2015-02-07 Update: Added default WiFi password.
The two most-viewed pages on this site are often the following to Arduino articles:
The first one deals with a bug (?) I found in in the Arduino Ethernet library that prevented it from properly handling multiple incoming connections to the same port. The second was sharing my discovery of the $20 TP-LINK TL-WR702N nano router. It seems I am not the only one not happy that Arduino WiFi shields can be as much as $90, while cheap ethernet shields can be found for around $10.
The TP-LINK can be configured to connect to a WiFi network and then plug in to an Ethernet-only device and link it to the WiFi. Folks use them to get Ethernet printers on WiFi (such as the Lexmark printer I have — the official Ethernet module for it is $50, but I can use this TP-Link and be wireless printing for $20). I use one to get my Arduino on WiFi. Note that the Arduino will not have any control over the WiFi connection and won’t be able to select WiFi
This article is a quick guide to getting the TP-LINK set up for use with the Arduino.

1. Buy the TP-LINK WR702N. I got mine from Amazon for $19.99. It comes in a tiny box and is packed almost as nicely as an Apple product.
Inside the box you will find the tiny router (about 2″x2″x.5″), a micro USB cable, an Ethernet cable, and a USB power supply. There is also a mini-CD and a few small quick start guides. The guides are put together very well and have plenty of photos.
On the back of the TP-LINK unit will be the MAC address, but unless you have multiple units, you won’t need to know this.
2. Power up the TP-LINK by either plugging it up with the USB micro cable to a USB port (on your computer or a hub), or via the power supply.
3. The unit will boot up and after a few moments a new wireless network will appear that starts with “TP-LINK_xxxxxx” with the last part being the end of the MAC address of the router. Connect your computer to it. You will be prompted for a WiFi password, which you will find under the tiny barcode on the back of the unit. (It will be the last 8 HEX digits of the Mac address.) Give it a few more moments to connect and get an IP address. (Make sure you aren’t getting an internet connection some other way, like Ethernet. There are also ways to configure this router via Ethernet, but you’ll have to check TL-LINK guides for that.)
4. Open a web browser and go to: tplinklogin.net It should prompt you for a username and password. You will find these on the back of the router, but they should be admin and admin.
5. You should see an admin webpage that is coming from your router. The first thing we need to do is configure the router to connect to your WiFi access point and connect to the internet. Click on Quick Setup under Basic Settings and click Next.
6. The first screen is to select the Working Mode. We want Client, so choose it then click Next.
6. Next we will do Wireless Client setup and choose which WiFi network this nano should connect to. You can manually type it all in, but it’s easier to just click the Survey button so it scans for networks that are available. From that list, select your own WiFi network and then you will have an easy spot to enter your WiFi network password.
7. The unit will then reboot and attempt to connect to your WiFi network. When it does, it will begin passing the WiFi connection out to the Ethernet port. To test this, turn off WiFi on your computer, and plug it up to the TP-LINK nano router via the included Ethernet cable. You will need to configure your computer’s Ethernet connection for DHCP. If it is working, after a few moments you will get an IP address assigned to your computer by the nano. Once the connection is made, you can test by going to Google.com or a known-working site.
8. Once you know it’s working, you should update the firmware on the nano to the latest. You can download the firmware here:
Look for the latest version. It should look something like this:
Download this .zip file, then extract it somewhere you will be able to find it. It will create a folder with a few files inside, including a “.bin” which is the actual firmware update.
Log back in to tplinklogin.net and go to System Tools and Firmware then browse to the .bin file you just downloaded.
After it updates, the nano will reboot once again. On mine, this reset all the router settings, and I had to log back in and set it up again. There is probably a better set of steps to do this, but this is how I went through it and took screen shots so that is what I am sharing.
Once this is done, you can unplug and switch your computer back to normal internet connection. Now the TP-LINK can be plugged to power and the Arduino Ethernet shield and you can use the Ethernet library to make connections via your WiFi network.
NOTE: Since the nano requires using a computer and web browser to select which WiFi it connects to, this is not a portable solution. You cannot choose what WiFi to connect with (or the password or anything) from the Arduino. If you wanted to take your Arduino somewhere else and get it online, you would have to have a computer available to connect to the TP-LINK nano and reprogram which WiFi network it connects to. If you have a real WiFi shield for the Arduino, you can do this in software.
I hope these quick notes help…