Turning the TP-Link TL-WR740N into a Wi-Fi access point

The situation where the primary wireless signal no longer covers the entire room is familiar to many owners of country houses and large apartments. Concrete or brick walls become an impenetrable barrier to radio waves, creating "dead zones" where internet service is either unstable or completely lost. Instead of purchasing expensive new equipment, it's often sufficient to use an existing router, such as a popular model. TP-Link TL-WR740N, turning it into a fully-fledged access point. This budget router, despite its age and modest specifications, does an excellent job of expanding coverage if its software is configured correctly.

Using the device in mode access points (Access Point) allows you to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal to remote rooms using a wired connection to the main router. Unlike repeater mode, which often reduces speed by half, a wired connection ensures a stable data channel without any loss of throughput. To implement this setup, you'll need the router itself. TL-WR740N, a patch cord (network cable), and a computer for initial setup. Changing the device's operating logic doesn't require in-depth knowledge of network protocols, but it does require attention to detail, especially regarding addressing.

Before you begin setup, you need to physically prepare the equipment for use. Make sure your router's firmware is up-to-date, as older versions may contain bugs or have a different menu interface. If you plan to use the device only for Wi-Fi distribution, you can mount it on a wall or place it on a shelf in an area where the main router's signal is absent, but where a LAN cable can be run. Proper placement antennas also plays a role: the vertical position ensures better signal propagation in the horizontal plane.

⚠️ Note: TP-Link firmware interfaces are constantly updated. The button layout and menu item names in your firmware version may differ from those described in this article. Always consult the official documentation on the manufacturer's website for your specific hardware version.

Preparing for a change in operating mode

The first step is to reset the router to factory settings. This is a critical step to eliminate configuration conflicts left over from previously using the device as your primary router. If you don't do this, the old one will malfunction. DHCP server A faulty or incorrectly configured IP address can wreak havoc on your local network, making the internet unavailable to all connected devices. To reset, locate the reset button on the back panel. Reset (or WPS/Reset), hold it down for 10-15 seconds with the power on and wait for the indicators to reboot.

After the reset, you need to connect your computer to the router. TL-WR740N using a network cable. Insert one end of the cable into any of the yellow ports. LAN (1-4) on the router, and the second one on the PC's network card. At this point, do not connect the router to the main modem or another router that distributes the internet. Your goal is to establish a direct connection between the computer and the device being configured to make configuration changes.

Make sure your computer's network card is configured to obtain an IP address automatically. By default, after a router reset TP-Link acts as a DHCP server and will assign your PC an address from its subnet. Typically, this address will be something like 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x. You can check this in the command line by entering the command ipconfig and look at the "Default Gateway" field. This address will become the gateway to the web management interface.

Logging into the web interface and changing the IP address

Open any browser and enter the router's default address in the address bar. For most models TL-WR740N This 192.168.0.1 or tplinklogin.netIf the page doesn't open, check the gateway address in the network settings, as described above. The system will ask for a login and password; by default, for older versions, this is admin And adminFor newer versions, the system may require you to create a password upon first login. After successful authorization, you will be taken to the main control menu.

The most important step in setting up is changing LAN IP addressesBy default, the router has an address that may match the address of your primary router (usually also 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1). If the addresses overlap, a conflict will occur, and the network will stop working. You need to change the address of the secondary router so that it is in the same subnet, but does not overlap with the primary one. For example, if the primary router has an address of 192.168.0.1, then TL-WR740N you need to set the address 192.168.0.254.

To change the address, go to the menu Network (Network) -> LANIn the field IP Address Enter the new address. Make sure the subnet mask (Subnet Mask) remains the default—255.255.255.0. After saving the settings, the router will reboot. From now on, its interface will be accessed via the new address. Your computer will need to reconnect or refresh the connection to receive the new address from the main router if you've already connected the cable from it.

Setting up a wireless Wi-Fi network

Now you need to configure the wireless broadcasting settings. Go to the menu section Wireless (Wireless Mode) Here you can set the network name (SSID). You can name the new access point the same as your main network so that devices can switch between them automatically (roaming), or give it a unique name, such as "Home_Wifi_Room2", so you can easily identify which access point you're connected to.

In the subsection Wireless Security (Wireless Security) Make sure to set the encryption type WPA2-PSK (or WPA3, if your firmware supports it). This is the most reliable security standard currently available. Create a complex password consisting of letters and numbers and at least 8 characters long. Using outdated WEP encryption or an open network will make your channel vulnerable to data interception and unauthorized traffic use.

It's also worth paying attention to the choice of channel and channel width. In the section Wireless Settings You can select a channel manually. If you have many neighboring networks in your home, automatic channel selection may not be effective. Use Wi-Fi analyzer apps on your smartphone to find a clear channel (usually 1, 6, or 11 in the 2.4 GHz band) and set it in the settings. Channel Width 20 MHz provides a more stable signal in noisy airwaves, and 40 MHz - higher speed in pure ether.

