need help for tp link TL-WR820N travel router

Windows 11 24H2 (OS build 26100.3476)

The first thing is that I am almost a total idiot when it comes to networking. This makes internet searches more difficult when it comes to finding resulting in information I can use.

I have a TP LINK TL-WR802N travel router which is currently wirelessly connected to a Windows 10 machine for input and a printer on the output. I wish to determine whether or not the travel router supports wireless connection to multiple input devices for a wireless connection to a single device on the output side. If it is possible, please provide step-by-step instructions to set this up.
Thanks in advance for all helpful replies.

Regards,
caffeine

EDIT: A previous attempt to connect this (Windows 11) device has resulted in losing connection to the windows 10 machine. I will need to establish a connection before connecting to this (Windows 11) machine.

caffeine said:

have a TP LINK TL-WR802N travel router which is currently wirelessly connected to a Windows 10 machine for input and a printer on the output. I wish to determine whether or not the travel router supports wireless connection to multiple input devices for a wireless connection to a single device on the output side.

Click to expand...

According to its specifications it is a 2.4 gz router which can be used in Router, Hotspot, Range Extender(repeater), Client and Access Point Modes and can connect to multiple wireless devices.. It would depend on how you want to use this device as to how you would set up its configuration.

Are you trying to use it as your only fixed router in your home(wireless router mode)? Or are you trying to use it to extend range for an already existing wireless network (access point or extender mode)? Are you trying to use it as a hotspot router(WISP mode)? The quick start and user guides are fairly self explanatory once you know how the tplink is to be used.

quick installation guide https://static.tp-link.com/res/down/doc/TL-WR802N(CA)_V1_QIG.pdf

detailed user guide TL-WR802N V4 User Guide | TP-Link

piturs of different modes that might help 300Mbps Wireless N Nano Router

Thanks, glasskuter.​

You asked, "Are you trying to use it as your only fixed router in your home(wireless router mode)?"
From time to time I need to travel and stay in a hotel and use my printer on public WiFi. I do not wish to have my computers discoverable over public WiFi; therefore, I use my travel router for print jobs. When I do this the computer in question is offline for internet connection. I wish to add this print feature to the second computer to allow me to continue work with internet connection while the print jobs complete.

At this point I anticipate further questions from you:
Why don't I use my phone instead a second computer? I have disabilities which prevent me from using touch screens no matter how I try. I have a flip phone with no internet connection.
Why do I use a second computer? The older of the computers has more ports available which , in some cases, I find useful. In many cases my print jobs are long, and I wish to continue working.

The user guides you linked don't appear to address how to assign the ip addresses to my level of understanding. (computer1 192.x.x.x computer2 192.x.x.x foe example)
You asked what kind of connection I am trying to set up: "Hotspot, Range Extender(repeater), Client and Access Point Modes" I am guessing that that hotspot is what I wish to set up. (I think that is what my current set up is.)

I wish to set the two computers as input sources for the router. The older (Windows 10 machine) current machine is fully functional. At this point I suppose there will be additional work for the printer to recognize the Windows 11 machine.

Regards,
caffeine

First, let me say I have never used a WISP router connection in my life.

caffeine said:

From time to time I need to travel and stay in a hotel and use my printer on public WiFi. I do not wish to have my computers discoverable over public WiFi; therefore, I use my travel router for print jobs. When I do this the computer in question is offline for internet connection. I wish to add this print feature to the second computer to allow me to continue work with internet connection while the print jobs complete.

Click to expand...

Here's the way I see it. Someone else can correct me if I am wrong.

If you connect this router to public wifi only, it is set up in WISP mode. Each time you change hotels, you have to manually access the router using the browser interface and connect that hotel's wireless internet to the router. Correct? You then connect your computer and printer to this router's SSID and print to the printer. Correct?

If that is so, all you have to do in 11 is download the printer's software package/driver from the printer manufacturer. Install it in 11. The first time both the win11 device and the printer are connected to the same network, use the "add a printer" wizard to install the printer in 11. Settings>bluetooth & devices>
printers & scanners>add a printer or scanner

There is no way that I know of to install the printer in 11 until both the printer and 11 are connectd to the same network. You did not give the make/model printer so I can't give you a link to the printer files.

caffeine said:

The user guides you linked don't appear to address how to assign the ip addresses to my level of understanding. (computer1 192.x.x.x computer2 192.x.x.x foe example)

Click to expand...

The ip addresses are assigned automatically each time you connect to the router. (unless you purposefully assign static ip addrsses to the devices connected to it) You said you know nothing about networking so I have doubt that you set up static ip addresses.

I hope this makes sense.

Thanks glasskutter,
You said. "If you connect this router to public wifi only, it is set up in WISP mode. Each time you change hotels, you have to manually access the router using the browser interface and connect that hotel's wireless internet to the router. Correct? You then connect your computer and printer to this router's SSID and print to the printer. Correct?"
As currently used the computer is connected to public WiFi. The computer is connected to the travel router using available networks as shown in connection options, not "the browser interface and connect that hotel's wireless internet to the router". Once configured and I choose to connect to the travel router, using the available networks feature, I no longer have access to the public WiFi. After completing the print job, I disconnect from the router and connect back to the hotel's public WiFi. There are no problems with this process.
From what I understand using a static ip address would serve me best. That would be easier than performing the manually tasks each time I connect to a different public WiFi.
I am using a Brother printer which is over ten years old. I attempted to download and install Windows 11 package and encountered difficulties. I will attempt using Windows 10 driver packages next. This is virtually the same thing I had to do when moving from Win7 to Win10 it worked great.

I wish to repeat that when I connect to the router I am no longer connected to public WiFi.
My question regarding establishing connection of the Win10 machine is whai does the ip address look like? 192.x.x.x for Win 10 --- 192.(x.x.x+1) ???
Also, is this configuration called a hot spot or something else?

Regards,
caffeine

It can be a hotspot or a WISP. I have no idea how you set it up.

Hotspot

• Hotspot: A hotspot is a physical location where people can access the Internet, typically using Wi-Fi, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a router connected to an Internet service provider. Most people refer to these locations as “Wi-Fi hotspots” or “Wi-Fi connections.” Simply put, hotspots are the physical places where users can wirelessly connect their mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to the Internet.
  A hotspot can be in a private location or a public one, such as in a coffee shop, a hotel, an airport, or even an airplane.
• Mobile hotspot: A mobile hotspot is provided by a smartphone which you do not have.

WISP
WISP (Public WiFi mode)
WISP stands for Wireless Internet Service Provider, which uses one of the wireless router's WiFi connections as WAN (Wide Area Network) to provide internet connection to both wireless and wired devices.

WISP mode is similar to repeater mode (range extender mode), but there is one decisive difference between these two:
Repeater mode do not provide DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), while WISP mode does.
WISP extends hotel WiFi signal and bypasses captive portal.
WISP is essentially a router mode with AiProtection support.

It all depends on how the router is currently configured. If you don't remember, pull up the documentation and compare the settings in the manual for both hotspot and WISP to what exists in your router configuration settings.

No matter how the router is now set up, it works for your purpose so you should not have to make any changes in the router configuration. The only thing I know for sure is that to set up the wireles printer in 11, it has to be able to see the printer on the network (getting an ip address from the same source that is assigning the ip address to the printer.)

Can anyone else give better advice to this poster?