Troubleshooting TP-Link Routers that have Limited or No Connection

TP-Link is one of the largest manufacturers of networking products for home and office use. The company is headquartered in China and exports its products to nearly every country in the world. Although their products are of good quality and serve their purpose well, technical glitches and defects may appear which may be fixed by users themselves or may require professional assistance to resolve the problem.

A router forwards data between networks. Most commonly, it is used to connect more than one computer or device to the main network. Since the router can connect via line or wireless (Wi-Fi), you can connect over either. Routers today are able to do many things. They are useful to share internet access with computers and mobile devices, to share files over a local network, or to bridge and extend the range of your AP or Modem's Wi-Fi.

You can use TP-Link routers to wirelessly connect your house or office to the internet. One internet connection can be shared by multiple desktops, notebooks, mobile phones, and tablets. Even when everything appears to be normal, users may experience issues such as no connection, limited connectivity or disconnection. TP-Link routers have been observed to have strange 'Limited Connection' or 'No Connection' problems when people use wireless bridging (WDS Bridge) or LAN connection. Let's get to the root of any such issue and how it can be fixed.

Causes and Solutions:

1. Problem with ISP: Internet is disconnected from AP or modem due to ISP issues. Whether you connect directly or via the router, you will see 'No Connection' or 'Limited'. Be patient and let the internet reconnect itself. If it does not restart the modem and try again. If problem continues, you may need to contact your ISP. If internet is working fine at AP/Modem’s end, you need to proceed and focus on the issues with router.

2. Weak or loose connections: If the router is connected over LAN, make sure the cables are inserted properly, and that the connections are tight. Make sure that the router is kept at a location where it receives adequate wireless signals, if connected via Wireless WAN (Wi-Fi). You will not be able to connect to the internet if the router is not getting good signals itself. If necessary, move the router to a different location.

3- Wrong configuration of bridge: If you are using a router to bridge (extend Wi-Fi or repeat), be sure you are using the same password and channel as your modem or access point. Using different passwords and channels will result in no connectivity or limited connectivity. You should check WDS Bridge/Repeater settings and make sure they match the Wi-Fi settings of the modem or access point. A different SSID is not relevant here.

4. DNS: Google Public DNS is quite reliable in this case and may resolve the issue. DNS IP addresses can be entered in your router's DHCP settings [DHCP > DHCP Settings > Primary DNS & Secondary DNS] or in your LAN (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi connection settings [Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter Settings]. For Ethernet or Wi-Fi connections, open Ethernet / Local Area Connection / Wi-Fi > Properties > Networking > Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties > Use the following DNS server addresses. As well as changing DNS for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), your ISP may cause problems if it does not support IPv6.

Google Public DNS IP addresses are as following:

"IPv4:

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

IPv6:

2001:4860:4860::8888

2001:4860:4860::8844"

Note that you must select "Obtain DNS server address automatically" in your Ethernet or Wi-Fi settings if you alter the DNS server settings in your router DHCP settings.

5. DHCP: If you're using the TP-Link router as a repeater, extender, or WDS bridge (WDS stands for wireless range extension) or to connect multiple computers over LAN, and you're experiencing limited or no connectivity, it might be DHCP causing the IP conflict. There may be a firmware glitch or an incompatibility between the connected devices causing this problem. Below are some possible solutions:

It has been observed that disabling DHCP may resolve the limited connectivity issue. Log into the router's configuration panel (settings menu / management page) by typing 192.168.0.1 in your web browser. In the sidebar, look for DHCP. Disable it. Restart the router to apply the changes. You should do this after making all the necessary adjustments from your router's configuration/settings menu, since disabling DHCP will prevent you from accessing it until you manually assign an IP address to your computer that matches the default IP address of your router. Another easy way to access it again is to reset the router (press the reset button on the router to do so). Your previous settings will be lost. Do this at your own risk.

If you have attempted everything you can think of and still the problem persists, there may be a hardware problem with your device. In that case, you should contact TP-Link support.

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