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There's no doubt that the TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 hardware collection is already the biggest on the market. And that's about to get even more extensive.
At CES 2024, the networking company unveiled a long list of additional Wi-Fi 7 devices to complete its portfolio, including a gaming router, more affordable and flexible Deco sets, and PCie- and USB-based add-on Wi-Fi 7 adapters for those wanting to add the new standard to their computers.
TP-Link Wi-Fi 7: A big-time adopter
So far, the networking vendor has introduced the most Wi-Fi 7 broadcasters. Among those, I've worked on two Deco sets, the BE85 and BE95, and three standalone (EasyMesh-ready) routers, Archer BE900, BE800, and BE550. There are also other variants made for specific retailers or markets.
However, the company didn't have products in all market sections until those were announced today. Let's start with its first Wi-Fi 7 gaming router.
TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 Archer GE800: An impressive gaming router
The Archer GE800 is arguably the most impressive Wi-Fi machine among the TP-Link family. The new router takes the shape of the Upsilon-class command shuttle in Start Wars with two wings on the sides, each equipped with programmable "dynamic RGB lighting" underneath.
Update: The review of the Archer GE800 is available here.
On the inside, this is a tri-band BE19000 router—similar to the case of the Asus RT-BE96U or the Archer BE800—with top-tier Wi-Fi specs on each band. Additionally, per TP-Link, it comes with a ton of game-enhancing features. Specifically, unlike its predecessors, namely the Archer AX11000 or GX90, the Archer GE800 seems to be the first TP-Link Wi-Fi machine with actual gaming features, including:
- Accelerate Game Applications with QoS
- Accelerate Game Devices with Gaming Port
- Game Servers Acceleration by WTFast GPN
- Accelerate Mobile Games
- Game Detector
- Preset Profile for Games' Ports
- Real-time Game Statistics (Network Traffic, Network PING, Game Radar, One-click Game Acceleration Button)
- Devices and Apps Traffic Monitor
- Dedicated Gaming Band
On the wired networking front, like the case of the Archer BE800, the TP-Link Archer GE800 has two 10Gbps Multi-Gig ports—one is a BASE-T/SFP+ combo—and four 2.5Gbps LAN ports instead of Gigabit, enough to turn most home network into full multi-Gigabit by itself.
TP-Link says the new Archer GE800 will start shipping in the second quarter of the year with the suggested retail price of $600. The table below shows its full hardware specs.
Hardware specifications: Archer GE800 vs. Archer BE800 vs. Archer AXE300
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Archer GE800 | Archer BE800 | Archer AXE300 |
| Dimensions | TBD | 11.9 × 10.3 × 3.8 in (302 × 262.5 × 96 mm) | 9.1 × 9.1 × 2.7 in (232 × 232 × 68 mm) |
| Weight | TBD | 4.78 lbs (2.16 kg) | 3.75 lbs (1.7 kg) |
| Processing Power | Undisclosed | 2.0 GHz Quad-Core CPU, 1GB RAM, 256MB Flash | |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band BE19000 | Quad-band AXE16000 | |
| 1st Band (channel width) | 4x4 2.4GHz BE: Up to 1376Mbps (20/40MHz) | 4x4 2.4GHz AX: Up to 1148Mbps (20/40MHz) | |
| 2nd Band (channel width) | 4x4 5GHz BE: Up to 5760Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 4x4 5GHz-1 AX: Up to 4804Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| 3rd Band (channel width) | 4x4 6GHz BE: Up to 11520Mbps (20/40/80/160/320MHz) | 4x4 6GHz AXE: Up to 4804Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| 4th Band (channel width) | None | 4x4 5GHz-2 AX: Up to 4804Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/axe Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi | |
| Wireless Security | WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 | ||
| Web User Interface | Yes | ||
| Mobile App | TP-Link Tether (optional) | ||
| Gaming-related Features | Yes | No | |
| Operating Roles | Router (default) or Access Point | ||
| Mesh-Ready | Yes (EasyMesh) | ||
| USB Port | 1x USB 3.0 1x USB 2.0 | 1x USB 3.0 | |
| Gigabit Port | None | 4x LAN | |
| Multi-Gig Port | 4× 2.5 Gbps LAN 1× 10 Gbps WAN/LAN 1× 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 Combo WAN/LAN | 1x 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig LAN/LAN 1x 10Gbps Multi-Gig LAN/WAN 1× 10 Gbps Multi-Gig/SFP+ Combo WAN/LAN | |
| Link Aggregation | LAN only (LAN2 + LAN3) LACP or Static | ||
| Dual-WAN Support | No | ||
| Power Intake | 100-240V | ||
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | TBD | ≈ 565 Wh (as tested) | ≈ 465 Wh (as tested) |
| Release Date | Q2 2024 | May 2023 | October 2022 |
| Firmware (at review) | (not yet reviewed) | 1.0.2 Build 20230509 rel.67343(5553) | 1.0.3 Build 20220907 |
| US MSRP | $599.99 | $599.99 | $599.99 |
More affordable Deco with outdoor and PoE options
In addition to the GT800, TP-Link also unveiled at CES 2024 a few more Deco mesh sets, including the Deco BE75, Deco BE65, and Deco BE25. As the names suggest, these have lesser hardware specs compared to the Deco BE85 while sharing the same feature sets and apps. They use Mult-Gig ports as the norm.
What's most noteworthy is the two Deco BE65 variants, the BE65-5G and BE65-PoE, that have built-in cellular modem and support power-over-Ethernet, respectively. Additionally, the BE25-Outdoor is the first Wi-Fi 7 mesh hardware designed with an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. You can build a mesh system of mixed hardware from these models to meet any home's demand.
