Tenda products in the Russian market are not in high demand. It is overshadowed by more famous brands. However, in the Middle Kingdom, this company occupies a leading position. The company owns production facilities, therefore it is an OEM assembler. Also, under this brand, own developments are produced. The main advantage of the products is the price. Due to the low cost, Russian buyers began to pay attention to the products of this brand. In their reviews, the owners talk about the reliability of devices, which, undoubtedly, increases the reputation of the company.
The model range has a Tenda F300 WiFi router. It is intended for home use. To ensure a stable signal is equipped with two antennas. It operates at a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. The maximum data transfer rate is 300 Mbps. You can buy it for about 1,500 rubles. This router is quite able to interest a certain category of customers, so its characteristics and features should be considered in more detail.
What does the packaging hide?
Like most similar devices, the Tenda F300 router is packaged in an ordinary cardboard box. It has small dimensions, which are literally several millimeters larger than the dimensions of the router itself. The cardboard is dense, so during transport accidental damage to the device is completely eliminated. The manufacturer also used a special substrate with compartments to increase protection. The packaging design, although not very catchy, but not faceless. White and orange colors are chosen for decoration. They are harmoniously combined, which adds appeal.
The front panel shows a close-up image of the router itself. The brand name is presented in the upper left corner. The manufacturer indicated in detail the characteristics of the device on the box. Without looking at the instructions, the buyer will be able to find out the types of connections that the device supports, information about compatibility and technology. Initially, all the labels on the packaging are made in English. However, the Russian buyer is offered a translation of the main characteristics.
In the box, in addition to the router, there is a CD-ROM on which proprietary software is installed, a UTP 5e cable and a power adapter. The buyer is provided with a full package of documents, consisting of a manual, certificate and warranty card. Free service under the warranty of the router is carried out for one year from the date of purchase.
Dimensions, design, features
The Tenda F300 router is available only with a white plastic case. The surface on the front side is glossy, the rest is matte, the LED bulbs are green. The mass of the device is 200 g. Dimensions are 17.2 × 11.1 × 2.5 cm. On the side faces there are special openings through which air circulates, cooling the electronic components.
The manufacturer’s logo is printed in large letters on the front side of the device. Ten indicators are displayed below it, each of which has its own designation. Due to a certain inclination of the top cover, these bulbs are clearly visible.
Two antennas are attached to the back of the case. They are non-removable, but rotate 180 °. Each power is 5 dBi. Between the antennas there is a panel with LAN ports (4 pieces) and one WAN (provider cable connection). There is also a connector for a 220V cord and a reset button (Reset). The latter is also used to activate the WPS option.
On the bottom side are four rubberized legs. Under them are the screws. There are no holes for wall mounting.
Hardware "stuffing"
If you untwist the case of the Tenda F300 router, then inside you can see the PCB board. The Broadcom BCM5357C0 chip is located in the center. It is based on the MIPS 74K architecture. This processor comes with many budget routers. Its performance varies depending on the firmware. In this model, the processor clock speed is 300 MHz.
The chip is equipped with a wireless radio module. It provides support for 802.11n protocol. The module operates with a frequency of 2.4 GHz and a data transfer rate of up to 300 Mbit / s. The processor also has a controller for five Ethernet Base-TX (10/100) ports.
In order not to increase the cost of the router, the developers deliberately abandoned the passive cooling system, since the processor itself does not get very hot during operation. As mentioned above, non-removable antennas. They are fixed directly to the board.
The memory standard is DDR. Volume - 16 Mb. It operates at a frequency of 200 MHz. Flash storage - 2 MB. Type - Winbond 25Q16BVSIG. Built-in memory is used to store firmware files.
Functionality
Tenda F300 supports all common connection types. These are PPPoE, DHCP, L2TP, IP, PPTP. In addition to the relatively new 802.11n protocol, the device also works perfectly with legacy 802.11b / g. The channel width is automatically selected, but if desired, the user can manually change the value by going to the router menu.
