TP-Link TL-WN781ND Wireless Network Card User Guide

TP-Link TL-WN781ND Wireless Network Card

Product Overview

Introduction

The TP-LINK TL-WN781ND 150Mbps Wireless N PCI Express Adapter connects your desktop computer to a Wi-Fi network for lag-free video streaming, online gaming, secure Internet surfing, and Internet calls.

Features

• Complies with IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11e, IEEE 802.11i standards
• Supports WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA/WPA2-PSK data security, IEEE802.1x authentication, TKIP/AES encryption
• Supports high rate of up to 150Mbps for maximum throughput, supports automatically adjusts to lower speeds due to distance or other operating limitations
• Provides 32-bit PCI Express interface
• Supports Ad Hoc and Infrastructure modes
• Good capability on anti-jamming
• Supports roaming between access points when configured under Infrastructure mode
• Easy to configure and provides monitoring information
• Supports Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10

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.

Connect to a Computer

Before using your adapter, connect it to your computer by following these steps:

1. Turn off your computer, and unplug the power cord and other connected peripheral devices to your computer.
2. Remove the case panel. Locate an available PCI-E slot and remove its slot cover.
3. Carefully insert the adapter into the PCI-E slot and secure it with the retaining screw.
4. Replace the case panel.
5. Reconnect the power cord and turn on your computer.

Note: In Windows XP/Vista, a Found New Hardware Wizard window will appear when the adapter is detected. Please click Cancel.

Install driver and utility

The Setup Wizard will guide you through the installation procedures. We use the procedures in Windows 7 as an example – the procedures may vary slightly for other versions of Windows.

Note: For Windows 10, TP-LINK Utility is not supported.

1. Insert the resource CD into your CD drive and click the Run Autorun.exe from the pop-up AutoPlay window. Select TL-WN781ND and click Install Driver and Utility to begin.
   Note:

    

   •  The CD is included in the package. If your CD does not work or your computer doesn’t support the CD, you can also download the driver and utility from the TP-LINK website (www.tp-link.com).
   • In some operating systems, the CD screen will pop up automatically. Otherwise, run the CD manually.
2. The InstallShield Wizard window displays. Click Next to continue.
3. Choose a setup type. It is recommended to select Install TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility and Driver. Click Next.
4. If you want to change the install location, click Change to specify the location for the software installation. Or you can leave it default. Click Next.
5. Click Install. After a few minutes, the installation completes. Click Finish.
6. TP-LINK utility pops up after installation. Its icon appears on the desktop as and in the Windows system tray as. You can use the TP-LINK utility to join a Wi-Fi network with your adapter. For more guidance, please refer to Join a Wireless Network.
   

Join a Wireless Network

There are three options for using the adapter to join a Wi-Fi network. For Windows 10, TP-LINK Utility is not supported, please use the Windows built-in Wireless Utility (Option 3) to join a network.

• Option 1: TP-LINK Utility
  TP-LINK Utility lets you easily connect the adapter to a Wi-Fi network and manage the adapter.
• Option 2: WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
  WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is a network security standard for easily adding computers and other devices to a home network. Use this method if your wireless router or access point supports WPS.
• Option 3: Windows Wireless Utility
  Windows users may use the built-in wireless utility to connect to a wireless network.

TP-LINK Utility

1. Double-click (TP-LINK Utility icon). The Network screen displays.
2. Select the network you want to join from the list on this screen and click Connect. If you want the adapter to automatically connect to the network next time, select the Connect automatically checkbox. Enter your Wi-Fi password when prompted.

Note: If your Wi-Fi network is not displayed in the list, you can try to join it by WPS or by adding a profile in the Profile screen.

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

WPS can be activated via PBC (Push Button Configuration) and PIN code. Please refer to PBC or PIN below. This method is operated via TP-LINK Utility and thus is not supported in Windows 10.

PBC

1. Press the WPS/QSS button on your router or AP.
2. Open TP-LINK Utility and click the WPS tab. Select Push the button on my access point or wireless router and click Connect.
3. The following screen indicates a successful connection by WPS. Click OK.

