TP-LINK TL-WN725N Wireless N Nano USB Adapter 150Mbps
- Connects laptops and PCs to Wireless N networks via USB
- Speeds up to 150Mbps for lag-free video streaming and Internet calls
- Miniature, plug-and-forget design
- Quick setup with included CD
- WPA/WPA2 encryption for advanced security
- Supports Windows XP/Vista/7/8
- Compatible with 802.11b/g/n products
- TP-LINK Live 24/7 technical support for assistance with setup and configuration
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Miniature Design – Plug in and Forget
With its miniature size and sleek design, you can connect the nano adapter to the USB port of your computer and leave it there, similar to how you use a wireless mouse. There’s no need to worry about blocking adjacent USB ports or that the adapter may fall out when moving the connected computer.
150Mbps Wireless N Speed
The TL-WN725N complies with wireless 802.11 b/g/n standards and transmits data at up to 150Mbps. It supports WEP, WPA/WPA2, and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions.
Easy Setup
If your computer’s operating system doesn’t install the driver of the TL-WN725N automatically after plug-in, you just need to install the driver from the bundled CD or from TP-LINK’s website. After the driver is installed, you can use the built-in wireless utility in your operating system to connect to a wireless network. If you want to use advanced features of the adapter such as Soft AP, you can install the TP-LINK utility to access those functions.
Create a Hotspot with the SoftAP Feature
Whenever there is only wired Internet connection, you can activate the SoftAP function of the TL-WN725N after installing the bundled utility software, and create a Wi-Fi hotspot for mobile devices. This feature is useful when travelling to places where there is only one cable for Internet and mutiple people have to use the Internet.
Other Features
- Support USB 2.0
What’s in the Box
- Wireless Adapter TL-WN725N
- Resource CD
- Quick Installation Guide
TP-LINK USB Wireless Adapter Series
| Which Wireless Adapter is Right for Me? | TL-WN725N | TL-WN823N | TL-WDN3200 | TL-WDN4200 | Archer T4U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Product Name | 150Mbps Wireless N Nano USB Adapter | 300Mbps Mini Wireless N USB Adapter | N600 Dual Band USB Wireless Adapter | N900 Dual Band USB Wireless Adapter | AC1200 Dual Band USB Wireless Adapter |
| Maximum Wireless Speed | 2.4GHz: 150Mbps | 2.4GHz: 300Mbps | 2.4GHz: 300Mbps 5GHz: 300Mbps |
2.4GHz: 450Mbps 5GHz: 450Mbps |
2.4GHz: 300Mbps 5GHz: 867Mbps |
| USB Version | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| WPS Button | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SoftAP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
List Price: $ 14.99
Price: [wpramaprice asin=”B008IFXQFU”]
[wpramareviews asin=”B008IFXQFU”]
Works as Expected, Could Not Get to Work on Linux,
I could not get the TP-Link Nano, however, to work on my Linux Mint OS. I tested it on Linux Mint 11, Linux Mint 13, and Linux Mint 14 XFCE. None of these OS’s even recognized that the Nano was even in the USB port. The Linux Mint 14 is set up on a “dual hard drive” boot, so that I can boot up Windows 7 or Linux Mint 14, so the hardware was literally identical for that test.
I am not completely sure if the Nano is useable or not on Linux, but I failed to make it happen and even failed to get it to recognize the new hardware as even existing. I sent an email to the company about this and if they show me how to do it, then I will update this post. I have my doubts about it being able to work on Linux though, because it was not even recognized. If it did at least get recognized, then it may be possible to use a “wireless wrapper” to make the Windows driver work.
I still give this unit a five star rating, because it makes no claims to work on Linux or even Mac, only on Windows (XP, Vista, and 7). I like its very small size. It can be left in a notebook without fear that it will be broken off during transport. It recedes into the USB port that much. Its range is better than another I had at this same size, but it was a little bit weaker in pick up compared to my internal wireless.