According to TP-Link, these mesh options are going to be available in 2024, with their pricing announced then.
Add-on Wi-Fi 7 adapter cards
To enjoy Wi-Fi 7, you need to have a computer that supports the standard. Soon, you can buy new machines with a built-in adapter. Until then, in the past few months, the Intel BE200 has been the only option to add Wi-Fi 7 to an existing Intel-based computer.
That's about to change.
Today at CES 2024, TP-Link announced its first two Wi-Fi 7 network adapters. The first one is the Archer TBE550E, a BE9300 adapter with Bluetooth 5.4 that uses a PCIe connection to add Wi-Fi 7 to any desktop computer with an available PCIe slot. It's a top-tier 2x2 adapter with a 320MHz channel and support similar to the Intel BE200. It can deliver up to 5.7Gbps of negotiated theoretical speed.
The second adapter is the Archer TBE400UH BE6500 USB card that features 2x2 160MHz Wi-Fi 7 specs, like the Intel BE202 chips—with up to 2.8Gbps of theoretical speed. In a way, it's the Wi-Fi 7 version of the Netgear A8000 Wi-Fi 6E adapter. As such, it comes with two collapsible antennas and can be plugged directly into a USB-A port, practically turning any existing computer Wi-Fi 7-ready. There's also a detachable base for easy placement.
Unlike the Intel counterparts, these TP-Link cards work with all Windows 11 computers, regardless of their processor. Both come with software drivers via USB storage. TP-Link says they will be available "soon" with the suggested price of around $80 each.
Tiered HomeShield Pro
Together with the new hardware, TP-Link also announced a change in its HomeShield Pro. This add-on package gives users advanced networking features, including QoS, Parental Controls, network security, comprehensive reports, and more.
The network vendor said that while the free version of the add-on, called HomeShield, remains the same, the Pro version is now divided into three tiers, including Security+, Advanced Parental Controls, and the Total Security package, each with its separate pricing to offer users flexible options.
| Security | Security+ | Total Security Package | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | At home | At home and on the go | |
| Availability | Included with all TP-Link Archer or Deco routers | Paid subscription | |
| Monthly Price | Free | $4.99 | n/a |
| Annual Price | Free | $35.99 | $69.99 |
| Mobile App Required | Yes | ||
| Features | Router security scan, wireless security scan, IoT device identification, Guest network, Camera security, Wi-Fi access control, Device isolation, Quality of Service (QoS) | All features of Security, plus: Web protection, Intrusion prevention, IoT protection, comprehensive report | All features of Security+, plus: Antivirus protection for PCs and mobile devices, Unlimited VPN, Password management for PCs and mobile devices. |
| Notes | Unavailable when the router (or mesh system) is working in the access point (AP) mode. Internet Security is provided by Norton 360 Deluxe TP-Link Edition, F-Secure Total, or Avira Prime, depending on the router model. | ||
| Standard | Advanced PC | Total PC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | At home | At home and on the go | |
| Availability | Included with all TP-Link Archer or Deco routers | Paid subscription | |
| Monthly Price | Free | $2.99 | TBD |
| Annual Price | Free | $17.99 | TBD |
| Mobile App Required | Yes | ||
| Features | Create profiles, Preset age template, Pause the Internet, Content filter by URL, block specific website, Bedtime, Insight report | All features of Standard, plus: Flexible bedtime, Time limits, Office time, Time reward, Family time, Blocked apps, App time limits, Always allowed apps, Safe search, YouTube restrictions, Comprehensive insights and reports | All features of Advanced PC, plus: KidShield app for Parental Controls on the go, Device settings management, Payment management, Lock device, Keep track of locations, Additional insights and reports |
| Notes | Not available when router (or mesh system) is working in the access point (AP) mode | ||
Breaking down the package can be a welcome change in terms of cost—some users don't need certain features, such as Parental Control. However, overall, charging a premium to use certain features is always controversial. Other networking vendors, such as Asus, Synology, or Ubiquiti, give users all similar features for free.
The takeaway
It's the support from the hardware vendors that's made Wi-Fi 7 the fastest adopted among all Wi-Fi standards to date. And with this announcement from TP-Link alone, it's safe to say 2024 will be a big year for the latest Wi-Fi standard that was officially out of draft yesterday.
I plan to take at least a few of the new products mentioned here out for a spin when they are available. Check back for more. In the meantime, below is the list of current TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 hardware you can purchase today.
| Model | Name | Availability | Price (at launch) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deco BE95 | BE33000 Quad-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System | May 2023 | $1799.99 (3-pack) $1,199.99 (2-pack) |
| Deco BE85 | BE22000 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System | May 2023 | $1,499.99 (3-pack) $999.99 (2-pack) |
| Deco BE63 | BE10000 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System | November 2023 | $799.99 (3-pack) $549.99 (2-pack) |
| Archer BE900 | BE24000 Quad-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router | May 2023 | $699.99 (single router) |
| Archer BE800 | BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router | May 2023 | $599.99 (single router) |
| Archer BE550 | BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router | October 2023 | $299.99 (single router) |
Thanks Dong, riveting stuff. It was like watching a favourite TV series with all the twists and turns of the new entrants and now in the season finale cliff hanger, WiFi 7 is out of draft 🙂 But season 2 is already in production 🙂
Your post on “Dual-band vs Tri-band vs Quad-band” is a good compliment to this article and helped me understand a little more on the differences between Archer AXE300 and the other 2
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