TP-Link's TD-W8961ND is an unapologetic budget, no frills 300Mbps Wireless N ADSL2+ modem router.
This basic box seemingly provides everything a home or SOHO user might need to get ADSL broadband over a landline and share it around the home with Wireless N networking.
If you're looking to upgrade from an existing out-dated BT Home Hub 1.0 or other 802.11g wireless equipped ADSL modem router, then this could be an ideal low-cost solution.
The TD-W8961ND is squarely aimed at the entry-level market, yet still features a ADSL2+ modem router with 300Mbps Wireless N.
So coming in at under �40 it certainly succeeds on the value front.
It comes with a number of ease-of-use features that should help even the basic user through setting up their broadband connection, along with securely connecting wireless devices to the ADSL2+ modem router.
Alongside these are a host of far more complex features that add greater interest to this otherwise somewhat dull budget ADSL2+ modem router.
We tested the wireless and WAN performance to see how the TP-Link 300Mbps Wireless N ADSL2+ modem router TD-W8961ND performed compared to a similar model, in this case a standard BT HomeHub 2.0.
Compared with the BT box the wireless transfer speeds were shockingly bad, but things did pick up.
The ADSL matched the downsteam and beat the upstream by a substantial amount, both in physical connection and tested transfer speeds. The TP-Link router happily performed at 100BaseT levels on the LAN connection
Wireless transfer speed
ADSL connection speed
ADSL transfer speeds
Primarily the TD-W8961ND has to be a good ADSL2+ modem router, and it at least manages that in two parts.
First is a set-up wizard that tries to help configure the modem router for a long list of UK ISPs. The second is good broadband performance and, after fighting with the configuration, it matched our standard ADSL connection downstream and offered an enhanced upstream speed.
Less impressive is the wireless performance.
It uses dual antennas for two spatial streams and claims to be 300Mbps, though performance is unlikely to go beyond 130/144Mbps. To do that the router would need to use 40MHz channels, which is unlikely except in Wi-Fi free areas.
Performance even in the same room was somewhat dismal and erratic, peaking around 1.9MB/s and averaging a very poor 391KB/s.
This doesn't get any better with distance and, as we'd imagine this is the primary way people will be connecting to the modem router, it's a huge turn off for the TD-W8961ND.
Equally unattractive is the web-based interface.
In its defence it covers a lot of complex options and features, but that can't excuse a sluggish response and a bizarre half-finished look to the page design.
This does cover one positive area of the ADSL2+ modem router in that there are a number of advanced feature hiding inside, such as port binding for specific services, wireless bridge options, Annex M to double upstream rates and full QOS abilities.
It feels like a rushed product and at the time of writing the latest firmware dated 17/6/2010 lists one of its key updates as "Fix the low rate of wireless connection."
Which doesn't fill us full of confidence.
We liked:
It has a no-nonsense design that even comes with a power button. It knows it's a budget modem router and tries to play to that strength offering some ease-of-use features for novice users, but still offers a raft of more advanced options.
We disliked:
Wireless performance was something of a disaster and taints the main way you'll be using this router. It's bad enough that it could be performing worse than your broadband connection.
It doesn't help that the web-based interface has an unfriendly look, is slow to use and despite its best effort to be easy to use still baffles with a range of technical features that most will not want.
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