TP-LINK TL-WR941ND (review request)

[tipstir]

Tim,

http://www.tp-link.com/products/img_large/TL-WR941ND.jpg

This router is starting to make news, I was wondering if you could do a review on it. Newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704030 sells them for $60 bucks. Other sources have review it like CNET, but you go one step above them as you take devices apart and tells us all what's makes it tick? I already know it has 20dBm transmit RF wireless power, 3x 2dBi ANT. I would like know what type of CPU is powering it and the RAM used. One site has it up against DIR-855. Although this doesn't have gig ports, no USB it runs in only a mix mode for b/g/N still the 2.4GHz band is stronger than all of the DIR, DGL, that's what they say.

Anyway this might make a good wireless access point for b/g/n for those of us who can't afford to buy the $285 buck DIR-855. I just hope that TP-LINK comes out with a 5GHz model soon?

Youtube Video from CNET about this router.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ADp3Dy5G0

[thiggins]

Comparing a single-band, single radio router against a dual-band dual-radio router doesn't make sense.

It is based on the Atheros AR9001AP-3NG chipset
- AR9132: 400MHz Wireless Network Processing Unit (WNPU),
dual-band MAC/Baseband, Gigabit Ethernet MACs, 3x3 MIMO
- AR9103: Single-band 3x3 MIMO 802.11n Radio

FCC docs (https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=815483&fcc_id=%27TE7WR941NX%27).

Main difference from the other cheap draft 11n routers (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30387/96/) is its 3x3 radio, which could provide more speed, but not range.

[tipstir]

Comparing a single-band, single radio router against a dual-band dual-radio router doesn't make sense.

It is based on the Atheros AR9001AP-3NG chipset
- AR9132: 400MHz Wireless Network Processing Unit (WNPU),
dual-band MAC/Baseband, Gigabit Ethernet MACs, 3x3 MIMO
- AR9103: Single-band 3x3 MIMO 802.11n Radio

FCC docs (https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=815483&fcc_id=%27TE7WR941NX%27).

Main difference from the other cheap draft 11n routers (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30387/96/) is its 3x3 radio, which could provide more speed, but not range.

Tim good info from FCC on this company and what's inside of it. I had to use IE to get to the FCC site FF block the certs. Still so the CPU is 400MHz, If I blow-up the CPU it's Marvel 88E6060 SOHO with 512KB cache, don't know the speed. The RAM inside is made by hynix - HY5DU561622ETP 32MB.

Old technology chip-sets CPU 2002 and RAM 2005 plus no more Marvel SOHO for me eek! I'll pass.. Thanks for your help Tim!

[tipstir]

Here's a real closet of this router internals
http://images.lark.net.cn/tl-wr941n/01.jpg

CPU: Atheros AR9132-AC1E 400MHz
Switch: Marvell 88E6060-RCJ1
Memory: HY5DU561622FTP-5 (16Mbx16, 32MB)
Flash: SPANSION FL032A1F (4MB?)
Radio: AR9104 (According to 3x3 MIMO reference design)

PCB board rev is 1.0 but flash is changed to 4MB from old version which has 8MB flash.

Serial/JTAG/USB pin can be easily added.

[jdabbs]

I wish FCC docs were as sharp as that photo.
It's unlikely the AR9103 was replaced by a AR9104, as the latter is a dual-band radio. Hardware changes tend to be along the lines of cost-cutting measures, generation refreshes, or scrapping a problematic design.

I couldn't identify the Flash chip based on the provided model info, but 4MB is probably correct.

[tipstir]

Well I don't have this router but I've seen this image of the internals, I thought you or Tim would get a kick out of how clear the image is. The FCC with all the money they have don't you think they would use a razor sharp digital camera. Hire me I would take better shots of the internals. Anyway these chipsets are getting a lot of attention on the net. Seems a lot don't want to spend a lot on network gear.

TP-LINK PCB in the above post looks well soldiered and put together.

Now take the Trendnet TEW-652BRP you can now flash the firmware with DIR-615 C1/3.01 firmware since both models have the same internals. So is this a trend for Trendnet and DLINK to pretty much sell almost the same product. Trendnet cheaper than DLINK though.