PIN

Option 1

1. Open TP-LINK Utility and click the WPS tab. Select Enter the PIN of my access point or wireless router. Enter the PIN of your router or AP. Click Connect.
   • Note: The default PIN of your router or AP is printed on the product label of your router or AP. If you generated a new PIN for your router, please enter the new one.
2. The following screen indicates a successful connection by WPS. Click OK.

Option 2

 

Note: This method is only available in Windows XP and Windows Vista.

1. Open TP-LINK Utility and click the WPS tab. Select Enter the PIN of this device into my access point or wireless router. The screen displays the PIN of the adapter, which is generated randomly. Click Connect.
2. Log in to the Web Management page of your router or AP. Go to the WPS page, enter the PIN of the adapter in the corresponding field, and click Connect.
3. The following screen indicates a successful connection by WPS. Click OK.

Windows Wireless Utility

Follow the instructions in the appropriate section below to use your computer system’s built-in wireless utility: Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Windows XP, Windows Vista.

Windows 7/8/8.1/10

1. Click, (The network icon) on the system tray. Select the network you want to join, and click Connect. Enter your Wi-Fi password when prompted.
   Note: If you do not want to enter the Wi-Fi password, you can also join a wireless network either by pushing the WPS or QSS button on your router or AP, or entering the PIN of your router when the screen prompts you to do so, and click Next.
2. When Connected displays next to the network name (SSID) on the screen, it indicates a successful network connection.

Windows XP

1. Right-click (TP-LINK Utility icon) on the system tray. (If you do not see the icon, click the hidden icons arrow on the system tray.) Select Switch to Windows wireless configuration tool. Or you can open the TP-LINK Utility, select the Advanced tab, then select Use Windows wireless configuration tool.
2. Right-click (Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration Utility icon) on the system tray, and select View Available Wireless Networks.
3. Select the network you want to join, and click Connect. Enter your Wi-Fi password when prompted.

Windows Vista

1. Click (The network icon) on the system tray, and select Connect to a network.
2. Select the network you want to join, and click Connect. Enter your Wi-Fi password when prompted.

Management

TP-LINK Utility provides you with an easy way to manage your adapter. It includes the following sections:

• Status – View the information on the current Wi-Fi network connection and the adapter.
• Profile – Save or manage various Wi-Fi network connection settings.
• Advanced – Turn on or off the SoftAP mode and power saving mode, and switch between TP-LINK Utility and Windows Wireless Utility (for Windows XP only).
• SoftAP – Configure the settings of the network shared by your adapter, and view the IP address of your adapter when it works on SoftAP mode.
• About – View your adapter’s Utility version and its Driver version.

Double-click (TP-LINK Utility icon) and click the Status, Profile, or Advanced tab to manage the corresponding section of your adapter.

Status

You can view the IP address and MAC address of the adapter, the signal strength of the Wi-Fi network, and other information on the network status as shown in the following figure.

Profile

The Profile screen lets you save and manage different Wi-Fi network connection settings as profiles so that you can quickly and simply connect to your network. Moreover, you can join a hidden Wi-Fi network that does not broadcast its SSID by adding a profile, provided that you know its wireless settings, such as SSID, security type, and encryption type. For more details, please refer to the instructions below: To add a new profile, To join a Wi-Fi network, To manage an existing profile.

To add a new profile

1. Click the Add button, and then a new window will open.
2. Complete the settings as shown in the following figure, and click Save.

Profile Name – Enter a name for your profile, such as Home, Office, or Coffeehouse. Do not enter the profile name that already exists.

SSID – Select your Wi-Fi network from the drop-down list or enter your Wi-Fi network name manually.

Network Type – Select Infrastructure if you want to connect to a wireless router or an access point. Select ad hoc if you want to connect to another wireless client, such as an adapter.

