Many potential buyers to organize a wireless network at home need an affordable device that has a minimum of settings, decent functionality and does not require constant maintenance. There are many requirements, and the assortment is huge. Why not start with a famous Taiwanese brand.
ASUS RT-N11P wireless access point with routing capabilities is positioned on the market of budget routers as a device for home use. Description, specifications, settings and reviews will help the future owner to get acquainted with an inexpensive (1500 rubles) solution closer.
Options and appearance
Budget- class devices always have poor equipment, and the ASUS RT-N11P WiFi router is no exception: in addition to the base station, charger and patch cord, the kit includes instructions and a warranty card. There are no branded stickers and installation tools, as implemented by competitors.
The case of the router is black and finished in carbon. Its quality is quite low, if pressed down with fingers, an unpleasant creak is heard. The device weighs 180 grams and has dimensions of 145x110x25 mm. Judging by the numerous reviews of the owners, thanks to such a miniature weight and size, the device is easy to mount on the ceiling and on the walls with double-sided tape.
Viewing the router from all sides
On the front panel of the ASUS RT-N11P router, the manufacturer placed 4 LEDs: a power indicator, wireless activity, Internet access and the presence of wired clients. Fans of ASUS products will pay attention that the backlight of the indicators is not in blue tones, but has a green tint. Apparently, the manufacturer reduced the cost of the device by all means, abandoning branded improvements.
The case is not cast, as it seemed at the first meeting, but has many ventilation holes: on the side faces and at the bottom of the device. By the way, the base of the router has four rubberized legs that do not overlap the ventilation system. Also on the bottom of the device there are holes for wall mounts. As many owners of the device assure in their reviews, no one has the desire to make holes in the walls because of the router.
Interfaces and connectors of the device
On the back of the ASUS RT-N11P router, five 100-megabit ports are located in a row for organizing a wired LAN. Having not found a separate RJ-45 input for connecting to the Internet, the owner will have to state the fact that one of the ports of the hub is the sought-after connector that connects the device to the outside world.
As users assure in their reviews, the manufacturer’s stupidity has no limits: how could you “hang” two functions - WPS and “factory reset” - on one button? After all, there is a separate power button, so it was necessary to set a hard reset on it. As a result, due to improper handling of the start of a secure WPS connection, the user may accidentally reset the router to factory settings.
Antenna Decoration
For the ASUS RT-N11P router, the reviews of experts regarding external antennas are disappointing. The manufacturer claims that they are installed to amplify the signal (5 dB) and have a directivity of action, while rotating along the axis 180 degrees, allowing you to deflect the antenna at any angle from the central axis. It will not be possible to test the operation of the router without antennas, because they are non-removable, however, in comparison with competitors, the router with the help of antennas should amplify the signal. Testing showed that the efficiency of the installed antennas is very low. In fact, this is the usual decoration of cheap devices.
Some IT specialists with creative thinking came up with the idea of installing aluminum cans from carbonated drinks on the "horns" of the ASUS RT-N11P router. First you need to cut the bottom on the container and, removing the copper wire from the base of the antenna, fix it on the amplifier housing. By sending such antennas to a wireless signal receiver, you can get the declared +5 dB.
The inner world of the router
For the quality of tasks, the MediaTek processor, operating at a frequency of 580 MHz, is responsible. As experts note in their reviews, its power is enough for the device to work properly. After all, the ASUS RT-N11P router lacks a USB interface, which needs a more powerful processor to service the corresponding devices.
Accordingly, the amount of RAM is also small and amounts to 32 megabytes. There are questions to the ROM, the drive is designed for only 8 MB of information storage. If you look at the microcircuits, you will find that they all have a marking that does not contain the name of the manufacturer - only numbers. The conclusion can be made one: going to reduce the cost of the cost of the device, ASUS used in the manufacture of cheap components.
Decent device functionality
An inexpensive router attracts the attention of buyers by the fact that it knows how to work with all existing providers that are on the domestic market. You can connect ASUS RT-N11P to any network, according to any protocol - no restrictions. Do not forget about virtual private networks, the router can even work with them, not to mention proxy server support.
The manufacturer said that his device can transmit data wirelessly at speeds of up to 300 megabits per second at an operating frequency of 2.4 gigahertz (802.11n protocol). As the owners note, he knows how, only the files should be small, and if it comes to transferring one large file (5-10 GB), then the speed decreases significantly (testing shows the transfer efficiency of about 150 megabits per second).
The correct connection to configure
It remains to figure out how to connect the ASUS RT-N11P router for configuration. Having connected the device to the power supply, it is necessary to connect the provider's (LAN) cable to the fifth (on the left count) connector of the network hub. The patch cord that comes with the kit needs to connect the computer to the router (any free port). On the computer in the address bar, register the address of the router (192.168.0.1). Enter login and password (admin). It is recommended that you turn the router over and read the sticker on the bottom of the device. It shows the address of the router, login and password.
