New Router

Recently we acquired a new router (a tp-link TL-WR841HP), currently attached to the router supplied for free by our Internet provider. Here is what Gemini had to say about the TL-WR841HP:

The TP-Link TL-WR841HP is a high-power wireless N router designed to provide extended Wi-Fi coverage and penetration, particularly in environments with obstacles that can weaken standard wireless signals.   

Release Date:

While specific global release dates for all hardware versions can be varied, information suggests the TP-Link TL-WR841HP was initially available around August 2013. Subsequent hardware versions have been released since then.

Specifications:

• Wireless Standards: IEEE 802.11b/g/n   
• Wi-Fi Speed: Up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band   
• Antennas: Two detachable high-gain antennas (often 5dBi or 9dBi depending on the version)  
• Frequency: 2.4 - 2.4835 GHz
• Ethernet Ports: 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports, 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Port
• Working Modes: Router Mode, Range Extender Mode, Access Point Mode
• Wireless Security: 64/128/152-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK   
• WAN Type: Dynamic IP, Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, BigPond
• DHCP: Server, Client, DHCP Client List, Address Reservation   
• Quality of Service (QoS): WMM, Bandwidth Control   
• Port Forwarding: Virtual Server, Port Triggering, UPnP, DMZ
• Dynamic DNS: DynDns, Comexe, NO-IP   
• VPN Pass-Through: PPTP, L2TP, IPSec (ESP Head)   
• Access Control: Parental Control, Local Management Control, Host List, Access Schedule, Rule Management   
• Firewall Security: DoS, SPI Firewall, IP Address Filter, MAC Address Filter, Domain Filter, IP and MAC Address Binding   
• Buttons: WPS/Reset Button, Power On/Off Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button
• External Power Supply: 12V DC / 1A
• Dimensions (W x D x H): Approximately 9.0 x 7.5 x 1.9 inches (227.5 x 190 x 48.3mm), though this can vary slightly by hardware version.    

Advantages:

• Extended Range and Wall Penetration: The primary advantage of the TL-WR841HP is its high-power design and high-gain antennas, which are intended to provide a stronger signal and better coverage, including the ability to penetrate walls and reduce dead zones.   
• Multiple Operating Modes: It offers flexibility by supporting Router, Range Extender, and Access Point modes, allowing it to be used in various network setups.   
• Easy Setup: The router is generally considered easy to set up, often with the help of a setup assistant or the TP-Link Tether app.   
• Affordable: Compared to more recent and higher-specification routers, the TL-WR841HP is typically an budget-friendly option.
• Detachable Antennas: The detachable antennas allow for potential upgrades to higher gain antennas if needed.   

Disadvantages:

• Limited to 2.4GHz Band: It only operates on the 2.4GHz frequency, which can be congested in many environments, potentially leading to interference and lower speeds. It does not support the faster and less congested 5GHz band.
• Fast Ethernet Ports: The presence of 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports means that wired connections are limited to 100Mbps, which can be a bottleneck for faster internet connections or local network transfers. It lacks Gigabit Ethernet ports.
• Older Wi-Fi Standard: As a Wireless N (802.11n) router, it does not support the newer and faster Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
• Potential for Overload: Some user feedback suggests that the router can struggle with a large number of connected devices or heavy bandwidth usage, potentially leading to speed drops or instability.
• Inconsistent Performance (based on some user feedback): While designed for high power and range, some users have reported inconsistent performance, including unexpected speed drops or connectivity issues over time, which could be related to firmware, hardware versions, or environmental factors.

Summary of User Feedback Regarding Performance:

User feedback for the TP-Link TL-WR841HP is somewhat mixed but often highlights its strength in providing extended wireless coverage, especially in larger homes or areas with physical obstructions. Many users appreciate the improved signal strength and ability to penetrate walls compared to standard routers. The ease of setup is also frequently mentioned positively.

