TP-Link TL-WN881ND manual

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

Go to page of

A good user manual

The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of TP-Link TL-WN881ND, along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.

What is an instruction?

The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of TP-Link TL-WN881ND one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.

Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of TP-Link TL-WN881ND. A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.

What should a perfect user manual contain?

First and foremost, an user manual of TP-Link TL-WN881ND should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of TP-Link TL-WN881ND
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the TP-Link TL-WN881ND item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the TP-Link TL-WN881ND item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

Why don't we read the manuals?

Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of TP-Link TL-WN881ND alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of TP-Link TL-WN881ND, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the TP-Link service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of TP-Link TL-WN881ND.

Why one should read the manuals?

It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the TP-Link TL-WN881ND item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.

After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.

Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter Rev: 1.0.0 1910010532[...]

  • Page 2

    COPYRIGHT & TRADEMARKS e. Specifications are subjec t to change without notic is a registered trademark of TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Other br ands and product names are trademarks or any form or by any means or used to make any derivative such as translation, transform ation, or adaptation without permission from registered trademarks of t[...]

  • Page 3

    FCC STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comply wi th the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. Thes e limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a re sidential installation. Th is equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequenc y energy and, if[...]

  • Page 4

    CE Mark Warning This is a class B product. In a domestic environm ent, this product may cause r adio interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures. National Restrictions 2400.0-2483.5 MHz Country Restriction Reason/remark Bulgaria General authorization required for outdoor use an d public service France Outdoor use [...]

  • Page 5

    TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD South Building, No.5 Keyuan Road, Central Zone, Science & Technol ogy Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen, P. R. China DECLARA TION OF CONFORMITY For the following equipment: Product Description: 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter Model No.: TL-WN881ND T rademark: TP-LINK We declare under ou[...]

  • Page 6

    CONTENTS Package Contents .................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 2 1.1 Product Overview ......................................................................................[...]

  • Page 7

    Package Contents Please verify that all the pack age contents below are available. ¾ One TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter ¾ Quick Installation Guide ¾ One Resource CD for TL-WN881ND, including: • TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility (TWCU) and Drivers • User Guide • Other helpful information ) Note: Make sure that the ab[...]

  • Page 8

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 2 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Product Overview The adapter is an 802.11n client device designed to deliver a high-speed and unrivaled wireless performance for your desktop. With a faster wireless connection, you can get a better Internet experience, such as downloadi ng, gaming, video stre[...]

  • Page 9

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 3 1.3 Hardware Overview LED status: Status Working Status Off The driver has not been installed; The adapter's radio has been disabled. Flashing Slowly The driver has been installed but no data is being transmitted or received. Flashing Quickly Data is being transmitted or received.[...]

  • Page 10

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 4 Chapter 2 Installation Please install the PCI Express adapt er into your computer before installing the driver software from the Resource CD. 2.1 Hardware Inst allation 1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord from the computer. 2. Open the case and locate an available PCI Ex[...]

  • Page 11

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 5 2. The InstallShield Wizard window will appear. Click Next to continue. Figure 2-2 3. Choose a setup type. It is recommended to select Install TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility and Driver . Selecting Install Driver Only will only install driver. Click Next to continue. Figure 2-3[...]

  • Page 12

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 6 4. Click Change to specify the destination location for the software or you can leave it default. Click Next in the screen below to continue. Figure 2-4 5. Click Install to continue the setup. Figure 2-5[...]

  • Page 13

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 7 6. The utility and drivers will install. This may take 1~2 minutes. Figure 2-6 7. After all the steps above, y ou will see the screen below. Click Finish to complete the setup. Figure 2-7[...]

  • Page 14

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 8 8. After installation, the utili ty configuration page will automat ically pop up as shown in the following figure and the icon will appear in your system tray. To connect to a network, please refer to Chapter 3 Connect to a Wireless Network . Figure 2-8[...]

  • Page 15

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 9 Chapter 3 Connect to a Wireless Network With both the hardware and software successfully in stalled into your computer, you can quickly connect to a wireless network usi ng one of the following methods. ¾ Method One: To connect using TWCU TL-WN881ND uses the TP-LINK Wireless Configurat[...]

  • Page 16

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 10 SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of the wireless network. The adapter will automatically connect to your tar get network next time if you tick Connect automatically . Figure 3-2 3. If word None appears behind the SSID, th is means the network to be connected is not security-en[...]

  • Page 17

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 11 Input the password which can be f ound on the configuration page of your router or access point, then click OK to continue. Or push the QSS/WPS bu tton on your router if your rou ter features the QSS/WPS function to quickly build a connection without ha vi ng to enter a key. Figure 3-4[...]

  • Page 18

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 12 Figure 3-6 3.2 T o connect using QSS QSS (Quick Secure Setup) function allows y ou to add a new wireless device to an exi sting network quickly. If the wireless router supports QSS or Wi-F i Protected Setup (WPS), you can establish a wireless connection between wireless card and router[...]

  • Page 19

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 13 Figure 3-7 3. The adapter will be connecti ng to the target network. Figure 3-8[...]

  • Page 20

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 14 4. When the following window appears, you hav e successfully connected to the network. Figure 3-9 3.2.2 PIN method There are two ways to confi gure the QSS by PIN method: 1) Enter the PIN from your AP device. 2) Enter a PIN into your AP device. Following are detailed configurat ion pro[...]

  • Page 21

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 15 2. The adapter will be connecti ng to the target network. Figure 3-1 1 3. When Figure 3-9 appears , you have successfully connected to the network. 3.2.2.2. Enter a PIN into your AP device This method is only available in Windows XP and Windows Vista. 1. Open TWC U and click QSS tab. S[...]