If the connection failed, you need to check the network settings on the computer, which can be manually registered. Having found the "Network Connection Manager", you need to go to the "Adapter Settings" menu and click the right mouse button on the "ip v4" field. In the menu that appears, select “Properties”. Select the checkbox next to “Receive automatically” in all menus, save and exit.
Getting to know your router settings
Before setting up the ASUS RT-N11P router, it is imperative to update the software version. In the past few years, hacks of home networks have become more frequent, so all manufacturers update their product firmware once a year. Having visited the manufacturer’s official website, in the search you need to enter the device model. Then go to the product description page and click the "Drivers and Utilities" button. In the window that appears, select the version of the Windows operating system, after which a list of software will open. Select the latest firmware and download the archive with it to your computer. Unzip to a folder.
In the router menu, find the “Administration” tab and go to one of its items “Firmware Update”. By clicking the "Browse" button, specify the path to the unzipped file. After pressing the “send” button, the firmware of the device will begin. Upon completion of the firmware update, it is recommended that you restart the router.
Simple Steps to the Result
For many owners, the question: “How to configure ASUS RT-N11P?” - ends when the cables are connected correctly. The provider provides access to the Internet without any additional settings, and Wi-Fi is distributed without restrictions. Connected and forgot? No! It is absolutely necessary to establish authorization on the wireless communication channel.
On the control panel of the router, you need to find the "Wireless Network" menu. Once on the “General” tab, you must specify the name of the access point, which will be visible when searching for Wi-Fi networks. The authentication method must be selected by WPA2, and the encryption type is AES, by entering the password for authorization in the next field. Let it be a phone number, date of birth, most importantly, do not leave it blank. Clicking the “Apply” button will save all entered settings.
Help Providers
Many service providers in the vastness of our country have long paid attention to the fact that not every user can configure a router on their own. Therefore, on their own web pages, they post ready-made firmware for network devices that already have settings for connecting to the provider. Therefore, before setting up the ASUS RT-N11P router, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of the service provider, perhaps there is already a ready-made solution that will do everything for the user on its own.
Before downloading the file with the firmware, you should make sure that the provider has not set its own password for accessing the device, otherwise it will not be possible to configure Wi-Fi on its own and master the additional settings of the router. Many providers, when connected, report the password to the firmware, if any. Specialists in their reviews recommend that device owners without fail consult with the managers of the provider company regarding all connection issues before signing a service agreement.
Digital TV Services
Unlike competitor devices, ASUS RT-N11P router takes just a few minutes to configure IPTV. In the main menu of the control panel, you need to find the “Local Area Network” tab and select the IPTV menu. Then everything is very simple, you just need to follow the algorithm of actions:
- provider profile none;
- none port selection;
- Use Disable server routes
- enable multicast routing;
- enable Efficient multicast;
- proxy server settings "0";
- click the “Apply” button to save the settings made to the ASUS RT-N11P router.
If you want to use digital broadcasting of television via a wireless Wi-Fi channel, you will also have to configure an access point. Going to the appropriate section "Wireless Network", you must open the tab "Professionally." Make sure that the frequency range is set to 2.4 / 5 GHz. Be sure to enable the option Enable Wireless Multicast Forwarding. Save the changes using the “Apply” button.
Owner reviews
The inexpensive network device ASUS RT-N11P reviews has the corresponding to all budget class routers. One advantage is low cost. In fact, the price for residents of Russia is always higher than any functions and reviews. But there are few complaints, and they are all of the same type:
- The hang of the router . When three or more devices are connected that take over the entire communication channel, the network equipment ceases to transmit data. Rebooting the router solves the problem, but not for long. The weak processor of the router and the small amount of RAM simply do not have time to process the data (encryption and transfer via Wi-Fi). The problem is fixed by limiting the channel width on the mobile device.
- Weak signal . You can’t do without the knowledge of physics: the height of the router relative to the floor, the rotation of the antennas and the presence of reinforced concrete floors (screens) - all affect the signal quality.
- Unwillingness to connect via Wi-Fi to the device . The software part of budget devices sometimes “forgets” to release dynamic IP addresses. The problem is fixed by rebooting the router.
Finally
An inexpensive solution on the market of budget network devices has clearly attracted the attention of all potential buyers, because this router (in terms of ASUS products) is the best-selling product in Russia. In most cases, the creation of a Wi-Fi network needs to be performed within the same room and for one person, so there is no need for many additional functionality (for which you need to pay extra).
In the ASUS RT-N11P router, device configuration is one of the advantages - it is very simple and does not require additional knowledge. Many owners in their reviews note that they put the router into operation in a few minutes. Yes, there is a negative, but its root cause is the low quality of the product, which has an affordable price for buyers. We need a more stable device - pay two to three times more expensive. Vicious circle.