The factory setting for the 2.4 GHz frequency band provides a combined mode of operation. To protect wired and wireless networks, the developers have provided a built-in firewall and encryption mode. The menu also has filtering by MAC addresses, so you can restrict access to the Internet to other devices.
In the reviews, the owners assure that this model is equipped with all the necessary settings, which is quite enough for the average user.
First connection
In order to connect the Tenda F300 (how to configure the device, we will tell you in detail a little later), you do not need to have any knowledge. Even a schoolboy can handle this. The first connection comes down to a few simple steps. First, you need to connect all the cables (ISP, power and patch cord) to the appropriate ports. After that, directly plug the router adapter into a power outlet. On your computer, open any browser. In the address bar, dial the digital code (router address) - 192.168.0.1. If necessary, enter the username and password. Typically, the default is admin. After these manipulations, access to the wired network is opened. When activating the wireless, you will also need to enter a password. By default, the developers set the digital code - 12345678.
When you connect the device for the first time, a menu immediately opens, in which it is proposed to select the basic parameters for accessing the Internet.
Recommendation
If the buyer purchased a Tenda F300 router with firmware of 2013 (version V5.07.46), then it is advisable to immediately update the system. Thanks to this, the user will improve the software part. Changing the firmware is carried out only manually, this action does not occur automatically.
In the updated version, the interface is designed as conveniently as possible. For example, in order to select L2TP and PPTP type connections, the Tenda F300 does not have to carry out complex manipulations, by the way, in outdated firmware it was not so simple.
In general, the setup is quite simple. The menu is intuitive, all information is translated into Russian. If there is a need to reset user settings, then just press the Reset / WPS button and hold it for about 10 seconds until the indicators go out.
How to set up a Tenda F300 router?
Each owner is interested in how to configure a router. To do this, there is no need to invite a qualified programmer. The manufacturer has developed the menu in such a way that an ordinary user can easily cope with the settings. It has already been described above how to connect the device for the first time. By going to the menu, you can change all the parameters and create a wireless network. To do this, it is recommended to use the Quick Setup Wizard. In this mode, only one page opens, on which the main points are displayed.
In order to access the Internet, you will need to select the type of connection. By default, DHCP (dynamic IP) is activated in the device. If the provider uses just this type, then the user can immediately go to the Security Key tab. It suggests setting a password for a wireless network (Wi-Fi).
It’s a little more difficult to configure the router if the provider uses a different type of connection. For example, PPPoE protocol. First you need to select it in the list (Internet Connection Type item). After that, enter the Username and Password in the fields. This information is provided by the provider. Complete the setup by creating a home Wi-Fi network. To do this, go to the Wireless Security Setup tab. Here you need to come up with a password and if you want to change the name, and then confirm the action by clicking on "OK".
For example, if a user has entered into an agreement with Beeline, then when setting up a router, he needs to choose the type of L2TP connection. After that, the hostname and username with password are entered, which are specified in the contract.
password change
During the setup of the Tenda F300, it may be necessary to change the password set by the developers. As already mentioned, the default is admin. In order to set a user password for entering the interface, you need to go to the advanced settings. Here, find the Advanced tab and enter it. Then go to the Tools section. In the menu that opens, click on the Change Password tab. The user opens a form for changing the password. First you need to enter the old one, after that you can change the code. The new password must be dialed twice. After confirming the action, reboot the router.
Tenda F300: reviews
So, having examined the characteristics of this model of router, let’s summarize. Owners in their comments highlighted the main advantages and disadvantages. As for the latter, they can be attributed to the lack of the ability to work in the 5 GHz band frequency and support for the standard 802.11ac. However, these disadvantages cannot be called significant, since the device is sold at a relatively low price (about 1,500 rubles).
What do users attribute to the merits?
- Design.
- Ability to work with any type of connection.
- Stable signal.
- The presence of two antennas at 5 dBi.
- Simple interface and easy setup.
- Support for 802.11n protocol.
- The price.