TP-Link, although it isn’t a common household name like Cisco or Netgear, puts out some fantastic wireless router options for consumers. Two of these great options are the models
TP-link tl-wr842nd and TP-link tl-wr841nd.
But what is the different between these two?
We’ve looked at four categories to provide you the similarities and differences to help you decide which is better. The four categories are: speed, hardware, security and other useful features.
Speed
The TP-link tl-wr842nd and the TP-link tl-wr841nd are identical in WiFi speeds. Both of these models have a wireless speed of 300 Mbps.
Hardware
The hardware between these two models are very similar, but have two slight variations. Both the TP-link tl-wr842nd and the TP-link tl-wr841nd have five Ethernet ports, breaking down into one WAN port and four LAN ports.
The TP-link tl-wr842nd also as one 2.0 USB port that the TP-link tl-wr841nd does not.
Both models feature two Omni directional external antennas. The TP-link tl-wr842nd antennas are detachable, the TP-link tl-wr841nd are fixed.
Both the Tp-link tl-wr842nd and the Tp-link tl-wr841 are easy to navigate with a WPS/reset button and a WiFi on/off button. The Tp-link tl-wr841nd also has a power on/off button.
Security
The similarities between the Tp-link tl-wr842nd and the Tp-link tl-wr841nd, when it comes to security, include quite a few options. They include parental control, Denial of Service (DoS) attack prevention, and SPI firewall. They both also feature IP and Mac address binding, IP and Mac address filter and domain filter.
The Tp-link tl-wr842nd also has three encryption algorithms, DES/3DES/AES. It also has two authentication algorithms, MDS and SHA1.
The Tp-link tl-wr841nd has WPA and WPA2 encryption.
Other Useful Features
Some other useful features that are included in the Tp-link tl-wr842nd model that are not included in the Tp-link tl-wr841nd are:
- 5 VP tunnels with Internet Key Exchange (IKE)
- Built-in media server
- Built-in print server
- Guest network
The one feature that the Tp-link tl-wr841nd has that the Tp-link tl-wr842nd doesn’t have is the ability to manage the router on a mobile device through the TP-Link Tether App.
Overall Product Recommendation
Of the two models, the overall product recommendation goes to the Tp-Link tl-wr842nd. The addition of the 2.0 USB port is one of the main selling points for the overall recommendations. In addition the USB port, the built-in media server and the built-in print server are must-haves for any home office, small business or family.
The five VP tunnels make this model an essential must-have for businesses that have clients or employees that need to remote access the router. The fact that the VP tunnels are equipped with Internet Key Exchanges helps ensure a secure link into the router.
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As a final bonus, the tp-link tl-wr842nd’s ability to have a guest network is essential for any home or business that sees frequent guest and clients.
However, the ability to manage the router through a mobile device app is something that the Tp-link tl-wr841nd got right. It would be nice to see that feature added to the Tp-link tl-wr842nd model.
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