However, a recurring theme in some user reviews and forum discussions is the potential for performance inconsistency and speed limitations. Some users have reported experiencing significant drops in speed, particularly when multiple devices are connected or under heavy load. Issues with the stability of the connection over time have also been mentioned by some users, occasionally requiring reboots. The limitation to the 2.4GHz band and the 10/100Mbps Ethernet ports are also noted as drawbacks by users with higher internet speeds or those requiring faster local network performance. Despite these criticisms, many users find it to be a cost-effective solution for extending basic internet connectivity over a wider area. 

With a release date of August 2013 this router is clearly OLD but it was the one recommended by the technician and cost about A$50 so it was cheap. It does the job of penetrating those areas of the house where the signal previously struggled to reach and that's what was wanted. The longer 2.4GHz band is what's needed to penetrate the thick walls within the house. Actually the router supplied by the Internet provider does operate in the 5GHz range so that is available if needed.

Figure 1

Figure 1 shows the results of an Internet speed test and we see that data is being downloaded at 26.1Mbps compared to the router's Wi-Fi speed of 300Mbps which is more that 10 times faster. Having a faster router is not really going to make much difference obviously.

WiFi and Elementary OS

Since installing Elementary OS on my 2013 MacBook Pro, I had been using a wired connection and only recently noticed that the operating system was not recognising the wireless card in my laptop. I tried a few suggested solutions online but nothing worked. However, I found an old USB WiFi dongle that simply worked.

I was curious to find out more about this venerable dongle so I asked Gemini:

What can you tell me about the year of manufacture and other details of the TP-LINK USB dongle with identification TL-WN322G+?

Identifying the exact year of manufacture for a specific TP-LINK TL-WN322G+ USB dongle might be challenging due to the lack of individual tracking on each unit. However, I can provide you with some general information about this model and suggest methods to determine its approximate age:

General Information:

• The TP-LINK TL-WN322G+ is a wireless USB adapter that supports 802.11g Wi-Fi connectivity with speeds up to 54 Mbps. 

• It was first introduced in 2008, making it a relatively older model compared to newer Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ac and 802.11ax. 

• It's a budget-friendly option for basic internet connectivity needs and is not ideal for demanding tasks requiring high bandwidth.

Given that our Internet router is pretty ancient that's hardly a problem. I asked the following question:

What WiFi standard came before 802.11ac and 802.11ax?

The WiFi standard that came before 802.11ac is 802.11n, also known as Wi-Fi 4. It was introduced in 2009 and offered significant improvements over its predecessor, 802.11g, in terms of:

• Speed: Increased maximum data transfer rates of up to 300 Mbps compared to 54 Mbps for 802.11g. 

• Range: Improved signal range and stability. 

• Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology: Introduced MIMO technology, which utilizes multiple antennas to transmit and receive data simultaneously, further enhancing speed and reliability. 

• 802.11ac, also known as Wi-Fi 5, came after 802.11n in 2013 and offered even faster speeds (up to 1.3 Gbps), wider channels, and improved beamforming technology for more efficient data transmission. Finally, 802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6, arrived in 2019, bringing further advancements in speed, efficiency, and capacity to handle the ever-growing demands of modern wireless networks. 

So here I am with my 2013 MacBook Pro and my 2008 WiFi dongle connected to rather dated wireless router. I thought I'd find out more about this router:

What can you tell me about the HUAWEI EchoLife HG8245A wireless router?

The Huawei EchoLife HG8245A is an optical network terminal (ONT), also known as a fiber optic modem router,  designed for home and small office/home office (SOHO) users. It utilizes GPON technology to provide high-speed internet access through fiber optic cables.

Here are some key features of the Huawei EchoLife HG8245A:

• Supports GPON technology: Delivers fast and reliable internet connectivity through fiber optic cables. 

• Wi-Fi connectivity: Provides wireless networking capabilities with support for 802.11b/g/n standards, offering speeds of up to 300 Mbps. 

• Wired connectivity: Includes four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports for connecting wired devices like computers, game consoles, and smart TVs. 

• Additional features: It also has one Phone (POTS) port for connecting a landline phone, and one USB 2.0 port for potential future uses.