• Infrastructure
  If you select Infrastructure, you are asked to select or enter the corresponding wireless settings, which should be the same as those of your Wi-Fi network.
• ad hoc
  If you select ad hoc, you are asked to configure the wireless settings for your network, including choosing the operating frequency band, the security type, the encryption type, and setting a security key.

Note:
As for Key Index, you can select ASCII or Hexadecimal format from the drop-down list. ASCII_64 – Please enter 5 ASCII characters.
ASCII_128 – Please enter 13 ASCII characters.
Hexadecimal_64 – Please enter 10 Hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, excluded space).
Hexadecimal_128 – Please enter 26 Hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, excluded space).

To join a Wi-Fi network
If you want to join a Wi-Fi network that is listed in the profile screen, select the profile and click Connect button in the bottom right corner.

To manage an existing profile
If you want to change the name or the wireless settings of an existing profile, select it and click the Modify button in the bottom right corner of the Profile screen, then you can edit the settings of this profile. If you want to delete a profile that you no longer use, select it and click the Remove button.

Advanced

Select wireless configuration tool – In Windows XP. You can either use TP-LINK Utility or Windows wireless configuration tool. While in other operating systems, since you can use both TP-LINK Utility and Windows wireless configuration tool at the same time, this function is disabled.

Wireless network adapter switch – If you’ve installed several adapters in your computer, you can switch to another adapter from the drop-down list.

SoftAP mode – Once ON is selected, the adapter will work as an AP (For Windows 7 only). Power Save mode – Once ON is selected, the adapter will automatically reduce its power consumption when not being used.

SoftAP (For Windows 7 only)

SoftAP is short for Software enabled Access Point. This Function is available only in Windows 7. When the adapter works in SoftAP mode, it allows the computer to create a wireless hotspot that other wireless devices nearby can use.

To switch to SoftAP mode, right-click the utility icon in the system tray and select Switch to SoftAP mode.

After switching to SoftAP mode, the SoftAP icon appears in the utility. Click the SoftAP tab, complete the settings, then click Apply for the settings to take effect.

• Soft AP mode: Select ON or OFF to enable or disable this function.
• Internet Connecting Share(ICS): Select a network connection that can access the Internet from the drop-down list. For example, if your computer is connecting to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, you should select the corresponding Local Area Connection to share the network with other wireless devices.
• SSID: Set a name for the wireless network shared by your adapter. The default is SoftAP.
• Security Type: The security type here is set to be WPA2-PSK which is based on 802.11i and uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
• Encryption Type: The encryption type here is set to AES.
• Security Key: Set a security key for the wireless network that is shared by your adapter. It is recommended that you specify another key instead of the default key 12345678. When another wireless device connects to the network shared by your adapter, it will be asked to enter the corresponding security key.
• IP Address: Displays the IP address of the adapter when it works in SoftAP mode. You can also check if the network shared by your adapter is working properly by checking this IP Address. For example, if the IP Address is 0.0.0.0, it means that the Internet connection is failed.

About

You can view the adapter’s information in the About screen, such as the UI version (Utility version) and the Driver version. Right-click (TP-LINK Utility icon) in the system tray and select About, then the About screen displays.

Uninstall the driver and utility

The software uninstallation steps vary a bit in different systems, please follow the appropriate instructions for your Windows operating system: Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1, Windows XP/Vista/7.

Windows 10

• Uninstall driver: Go to Start > Apps, and find the TP-LINK application. Click Uninstall – TP-LINK TL-WN781ND Driver, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Windows 8/8.1

• Uninstall driver: Go to Start > Apps, and find the TP-LINK application. Click Uninstall – TP-LINK TL-WN781ND Driver, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.
• Uninstall Utility: Go to Start > Apps, and find the TP-LINK application. Click Uninstall – TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Windows XP/Vista/7

• Uninstall driver: Go to Start > All Programs > TP-LINK > Uninstall – TP-LINK TL-WN781ND Driver. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.
• Uninstall Utility: Go to Start > All Programs > TP-LINK > Uninstall – TP-LINK Wireless Configuration Utility. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Appendix A: Specifications

