our router, select “Firmware”, I have V7 and chose it.

We download the first firmware on the list, in theory this is the newest. You can also look at the date. To download, just click on the link and save the file, for example, to your desktop. As you can see, the firmware is small, 3.1 MB.

Now we need to extract the file with the software from the archive that we downloaded. You can simply drag the file to your desktop, like I did.

That's it, the firmware is there, you can start updating.

The process of updating the firmware on the TL-WR841N Wi-Fi router

Go to the router settings. It must be connected to the computer via a network cable. Enter IP 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of any browser, you can also try 192.168.0.1. Then enter your login and password to access the settings (standard admin and admin). Click "Send".

Immediately go to the “System Tools” and “Firmware Upgrade” tab.

It is extremely difficult for a modern person to live without high-speed Internet. That is why today almost every home has a Wi-Fi router. Meanwhile, from time to time all sorts of problems can arise with a wireless connection, which cannot be avoided even if you have a very reliable model. Users ask a variety of questions, in particular, a fairly common question is how to reflash a router.

The need to reflash the router may arise for various reasons, but they all boil down to the device stopping working, a weak wifi signal, or regular freezing. It should be said right away that before you reflash the router, you need to try to solve the problem by simply rebooting the router. We talked in detail about how to do this correctly. True, this option is only suitable if the device is buggy, when the router is completely out of order, you need to try to solve the problem by flashing it. However, the reason for being puzzled by such a question may simply be caused by the release of a new version of the router firmware, and as you know, manufacturers plan to update it regularly to improve the functionality of the device. So, whatever the reason, the process of flashing the router will not change.

Of course, some differences in the sequence of actions may vary depending on the specific model of Wi-Fi router, but the steps for updating the firmware for most routers are identical, therefore, once you understand the process algorithm using the example of a device of any model, you can easily change the firmware of any router. Below we will provide general instructions, but before you reflash the router using its example, read the list of routers below. If you have one of the above models, then you can immediately follow the link to an article with detailed instructions specifically for your device. If you haven’t found your model, there’s nothing to worry about, look at the general instructions and you’ll certainly succeed.

What you need to know before flashing your router

Flashing a Wi-Fi router is not difficult and will take you very little time, however, there are a number of precautions and rules that are important to know when starting to flash the device. So, before flashing, remember the following rules:

You cannot update the utility over a wifi connection. This action is allowed only if the router is connected to a computer;
The device must be connected to the computer only via a network cable, which at this moment must be disconnected from the network;
The new firmware must fully match the model of your router;
You cannot turn anything off during the update process;
Before flashing the device, you need to make a copy of the user settings, because after the update, all settings will be reset to factory settings and then you will have to configure everything again.

As mentioned earlier, flashing a router has a lot in common regardless of the specific model, so the instructions below will be sufficient to resolve the issue. So, first of all, you need to download the latest firmware for your device. This can be done on the official website of the manufacturer. First you need to find out the device model and its hardware version. All this information is contained in the router documentation, as well as on a sticker on the back of the device. You need to find the inscription “Ver”. It should also be noted that on some models, to flash the firmware, you need to specify “H/W Ver.:” (this is a hardware revision) and the numbers after “F/W Ver.:” (this is the firmware version). Finding this information should not be difficult. Everything will look something like this:

Having received the necessary data, go to the official website of the manufacturer of your device and enter the router model in the search bar. In the list that appears, you need to select the desired firmware version in the “Downloads” section (this is where you will need information about the hardware version of the router). Download the archive with the firmware to your computer and unpack the archive.

Now you can proceed directly to flashing the router itself. First of all, you need to log into the router's web interface. To do this, open any browser and enter 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the address bar. The address may be different; you can clarify this information in the device documentation. After this, a page will appear with a form in which you need to enter your login and password. By default, most routers have a login of “admin” and a password of “admin”. If you changed this data during the initial setup of the router, then enter the corresponding changed login and password.

After logging in, you will find yourself in the main menu of the router, the appearance of which will differ depending on the specific model. Let's take the tp link router as an example. In the settings, open the “System Tools” tab, in it we look for the “Firmware Upgrade” section.

Click the “Browse” button, specify the path to the file with the firmware and press “Open”. In the dialog box that opens, click the “Update” or “Upgrade” button, and in the next dialog box – “OK”.

After some time, the firmware will be updated and the Wi-Fi router will automatically reboot. That's all, now you will have the latest firmware version.

Surely many users are interested in how to reflash a router. However, first of all, it is worth noting that this task is not so simple (although quite feasible) and requires certain knowledge and skills. Unskilled user actions can lead to malfunctions of the router, up to its complete failure.

The need to flash a router can be caused by several reasons, among the most basic are the following: The need to update the firmware. Manufacturers often give users this opportunity, which increases the stability of the Internet connection and adds new functions. If the selected Internet provider is not supported by the device or is not supported correctly, then the situation can be corrected by flashing it. If the router is unstable or too slow.

