US Mulls Banning TP-Link Routers: The Why
8 Min Read
The reasons on the surface behind why the US government consider banning TP-Link routers.
Routers
A router is the heart of a local network. Each network needs one router, and preferably no more than one.
At a minimum, a router includes a WAN port to connect to an Internet source and a few LAN ports for connecting local wired devices. Technically, a router is a layer 3 network switch.
Nowadays, the term “router” is often used to refer to a “Wi-Fi router” — one that has a built-in Wi-Fi access point. Consequently, we use “non-Wi-Fi” to refer to a standard router that lacks built-in Wi-Fi capability.
TP-Link Archer BE6500 (a.k.a Archer BE400) Quick Take (vs. Archer BE230): Practically the Same but More Expensive
4 Min Read
Since my review of the Archer BE230, folks have been asking me when I’d take the Archer BE6500 out for a spin. The answer is likely never. TP-Link has been known to make numerous hardware variants for different retail stores. The Archer BE230, for example, is also available as the …
TP-Link Archer BE230 (a.k.a Archer BE3600) Review: Affordable Wi-Fi 7 That’s Not Cheap
6 Min Read
Late last year, I called the Archer BE550 “Wi-Fi 7 on the cheap,” thanks to its then-lowest $250 price tag. I spoke too soon. Now, it’s clear that this new Archer BE230, first available exclusively at Walmart in the U.S. on July 23 as the Archer BE3600 variant, is decidedly …
TP-Link Archer GE800 Router Review: A Big, Bold and Overall Excellent Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Machine
9 Min Read
The Archer GE800, unveiled during CES 2024, is finally available for purchase today, and it’s the most exciting router in TP-Link’s Archer family. The new and massive tri-band BE19000 tri-band Wi-Fi 7 machine has best-in-class performance that matches its top-tier hardware specs. It also looks fantastic, at least to some. …
TP-Link TL-WR1502X Review (vs. ASUS RT-AX57 Go): A Decent Pocket-Size Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router
6 Min Read
Summer is here, and if you’re looking for a compact travel router to bring on the go, the TP-Link TL-WR1502X, first available on May 29, can be a handy option. It’s a little AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 machine to keep your devices securely connected while you’re out and about, domestically or …
TP-Link BE9300 Archer BE550 Review: Solid Wi-Fi 7 on the Cheap
10 Min Read
The TP-Link BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router dropped with a bang in October 2023. It was among the first Wi-Fi 7 broadcasters on the market and the most affordable, at $300 retail. Seven months later, it’s even more affordable today, at just $250 on the street. That is if you …
TP-Link Archer BE805 vs. BE800 Quick Take: A Slightly Stripped-Down yet Solid Variant
6 Min Read
It’s been almost a year since my review of the Archer BE800 BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router, one of the first Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market, and TP-Link recently made the Archer BE805 variant available. If you judged from the name and assumed the new router has a bit …
TP-Link Archer BE800 Review: A New and Promising Multi-Gig Wi-Fi 7 Router
11 Min Read
At the retail price of $599.99, the TP-Link Archer BE800 BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router is not cheap. But it’s also far from a ripoff, considering it’s definitely better than the once-similarly-priced Archer AXE300. Among other things, the new router features Wi-Fi 7 and is the first to have six …
Archer AX5400 Pro: TP-Link’s Mid-tier Wi-Fi 6 Router Gets 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig Bonus
3 Min Read
TP-Link today announced the availability of the Archer AX5400 Pro, and as the name suggests, it comes with a 2.5GbE Multi-Gig WAN port. Since the Deco XE75 Pro, TP-Link has been releasing the “Pro” version of existing Wi-Fi broadcasters with the support for Multi-Gig as the sole apparent upgrade. While …
ASUS GT-AXE16000 vs. TP-Link AXE300: A Pair of quad-band Wi-Fi 6E Beasts
5 Min Read
If you’re looking for an ultimate Wi-Fi 6E router, this ASUS GT-AXE16000 vs. TP-Link AXE300 will help. Since the end of 2022, these two have been the ultimate standalone Quad-bad Wi-Fi machines representing the two popular networking vendors. Considering Wi-Fi 7 is around the corner, they will likely remain the …