Update 11/22/2014: The new Linux Mint OS 17 has built in drivers for this nano wifi product! It is now plug and play on Linux and will probably also be plug and play on the most recent release of Ubuntu and the Debian versions as well, but I have not verified them (both of these have similarities to Linux Mint, since Linux Mint is built on top of Ubuntu and Debian). The signal range is a little weak compared to some of the other TP-Link products that I have, but this one may still be worth it, since it does not take much room and recesses well on the side of a notebook computer. I did also hear that this unit works on the Raspberry Pi computer with its standard OS, but have not verified this personally.
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|Great, Fast, A Bit Snug,
Then we started testing out a D-Link N900 router – and WOW – the TP-Link adapter just screamed. It was absolutely perfect. It’s definitely the reason we test our adapters out in a variety of situations, just in case something like this goes on. But who would have thought that TP-Link would do better on a competitor’s router?
The unit is extremely easy to set up and, when paired with the right router, works like a charm. Fast speeds, no problems at all.
Intriguingly, the only issue at all we have to report with it is the setup of the plastic nub on its end. It mounts too tightly with the laptop case, and can be a royal pain to get out again. It’s so small that there’s no real way to “grab” at it – you nearly have to get out your needle nose pliers to get the thing loose. Sure, you don’t want to lose the unit or to have it three inches long so it catches on everything. Still, there should be some middle ground in there too. It shouldn’t become leech-like attached to the unit and require a surgical team to detach it again.
So, with that caveat, well recommended.
I was sent a review copy of this unit by the Amazon Vine program.
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|Ver 2 does NOT work out of box with Raspbian / Raspberry Pi, but easily fixed,
Most people will probably have little need for this. Most laptops already come with wireless built in. It is an inexpensive way to upgrade an old laptop to 802.11n. You can also use it to add wireless to a desktop machine, either to get online, or to connect to other devices like, say, a GoPro HERO3: Black Edition.
The adapter is very small. The Edimax EW-7811Un 150 Mbps Wireless 11n Nano Size USB Adapter with EZmax Setup Wizard is just so slightly smaller, but not by much (and works out of box for Raspberry Pi). One nice feature about the Edimax, however, is that it can be gripped much more easily than this one if you need to remove it. Not a big deal, since it shouldn’t be necessary to remove these often. There is a blue LED on the device, you can see its position on the photo of the box. It’s not as bright as the photo makes it out to be, fortunately. Someone mentioned that it didn’t light up for him on his Raspberry Pi, but it worked for me. It comes in a nice box about an inch shorter than a paperback book, and includes an installation mini CD and two sheets of quick install guide (English and Spanish). Adapter is made in China, which shouldn’t be a surprise. There’s no information about any warranty information, either on the box or on TP-Link’s website.
The wireless chipset used in the Ver 2 is the Realtek RTL8188eu. Apparently Raspbian distribution from April 2013 (and earlier) does not come with driver support for this either compiled into the kernel or or as a kernel module. You will need to either build the kernel module yourself, or download it from somewhere. I found a discussion on the official Raspberry Pi forums, and someone with the username MrEngman provided a link to the kernel module, with instructions on how to install it. After that, you need to issue the commands (as superuser) depmod -a, change directory to where the kernel module is installed to, and modprobe 8188eu.ko. You only need to do this once, the next time your Raspberry Pi reboots, it will load the drivers automatically.
Next you’ll need to configure your wireless. Google will turn up a number of hits on how to do this. If you need help with driver install or wireless setup on Raspbian, leave me a message in the comments.
It’s a bit more work to use on the Raspberry Pi than the Edimax, and the cost is fairly close. I’m leaving my Raspberry Pi running to see if there’s any stability issues (don’t expect any). Initial testing under the same conditions showed that it is about as fast, and possibly slightly (but not significantly) faster than the Edimax. It is possible that later Raspbian releases will have support for this adapter built-in, but for now it only takes a few minutes extra. As a wireless adapter, if you don’t mind a bit of extra work, it appears to be a good alternative to the Edimax. I’d rate it 4.5 if I can. A slightly lower price (equal or lower to the Edimax) and a design with a better grip would have earned it a 5.
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