It should be remembered that before you reflash the router, you need to make sure that there are no problems with the power supply. A sudden power outage during the flashing process itself can lead to device failure. In addition, you need to remember that you cannot reflash any router via a Wi-Fi wireless network. This can only be done by connecting the router to the computer. You need to download update files either from trusted resources or from the official websites of manufacturers. You also need to remember that before you reflash the router, you need to remove the WAN cable (provider cable) from the socket. You also need to find out the current firmware version. Usually it is indicated on the device itself, on a paper label. You should find an inscription like: Ver 2.0. The numbers will indicate the current firmware version. It is recommended to roll back to a previous version only if absolutely necessary. Following these simple rules will allow you to perform flashing quickly and painlessly, and will also save you from unnecessary headaches as a result of an unsuccessful operation.

This router model is quite well known on the market and is widespread, and therefore it is not surprising that many users are often interested in how to reflash a TP-Link router.

The procedure here will be as follows: 1. first you need to download the file with the firmware and place it in any folder convenient for use; 2. then you need to turn on the router and connect it to the PC via an Ethernet network cable; 3. Next, you need to open any available browser and type the IP address in its address bar: 192.168.1.1; if this address is not working, you can try: 192.168.0.1– should work; 4. When prompted to enter authorization parameters, you must enter the login and password in the appropriate fields: admin and admin; 5. The standard settings window will open, where you will need to go to the System Tools tab and select Firmware Upgrade; 6. at the top of the window you need to find the File item, you can type the local address of the location of the downloaded firmware file manually, but the easiest way is to just click on the “Browse” button and in the dialog box that opens, specify the already unpacked firmware file; 7. Next you will need to click on the Upgrade button and OK; 8. All you have to do is wait until the download and firmware status bar is filled to 100%, and then the router will either reboot itself, or this will need to be done manually. Attention! All settings of the router will be reset to factory settings, and therefore before you reflash the TP-Link router, you need to either remember or write down all the settings on a separate sheet. If previously installed software allowed, you can save the configuration file in advance.

First of all, it is important to know that routers of this model, revisions B1, B2, B3, are incompatible with routers of revisions B4, B5, B6 and B7. Therefore, you cannot download firmware versions intended for B1, B2, B3 and use them on B4, B5, B6 and B7 routers or vice versa. Failure to comply with this rule will result in device failure. The D-Link Dir router is a somewhat older model, and therefore the need to change its firmware can be caused by many objective reasons.

And, quite naturally, many owners of this device will be interested in how to reflash the Dir router. However, the flashing process in this case will not be fundamentally different from changing the firmware of other router models: 1. First, you will need to download and unzip the firmware file. When unzipped it should have a .bin extension. 2. Turn on the router itself and connect it to the computer using an Ethernet cable (the WAN cable from the provider must be removed). 3. Next in the browser you need to type: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. 4. After this, the router will offer to save your password and login for security. They are standard for these cases: admin and admin. 5. In the settings window that opens, select the “System” tab and then select the “Software Update” item. 6. At the next stage, you need to click on the “Browse” on-screen button, specify the downloaded firmware file and click on the OK button. If everything is done correctly, then after the reboot an updated interface window will appear indicating the current firmware version.

As for how to reflash a D-Link router, the algorithm of actions here will be similar: download the firmware file, connect the router to the computer, enter the above address numbers in the browser. Then you will need to click on the “Advanced settings” on-screen button in the settings window to gain access to the necessary “System” and “Software Update” items. Further actions will be similar to those described above - click on the “Browse” button and specify the downloaded firmware file, then click on OK and wait until the installation process is completed. The last step in flashing will also be to reboot the router.

It is possible that those who are puzzled by the question of how to reflash the Dir 300 router from D-Link will encounter during the flashing process that the browser or the router itself is frozen. However, you shouldn’t be afraid of this, it’s just that during the installation of updates the router loses connection with the computer for a while, but restores it itself. The interruption time may vary, it depends both on the speed of the computer itself and on the router, but on average it takes no more than one or two minutes.

Of course, if the interruption continues for too long, it is possible that there are serious problems or this update version is incompatible with the router model. You can try to force a reboot of the router and perform the installation again, first making sure that the correct firmware version is being installed. Under no circumstances should you turn off or unplug the router from the outlet at this time!

Asus routers are also common in the network equipment market and also require systematic software updates. Therefore, anyone who is interested in how to reflash an Asus router needs to follow these steps: 1. connect the router to the computer using an Ethernet cable; 2. enter in the address bar: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1; 3. specify the required login and password; 4. Now you first need to return to the factory settings, to do this you will need to go through the following points: “Advanced settings” – “Administration” – “Save/Load/Restore settings”; 5. here you need to first make a backup copy of the existing settings and only then perform a factory reset; 6. Next, you will need to go back to the browser settings window and go through the following points: “Additional settings” - “Administration” - “Firmware update”; 7. indicate the downloaded firmware file; 8. After installing the new file, you will need to go to the settings page for the third time and reset them to factory settings again.

TP-Link: router firmware methods. Updating the firmware of a TP-Link WiFi router Updating a wi-fi router