Here's a table summarizing the specifications of Huawei EchoLife HG8245A:

Feature Specification

• Technology GPON 

• Wi-Fi Standard 802.11b/g/n 

• Wi-Fi Speed Up to 300 Mbps 

• Ethernet Ports 4 x Gigabit LAN 

• Phone (POTS) Ports 1 

• USB Ports 1 x USB 2.0

Overall, the Huawei EchoLife HG8245A is a suitable option for users who require a reliable and basic fiber optic internet connection for home or small office use. However, it's important to note that the Wi-Fi standard it supports (802.11n) is an older standard with limited speeds compared to newer options like Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).

If you prioritize high-speed Wi-Fi for activities like online gaming, streaming high-definition videos, or transferring large files, you might want to consider a router that supports newer Wi-Fi standards.

I tried to find out the year of manufacture of this modem:

What year was this wireless router from HUAWEI released?

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a definitive answer about the exact year the Huawei EchoLife HG8245A was first released.

While I looked through various resources including product pages, press releases, and technology news archives, the specific launch date wasn't readily available.

However, based on the information gathered:

The router supports the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard, which was introduced in 2009. This suggests the HG8245A was likely released after 2009, but an exact year is difficult to pinpoint.

It's also helpful to consider the release dates of similar models from Huawei. For instance, the Huawei EchoLife HG8120, a predecessor model, was released in 2008. This might suggest the HG8245A came out sometime after 2008.

Therefore, while I cannot confirm the exact year, it's safe to assume the Huawei EchoLife HG8245A was released sometime after 2009, likely in the early 2010s.

My Ailing Laptop

Lately, my late 2013 MacBook Pro is refusing to stay connected to the household WiFi which is a source of irritation. It had been flaky for a while and one might suspect the laptop's WiFI but it connects just fine to the WiFi from my iPhone when I use the latter as a hotspot. I'm currently running a ten metre cable from the household router to it so all is well. I don't move about much with it anyway so it's not really an issue.

It's back to the old pre-WiFi days
for me as my laptop lapses into senility

Ever since I installed Linux Mint on my laptop to replace the Mac OS, the Bluetooth has not worked but that didn't bother me. I replaced the ten year old battery with a new one when I was in Australia earlier this year and that has really given the old laptop a new lease on life. There's no doubt however, that the device, like its owner, is showing its age. Last night, I discovered that closing the lid placed the laptop in permanent suspension from which it would not awake. Once the lid closed, I needed to restart it. However, by changing preferences so that closing the lid had no effect, I was able to remedy that little glitch.

I've lately found my misplaced USB cooling pad and so I now rest the laptop on that to keep it cool as it can often overheat if placed under even minimal stress. Overall, despite its current quirks, the machine is quite sufficient for my needs and I've grown quite attached to it after using it regularly for over nine years now. It may even see me out. Who knows? In the meantime I still have my Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard computer as a back up in case my primary device has a heart attack. 

My backup device
Raspberry Pi 400

There is a Raspberry 5 out now but no sign of a Raspberry Pi 500 as yet. Regardless, such a device would be superfluous to my needs at the moment. As the year draws to a close, I must note that my output this year of 26 posts falls far short of my output for 2022 when I made 47 posts. However, it's consistent with my output in other years since my output for earlier years was:

►  2021 (27)

►  2020 (22)

►  2019 (17)

►  2018 (16)

►  2017 (24)

►  2016 (16)

The average number of posts for the years 2016 to 2023 is a little over 24 posts or almost exactly two per month.

Time to Upgrade

I'm currently considering upgrading the household Wi-Fi setup. Currently, I have an ADSL modem connected to a Hauwai EchoLife HG8245A router. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

The modem is currently available on Tokopedia and other Indonesian online stores for between A$12 and A$24. It makes use of Wi-Fi 4, a protocol released in 2009. However, it's now November of 2021 and Wi-Fi 6 has been in use for the past two years:

Wi-Fi 6 is the next-generation wireless standard that’s faster than 802.11ac. More than speed, it will provide better performance in congested areas, from stadiums to your own device-packed home. 

Wi-Fi 6 officially arrived in late 2019, and Wi-Fi 6-enabled hardware was released throughout 2020.

Wi-Fi now has version numbers. Those old confusing Wi-Fi standard names like “802.11ac” have been renamed to user-friendly names like “Wi-Fi 5.” Here are the versions of Wi-Fi you’ll  be seeing:

• Wi-Fi 4 is 802.11n, released in 2009. 