  • Page 22

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 16 Figure 3-13 3. When Connect successfull y appears on the screen, the QSS configuration is complete. Or you can view the adapt er’s utility page to see whet her the connecti on has been successful as shown in Figure 3-15 . Figure 3-14 Figure 3-15[...]

  • Page 23

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 17 3.3 T o connect using Windows built-in wireless utility 3.3.1 In Windows 7 Windows 7 users may use the built-in wi reless utility. Follow the steps below. 1. Left-click the wireless icon in your system tray (lower -right corner). The utility will display any available wireless networks[...]

  • Page 24

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 18 Figure 3-17 3. You have now successfully connected to the network. Figure 3-18 3.3.2 In Windows Vista Windows Vista users may use the built-in wireless utility. Follow the steps below. 1. Open the wireless utility by ri ght-clicking on the wireless computer icon in your system tray as [...]

  • Page 25

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 19 Figure 3-19 2. The utility will display any available wireless networks in your area. Highlight the wireless network you would like to connect and then click Connect . Figure 3-20 3. If the network you would like to connect is se curity-enabled, enter the same security key or passphras[...]

  • Page 26

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 20 Figure 3-21 4. You have now successfully connected to the network. Figure 3-22 3.3.3 In Windows XP Windows XP users may use the built-in wire less utility. Follow the steps below. 1. Right-click on the utility icon in your system tray (lower-right corner). Select Swi t ch to TP-LINK Wi[...]

  • Page 27

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 21 Figure 3-23 Or double-click the utility icon to load the utility co nfiguration page. Click Advanced in the tools section and then select Use Windo w s wireless configuration tool in the figure shown below. Click OK when Figure 3-25 appears to continue. Figure 3-24 Figure 3-25 2. Right[...]

  • Page 28

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 22 Figure 3-26 3. The utility will display any available wireless networks in your area. Click on a network (displayed using the SSID) and click the Connect button. Figure 3-27 4. If the network is security-enabled, you will be prompted to enter the key as shown below. If not, you will co[...]

  • Page 29

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 23 Chapter 4 Management This section will show you how to configur e your TL-WN881ND adapter using the TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility (TWCU). The TL-WN881ND adapter uses t he TP-LINK Wireless Configurat ion Utility as the management software. The utility provides us ers with an ea[...]

  • Page 30

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 24 Figure 4-2 The following items can be found on the screen. ¾ Profile Name: Enter a name for your profile (e.g . Home, Office, CoffeeShop). The same name is not allowed. Please also note t hat no space is allowed between words. ¾ SSID: Select the target network from the drop-down list[...]

  • Page 31

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 25 Figure 4-3 4.1.2 Modify a profile You may edit an existing profile by clicking the Modify button from the Profile page. For instance, you may like to change the profile name from Home to Home1 or you ma y want to specify another SSID for profile Ho me. After all the changes, click Save[...]

  • Page 32

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 26 Figure 4-5 4.2 Advanced The following configurat ions can be made on the Advanced page: 1) To select wire less configuration tool. Here you can decide whic h tool to use, either the TP-L INK Configuration Utility or t he Windows wireless configuration tool. This option is available onl[...]

  • Page 33

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 27 4.3 About The About screen gives you information about th e Driver and Utility ve rsions of the adapter. Right-click on the icon in your system tray and select About from the list. Figure 4-7[...]

  • Page 34

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 28 Chapter 5 AP Mode In Soft AP mode, the adapter will work as an AP. This function is available only in Windows7. Suppose that only one computer in your house can access the Inter net for various reasons like only one WLAN port is available on your wired broadband router, howeve r, other[...]

  • Page 35

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 29 The Soft AP icon should then appear beside Adva nced icon in the utility. Figure 5-3 ¾ SoftAP mode: Select to enable or disable the function. ¾ Internet Connecting Share(ICS): Specify a connection throug h which devi ces connected to your AP can access the Internet. ¾ SSID: Enter th[...]

  • Page 36

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 30 Chapter 6 Uninstall Software 6.1 Uninst all the utility sof t ware from your PC 1. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button, click All programs Æ TP-LINK , and then click Uninstall-TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility . Figure 6-1 Uninstall Utility 2. Follow the Install Shield[...]

  • Page 37

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 31 Figure 6-3 6.2 Uninst all the driver sof tware from your PC 1. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button, click All programs Æ TP-LINK , and then click Uninstall-TL-WN881ND Driver . Figure 6-4 Uninstall Driver 2. Click Uninst all shown in above Figure 6-4 , the system will uninst[...]

  • Page 38

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 32 Appendix A: Specifications Normal Interface 32 bit PCI-E Interface Standards IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b Operating System Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 Throughput 300Mbps (Maximal) Radio Data Rate 11b: 1/2/5.5/11Mbps 11g: 6/9/12/18/ 24/36/48/54Mbps 11n: Up to 300Mbp[...]

  • Page 39

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 33 Appendix B: Glossary ¾ 802.11b - The 802.11b standard specifies a wirele ss product networking at 11 Mbps using direct-sequence spread-s pectrum (DSSS) technology and oper ating in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and WEP enc ryption for security. 802.11b networks are also ref[...]

  • Page 40

    TL-WN881ND 300Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter User Guide 34 ¾ Spread Spectrum - Spread Spectrum technology is a wideband radio frequency technique developed by the military for use in reliable, se cure, mission-critical communications systems. It is designed to trade off bandwidth efficiency for reliability, integrity, and security. In other w[...]