Try different channels and change channel width to 20MHz on wireless settings page.
Check status of WLAN light. If it go off constantly, I think it is a hardware issue.

This seems to be a common problem. My router is also doing similar things. Maybe it is the firmware.

At the very least, increase the DHCP Address Lease time to the maximum.2880 minutes. That reduces ONE possible cause of the disconnection to once every 2 days.

I too have been having this issue for some time. I've had to flash to dd-wrt firmware, but I'd like to use the TP-Link firmware.
I noticed there was an update in January 2013, so I thought I'd give it a try. But the new firmware still did not address this issue. My Android phones have disconnected (after a few hours) and are now unable to reconnect (without rebooting the router).

I previously contacted TP-Link support, and was unsuccessful. I tried all their suggestions until they finally admitted they are no longer able to help.
This issue clearly needs to be addressed. It is driving me mad.

Now I need to go back to a third-party firmware, because the official firmware is buggy. :(

I'd like to check dd-wrt out as well. Can you give me links to the page from where you downloaded dd-wrt? Which file did you use? Any problems while installing? What about it didn't you like?

I'm hearing good things about Gargoyle http://www.gargoyle-router.com/

My LINK

Model router: TP-Link TL-WR740N v4
firmware version: DD-WRT v24-sp2 (03/19/12) std - build 18777
CPU Model: Atheros AR9330 rev 1.1 (0x0111)

anytimer wrote

I'd like to check dd-wrt out as well. Can you give me links to the page from where you downloaded dd-wrt? Which file did you use? Any problems while installing? What about it didn't you like?

I'm hearing good things about Gargoyle http://www.gargoyle-router.com/

I've only tried r19519 since I read it was the release with the least hassles. I didn't have any issues. I believe I used the 'factory-to-ddwrt.bin' file to flash - if my memory serves me. No issues installing.
I used a file called "wr740nv4_webrevert.bin" (found it eventually in their forums) to get back onto TP-Link firmware (went back to "111130" and then updated it to the latest).

Here is the link: ftp://dd-wrt.com/others/eko/BrainSlayer-V24-preSP2/2012/07-20-12-r19519/
Just look for your router..

There are later releases I see, but I haven't tried them. ftp://dd-wrt.com/others/eko/BrainSlayer-V24-preSP2/2013/

I'm not sure everything is working (yet), but it was perfect for my needs...and my wireless did not give me any problems. Maybe we just need to take a look at dd-wrt's settings to see if it's not a simple setting causing the issue?
Oh, and I did notice that the lock LED (far right) was working - if the wireless connection is protected, the lock LED is lit, if not protected it's not lit. Something, I can't say I saw or see working on TP-Link's firmware (even with the latest update).

Thanks, both. Do you know if I can get SNMP working on the router with either of these - dd-wrt and/or gargoyle? I really don't have the skills to build a package with this functionality included.

I have noticed that with the stock TP-LINK firmware, my link to the wifi router dies when the internet feed from the ISP gets interrupted. I.e. when the feed to the WAN port of the router dies, it kills all the connections on the WLAN side. Maybe it is so busy trying to fix the internet side that it stops looking at the WLAN side. Maybe it is something that Windows 8 is doing, although one of my computers is running Windows XP, and that too needs the wireless to be switched off and on from time to time.

anytimer wrote

Thanks, both. Do you know if I can get SNMP working on the router with either of these - dd-wrt and/or gargoyle? I really don't have the skills to build a package with this functionality included.

This is actually my first router, so I'm not really knowledgeable on SNMP, but I was looking for it yesterday in the TP-Link firmware because I "needed" it, and I was unable to find it.
I used SNMP on dd-wrt though...I have a program called "Networx" which monitors data usage, but it needs SNMP to monitor the router instead of the PC's LAN. Found a setting for SNMP in dd-wrt, enabled it, but didn't adjust anything, because I didn't know what I was doing :) , but it looked like Networx was happier with it.

Actually, if this TP-LINK firmware is still giving me hassles, I don't see why I don't go back.
I adjusted some settings here and there as found in this: http://forum.tp-link.com/showthread.php?1500-TL-WR740N-loses-wireless-connectivity&region=china thread, so I'll see how it goes for now.

Could you please go through this article and see if it makes a difference? This regular disconnection thing is really bothering me.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233

Also, this one: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/winserverNAP/thread/2a18bb78-211a-42e4-809a-8be4133149e6

i experienced the same issue , you dont have to restart the whole router , just disconnect when it shows limited connectivity , i resolved the issue of restarting by changing the firmware to openwrt no more restarts very stable .

you can read bout it hear use google chrome so that it can translate it automatically

http://www.ip6.ro/openwrt/tp-link-wr740n-barrier-breaker/

or download the firmware from

http://www.ip6.ro/firmware/wr740n/