![]() ![]() I was able to identify the Atheros AR9344-BC2A highly integrated SoC (clocked at 560MHz), 8MB of flash memory from Winbond (25Q64FVSIG), 128 MB of RAM (DDR2) from Zentel (2x A3R12E40CBF-8E), a USB 2.0 Hub (GL850G HH4JB05Y22), an Atheros AR8327N-BL1A switch chip and three GROUP-TEK HST-48002SAR 1000-Base modules (2x 1442 and 1x 1446).įurthermore, the router relies on an Atheros AR9580-AR1A 802.11b/g/n 2×2:2 chip for the 2.4GHz band and Atheros AR9580 802.11a/n 3×3:3 for the 5GHz band. I had to remove four screws from the bottom and then carefully pry open the top section to expose the PCB. Internal HardwareĪfter I saw that the developers of the Freedom Routers has glued the metallic dongle to the back of the router, I was curious whether they have made any other changes to the TL-WDR4300, so I opened the case to check its internal components. Since the TP-Link router doesn’t run the default software, is there a difference in the heat management? Not really since pretty much all functions are active, so expect the case to get a bit warmer, especially at the bottom, but so far, it didn’t get hot to the touch or overheat (there was no throttling or anything of the sorts either). The first USB port has a dongle permanently attached to it which, obviously, contains the software that’s running on the TL-WDR4300 – I say permanently because the dongle is glued in place, so you get no chance of removing it by usual means. From the left, there’s the Power port (you get a power adapter in the box), an On/Off button, a Wireless On/Off switch, two USB 2.0 ports, each with its own LED, a Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports. ![]() Turn the router around and you will be able to see all the ports and buttons. The LEDs have their function left intact, so you get the Power LED, followed by the System LED (you don’t see these anymore – if it’s off, then, there’s a system error, otherwise, the LED should blink to show that everything is working properly), the two WiFi networks LED (2.4GHz and 5GHz), the LAN LEDs (one for each port), the Internet LED (for the WAN port) and the WPS LED. I actually got nostalgic seeing all those large LEDs that so clearly show the status of the router – today, you usually either get a hidden array of LEDs or a single LED that lights up like a disco ball (and nobody knows what those colors mean). On the rear end, there are three antennas which are removable, thus upgradeable, something that you find less often even on more expensive routers nowadays and on the front side, TP-Link has carved into the plastic the shape of the icons for the status LEDs. You still get that rectangular case that’s divided in three sections which are covered by a glossy black finish (and yes, next to the TP-Link logo, there’s the Freedom Routers sticker). The Freedom VPN software will work with some TP-Link or Linksys models and the router that I got is the TP-Link TL-WDR4300 (seems to be the only available on the website right now) which, at a first glance, doesn’t seem altered hardware-wise. It’s worth noting that you always have the option to set up a VPN on your current router, although there are a few steps that you need to take before everything works as intended. That being said, the convenience of Freedom VPN router definitely seems appealing, so let’s put it to the test and see whether it rises up to the expectations. At the same time, even if the software is the core of the Freedom VPN router, the hardware is equally important, so is the N750 TP-Link enough for today’s exigence? We’re in the age of WiFi 6 (and 6E), so an N750 router is barely relevant nowadays, but you don’t have to worry about your online gaming sessions or that 4K recipe video streaming (for grandma) since the Freedom VPN router is already set to work as an access point, thus creating a separate network from your main one (which can be used for the heavy lifting). ![]() And we seem to be needing VPNs a lot more often nowadays even in the US or Europe – after GDPR came in effect, lots of websites blocked EU visitors and don’t get me started with the streaming sites (Google is also incredibly frustrating when you travel to another country).Īnd that’s where the Freedom VPN router comes into play to open up all those closed doors. Well, I highly doubt any grandma would even know what a VPN is, but the software seems to be simple enough for anyone with the minimum technical know-how to quickly navigate the web under a new identity. ![]()
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