• Wi-Fi 5 is 802.11ac, released in 2014. 

• Wi-Fi 6 is the new version, also known as 802.11ax. It was released in 2019. 

As usual, the latest Wi-Fi standard offers faster data transfer speeds. If you’re using a Wi-Fi router with a single device, maximum potential speeds should be up to 40% higher with Wi-Fi 6 compared to Wi-Fi 5.

Wi-Fi 6 accomplishes this through more efficient data encoding, resulting in higher throughput. Mainly, more data is packed into the same radio waves. The chips that encode and decode these signals keep getting more powerful and can handle the extra work.

This new standard even increases speeds on 2.4GHz networks. While the industry has shifted to 5GHz Wi-Fi for less interference, 2.4GHz is still better at penetrating solid objects. And there shouldn’t be as much interference for 2.4GHz as old cordless telephones and wireless baby monitors are retired. Source: How-To Geek.

Figure 2 shows the current Internet speeds I'm achieving using the current Wi-Fi 4.

Figure 2: source

Interestingly, using a cabled connection from a WiFi repeater to my laptop, I achieved a faster ping, a slower download speed and a faster upload speed. See Figure 3.

Figure 3: source

The results of these tests are fairly variable. For example, a subsequent test of the Wi-Fi, without a cabled connection, gave the figures shown in Figure 4:

Figure 4: source

For a more reliable estimate, tests would need to carried out over a 24 hour period and an average taken. Nonetheless, the figures above provide a rough reference point and it's clear that the speeds fall in the slow category, given that a good internet speed is 25 Mbps for download and 10 Mbps for upload (source).

Just to complicate matters, we learn from How-To Geek that:

There’s now also a “Wi-Fi 6E” that refers to Wi-Fi 6 over 6 GHz rather than the typical 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Wi-Fi 6E hardware will arrive after Wi-Fi 6 hardware.

Figure 5 shows a comparison chart of data transfer rates for the various Wi-Fi formats.

Figure 5: source

Figure 5 makes it apparent that the most important factor is Internet speed because even Wi-Fi 3 offers data transfer rates of 54 Mbps, far in excess of the approximate 10 Mbps download speed of my current Internet connection. This has led me to explore the plans offered by my local Internet provider. Figure 6 shows the Internet and phone packages available.

Figure 6: source

Clearly I'm currently on the cheapest package with promised speeds of "up to" 20 Mbps that translate to half that in practice. It would seem that the "up to" 50 Mbps option would be acceptable, promising real life speeds of around the acceptable 25 Mbps. I think this combined with a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router would offer a big improvement over current performance.

WiFi Problems with MacBook Pro

My somewhat dated MacBook Pro is still serving me faithfully but I've had problems with getting it to connect with WiFi repeaters. 

I have a TP-LINK TL-WA855RE N300 Wi-Fi Wall Plug Range Extender/Repeater/Access Point and was having no end of trouble getting my MacBook Pro to maintain a WiFi connection to it. It would connect but soon an IP conflict message would appear and the connection would be broken. Having become so reliant on WiFi, I'd forgotten that this repeater has an Ethernet port. 

When I remembered, I then used a wired connection. My MacBook was assigned an IP address and that was the end of my problems. I need the repeater in my study, which is a little out of range of the TP-Link router, and so the lack of mobility is not a problem. I can simply turn the WiFi back on when I'm elsewhere in the house. 

The problem only occurred with the MacBook. My Samsung smartphone experienced no such problems. So the WiFi connectivity problem was never resolved but an alternative connectivity solution came to the rescue. Whether this same problem occurs with the latest MacBooks I don't know. 

Of course I don't have a dedicated Ethernet port on my MacBook Pro and so I needed to use a dongle, which fortunately I already had in my possession. With that and an Ethernet cable, I've had no further problems. It's just a reminder that, even in the world of technology, everything old can be new again. Once upon a time, there was no WiFi and Internet connectivity, when there was an Internet to connect to, was achieved via cables. Now, in my study, I'm living in the past.