TP-Link Archer AX73 - AX5400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router

Product Information

As illustrated on the 2.4GHz map, the AX73 delivered a strong 2.4GHz signal in the room where the router is located, but the signal became noticeably weaker as I moved further away. The router’s 5GHz signal was a bit stronger in adjacent rooms but still deteriorated in the far corners of the house.

TP-Link AX5400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router, WiFi Speed up to

The Archer AX73’s write speed of 55MBps was faster than those of the TP-Link AX50 (42MBps) and the Asus RT-AX86U (52MBps), but it couldn’t keep pace with the Linksys MR-7350 (74MBps). The AX73’s score of 57MBps on the read test was faster than the TP-Link AX50 (44MBps) but not quite as fast as the Asus RT-AX86U (66MBps). The Linksys MR-7350 beat them all with a score of 80MBps. Archer AX73 can connect 128 devices on the 5 GHz band, and 96 devices on the 2.4 GHz band. Performance may vary depending on the applications and environmental factors.Use of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and other features including OFDMA, 1024-QAM, MU-MIMO or HE160 require clients to also support the corresponding features.160 MHz bandwidth may be unavailable on the 5 GHz band in some regions/countries due to regulatory restrictions. The Archer AX73's biggest fault by far was the dropped connections. Twice during my testing, the AX73 dropped about half of my 5GHz devices, and they did not reconnect automatically. Admittedly I was changing a lot of settings before this happened, and the router was being stressed with a dozen new connections in a short period, but this hasn't happened to me on any other routers. I put the settings where I wanted them and left the router alone for a while. I haven't had the issue in the several days since, but it still doesn't bode well, especially for heavier users. This router may not support all the mandatory features as ratified in Draft 3.0 of IEEE 802.11ax specification. There are reports of similar issues on TP-Link's help forums for several of its Wi-Fi 6 models, though not that many. There's a good chance you'll never have a single problem, but if you buy this router and it isn't performing as you need it to, don't hesitate to return it. At the end of the day, this is a solid router with some compromises to hit one of the most compelling price points for a router with this speed. Staying in control is easy with built-in parental controls and Alexa integration. You can even mount and adjust it as needed. Still, the disconnection risk makes it a bad choice for someone that fully relies on their connection and can't have any downtime.

Archer AX73 AX5400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router Review - PCMag TP-Link Archer AX73 AX5400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router

HomeShield includes the Free Basic Plan. Fees apply for the Pro Plan. Visit tp-link.com/ homeshield for more information . Press Release: Archer AX73—The Top Structure and Full Bandwidth Build for an Ultra-Fast 5.4 Gbps WiFi Network The Tether app opens to a My Devices screen, which displays all installed TP-Link devices. Tap the AX73 router panel to open a Home screen with a network map, a list of connected devices on the wireless and guest networks, and buttons for Home, Clients, HomeShield, and Tools.

Six Antennas, But No Multi-Gig Ports

If you want to mount this router on a wall, there are mounting holes, and the antennas can be adjusted for optimal performance. If you are mounting this router, remember that it is passively cooled, and you should leave enough breathing room above it for the heat to dissipate.