⚠️ Important: When choosing a network name (SSID), avoid using special characters and Cyrillic characters. Some older devices may display such names incorrectly or not see the network at all.

Disabling the DHCP server

The key to turning a router into an access point is disabling the IP address sharing function. Your network already has a main router that performs this role. If TL-WR740N will continue to distribute addresses, a DHCP server conflict will arise, and devices will receive incorrect gateway settings, which will lead to a lack of Internet access.

To disable, find the section in the menu DHCP (or DHCP Settings). There will be a button or switch. Enable/Disable. Select an option Disable (Disable) and save the settings (Save). After this, the router will stop assigning IP addresses to connected clients and will operate exclusively as a switch and wireless access point, forwarding all IP requests to the main router.

After this action, the router ceases to function as a standalone network node. It becomes a transparent bridge. All devices connected to it via Wi-Fi or LAN ports will be on the same local network as devices connected to the main router. You will be able to see printers, NAS storage devices, and other computers, regardless of which access point they are connected through.

Physical connection and operation check

This completes the software setup. Now you need to properly connect the devices with a cable. Take a patch cord and plug one end into any available slot. LAN port (yellow) on the main router that distributes the internet. Connect the other end of the cable to any LAN port (yellow) on configured TL-WR740N. Important: The WAN port (blue) on the secondary router is not used in this diagram and must remain free!

After connecting with a cable, the LAN indicators on both devices should light up or blink, indicating physical contact. Wait about a minute for the connection to be established. Now try connecting to the created Wi-Fi network from your phone or laptop. The device should receive an IP address from the main router, and internet access should be available.

Check the availability of local network resources. Try accessing the main router's web interface from a device connected via TL-WR740NIf the page opens, the bridge is working correctly. You can also check your connection speed using Speedtest to ensure your cable and settings aren't limiting your bandwidth.

Possible problems and their solutions

Despite the simplicity of the scheme, difficulties sometimes arise. If the devices connect to Wi-Fi but display "No internet access," check the cable between the routers. It may be damaged or not fully inserted. Also, make sure the IP addresses are in the same subnet. If the main router has an address of 192.168,1.1, then the access point should be 192.168.1.x, not 192.168.0.x.

If you can't access the settings TL-WR740N After changing your IP address, check your PC's network card settings. It should be set to "Obtain an IP address automatically." If your computer has a static IP address, it won't see the router in the new subnet. Also, try clearing the DNS cache or using incognito mode in your browser.

If you're experiencing low Wi-Fi speeds through your access point, check if the connection is set to only support older standards (e.g., 11b/g only). It's best to select mixed mode. 11b/g/nAlso, make sure the access point is not located near a microwave or strong sources of interference that could jam the 2.4 GHz signal.

What to do if you forgot your new IP address?

If you've changed your router's IP address and forgotten it, the only way to regain access is to perform a factory reset (hard reset). To do this, press and hold the Reset button for 10-15 seconds. The router will reset to the address indicated on the sticker on the bottom of the case (usually 192.168.0.1), but you'll have to re-enter all your settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can the WAN port on TL-WR740N be used in AP mode?

In the classic "router as an access point" setup, the WAN port is not used. The cable from the main router is connected to the LAN port of the secondary router. However, some modern TP-Link firmware versions have a special software operating mode called "Access Point," which is selected in the "Operating Mode" menu. If you switch the device to this mode software-based, the WAN port can function as a LAN port. In manual mode (by disabling DHCP), the WAN port remains unused.

Will a guest network work through such an access point?

A guest network is a feature typically implemented at the main router level. If your main router supports guest network creation and broadcasts its SSID, then TL-WR740N It will simply forward this signal, as it operates transparently. Setting up a separate, isolated guest network directly on the TL-WR740N itself in access point mode (without VLAN support on the switches) is impossible, as it simply forwards traffic.

Will my internet speed decrease when using TL-WR740N?

When connecting a secondary router to the main router via a wire (the scheme described in the article), there's virtually no speed reduction, other than minimal switching overhead. The only limitations are the maximum speed of the device's ports (100 Mbps for the WR740N) and the quality of the wireless signal. If you use repeater mode (without a cable), the speed will drop by approximately half.

Is it possible to connect two routers via Wi-Fi without a cable?

The TL-WR740N model's stock firmware does not support WDS Bridge or repeater mode for wireless network expansion in its simple interface versions. Wireless connections require both routers to support WDS and be of the same brand (ideally), or alternative firmware (such as OpenWrt) must be installed, which is complex and may void the warranty. Using a cable is still recommended.