Normal
Interface	32 bit PCI Express Interface
Standards	IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.1x,   IEEE 802.11e, IEEE 802.11i
Operating System	Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8,   Windows 8.1, Windows 10
Throughput	150Mbps (Maximal)
Data Security	62/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Frequency*	2.4 ~ 2.4835GHz

Environmental and Physical
Working Temperature	0℃~40℃ (32℉~104℉)
Storage Temperature	-40℃~70℃(-40℉~158℉)
Working Humidity	10% ~ 90% RH, Non-condensing
Storage Humidity	5% ~ 90% RH, Non-condensing

Only 2.412GHz~2.462GHz is allowed to be used in the USA, which means only channel 1~11 is available for American users to choose.

Appendix B: Glossary

• 11b – The 802.11b standard specifies a wireless product networking at 11 Mbps using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology and operating in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and WEP encryption for security. 802.11b networks are also referred to as Wi-Fi networks.
• 11g – specification for wireless networking at 54 Mbps using direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) technology, using OFDM modulation and operating in the unlicensed radio spectrum at 2.4GHz, and backward compatibility with IEEE 802.11b devices, and WEP encryption for security.
• 11n – 802.11n builds upon previous 802.11 standards by adding MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output). MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas to allow for increased data throughput via spatial multiplexing and increased range by exploiting spatial diversity, perhaps through coding schemes like Alamouti coding. The Enhanced Wireless Consortium (EWC) was formed to help accelerate the IEEE 802.11n development process and promote a technology specification for the interoperability of next-generation wireless local area networking (WLAN) products.
• Ad hoc Network – An ad hoc network is a group of computers, each with a Wireless Adapter, connected as an independent 802.11 wireless Ad hoc wireless computers operate on a peer-to-peer basis, communicating directly with each other without the use of an access point. Ad hoc mode is also referred to as an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS) or as peer-to-peer mode and is useful at a departmental scale or SOHO operation.
• Infrastructure Network – An infrastructure network is a group of computers or other devices, each with a Wireless Adapter, connected as an 802.11 wireless In infrastructure mode, the wireless devices communicate with each other and to a wired network by first going through an access point. An infrastructure wireless network connected to a wired network is referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). A set of two or more BSS in a single network is referred to as an Extended Service Set (ESS). Infrastructure mode is useful at a corporation scale, or when it is necessary to connect the wired and wireless networks.
• SSID – A Service Set Identification is a thirty-two-character (maximum) alphanumeric key identifying a wireless local area For the wireless devices in a network to communicate with each other, all devices must be configured with the same SSID. This is typically the configuration parameter for a wireless PC card. It corresponds to the ESSID in the wireless Access Point and to the wireless network name. See also Wireless Network Name and ESSID.
• WEP – (Wired Equivalent Privacy) – A data privacy mechanism based on a 64-bit or 128-bit or 152-bit shared key algorithm, as described in the IEEE 11 standard. To gain access to a WEP network, you must know the key. The key is a string of characters that you create. When using WEP, you must determine the level of encryption. The type of encryption determines the key length. 128-bit encryption requires a longer key than 64-bit encryption. Keys are defined by entering a string in HEX (hexadecimal – using characters 0-9, A-F) or ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange – alphanumeric characters) format. ASCII format is provided so you can enter a string that is easier to remember. The ASCII string is converted to HEX for use over the network. Four keys can be defined so that you can change keys easily.
• Wi-Fi – A trade name for the 802.11b wireless networking standard, given by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA, see http://www.wi-fi.net), an industry standards group promoting interoperability among 11b devices.
• WLAN – (Wireless Local Area Network) – A group of computers and associated devices communicate with each other wirelessly, and network-serving users are limited in a local area.
• WPA – (Wi-Fi Protected Access) – A wireless security protocol uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) encryption, which can be used in conjunction with a RADIUS server.

FAQ’s

References

• User Manual