problems with a TP-Link wifi adapter

[chermany4ever]

Hello guys. I'm having problems with a wifi adapter. It's the TL-WN8200ND v2 that I bought especially cause it works with XP but I can't make it work. I was able to test it in another PC that has Windows 7 and it works fine. Has a lot of reach and I can make the most of the 5mb connection speed. Thought about buying it cause the prior one I have that works in XP is also a TP-Link but one of those little ones that doesn't have great range and since I'm far from the router the only way to navigate was sharing the wifi signal from the cell phone -which does see the signal- and though I manage to navigate my speed is limited to 1MB. When I plug the card at the USB port the light turns on but when installing the drivers the system fails to communicate with the card. I don't know if it may be a conflict with the old drivers of the little card? Thought that cause wanting to go back to the old card I couldn't, even when uninstalled everything that had to do with the new one, so was forced to return to an image of my system. Also thought perhaps the problem was that I used SP2 so I tried to install XP SP3 to check but it didn't work either. Any ideas?

[jumper]

https://www.tp-link.com/in/support/download/tl-wn8200nd/v2/?app=store has two driver versions for the v2. Which did you try?

 

[chermany4ever]

Hello jumper. Thanks for taking the time to look at the drivers page. 

 

The adapter came with a CD which I used initially to install the drivers. When it didn't work, I think the first thing I did was go to the TP-Link drivers page to see if there was anything else that might. The thing is that TP-Link has different pages for each country. I don't remember seeing two different drivers when I made the attempt but if they were there it's very likely that I chose the most up to date one. I have this habit of always going for the latest drivers available. I was able to check that the file I've saved is that one, the latest.

 

I will try to install it again using the previous one. Being two years older maybe they'll work. I certainly hope so. 

[tekkaman]

Some computers have problems with Wifi via USB. A fellow attorney from the building asked me for help with an old computer. He bought from a dude a Core 2 Duo desktop for $200.   For some reason I get no stable Wifi signal on that computer. And it was running Windows 7. On other computers that same adapter works fine. 

I was using this one:

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Nano-Archer-T3U-Wireless/dp/B09KTDXPY3/138-3872363-9753139?pd_rd_w=VCIQk&content-id=amzn1.sym.9cf17164-13e4-4652-96f9-f76b8f33fec0&pf_rd_p=9cf17164-13e4-4652-96f9-f76b8f33fec0&pf_rd_r=TRH0PR84S0KZXC3495GM&pd_rd_wg=0XZEU&pd_rd_r=860d8f4c-1a63-4971-a145-69136f4bb8db&pd_rd_i=B09KTDXPY3&th=1

Edited September 22 by tekkaman

[jumper]

Probably an RF issue. Try different:

• Wifi channels / power levels
• shielding / reflectors
• USB ports / hubs / cables
• monitor refresh rates
• cpu and system clock speeds

 

[chermany4ever]

On 9/3/2025 at 4:50 AM, jumper said:

https://www.tp-link.com/in/support/download/tl-wn8200nd/v2/?app=store has two driver versions for the v2. Which did you try?

 

Hello jumper. You did it! It worked. I was using the new driver. Trying the old XP one worked. The problem was I still couldn't connect but after a little comparing bertween XP and Windows 7 I noticed in XP there was no such thing as WPA2 security protocol. Turns out I needed and update from that era and in spanish! So it almost beat me but fortunately I was able to find one link alive! So I got it working now.

In fact, now I'm trying to upgrade from Windows 7 to X-Lite 10 and 11 versions and they run great but after a day or two where everything worked I'm having trouble and getting "no internet, secure" messages... thou XP 32 is still able to connect and enjoy full speed. All with the same adapter. Very strange.

Thank you jumper.