TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro - AX5400 WiFi 6 Router

As an owner of a similar lower model wifi-6 TP-Link router prior to owning this router, I have had great experiences with TP-Link routers and their quality in the past, but this router absolutely blows the lower models out of the water, even though for most this router is probably a bit overkill. If you're looking for a router that is extremely reliable, able to produce blazingly high internet speeds, has range that can span your entire home and is highly customizable, this is absolutely the router for you. In terms of speed, this router can pretty much support any internet speed you may need - it reliably supports up to 2.5gbps internet both wired (from its 4 ethernet ports excluding the port receiving internet from a modem) and wireless, and 5.4Gbps peak dual-band ... MoreAs an owner of a similar lower model wifi-6 TP-Link router prior to owning this router, I have had great experiences with TP-Link routers and their quality in the past, but this router absolutely blows the lower models out of the water, even though for most this router is probably a bit overkill. If you're looking for a router that is extremely reliable, able to produce blazingly high internet speeds, has range that can span your entire home and is highly customizable, this is absolutely the router for you. In terms of speed, this router can pretty much support any internet speed you may need - it reliably supports up to 2.5gbps internet both wired (from its 4 ethernet ports excluding the port receiving internet from a modem) and wireless, and 5.4Gbps peak dual-band support, also using Wifi-6 technology to improve network performance! Needless to say, this router is absolutely futureproof in terms of internet speed and reliability! Also, I am a remote worker and am constantly streaming meetings and digital content, and I have never had a single issue with this router in terms of speeds or connection reliability. The range distance of this router is also extremely broad, and I find myself getting full wifi bars in any room of my home because of the 6 antennae found on the unit. With reliable range and reliable high speed support it is already very easy to recommend this router to anyone, but to sweeten the deal the router is highly customizable with software and is very high tech! All network settings are completely customizable, you can manage the router (as a smart device) from the TP-Link app, the router supports load/band balancing between the 2.4 and 5 Ghz band ranges under a single SSID (router name) to minimize network management with all of your devices, supports parental controls and website filters, DNS options for in-home networks and servers, firewalls and so much more! Setting up the router is extrememly easy as well, and the internal TP-Link user interface is very easy to use. Definitely would recommend picking up this router if you're looking for a futureproof and luxurious option for a router!

I've always thought of TP Link as a middle-of-the-road networking equipment provider, but their recent mesh products have faired well with reviewers, so I was excited to evaluate the new Archer AX5400 standalone router as the new hub of our Internet connection in the house.Back in the 802.11n (4th gen) and 802.11ac (5th gen) wireless days, we required repeaters and eventually succeeded with mesh networks in our densely-framed house in our suburban neighborhood. Once 802.11ax (Wifi-6th Gen) came about, we were excited to see if the improved network bands offered would allow us to simplify our home network and go back to a single-source router setup. We were KIND OF right to make this assumption.First of all the Archer AX5400 is only a Wifi-6 router, not a Wifi-6e ... MoreI've always thought of TP Link as a middle-of-the-road networking equipment provider, but their recent mesh products have faired well with reviewers, so I was excited to evaluate the new Archer AX5400 standalone router as the new hub of our Internet connection in the house.Back in the 802.11n (4th gen) and 802.11ac (5th gen) wireless days, we required repeaters and eventually succeeded with mesh networks in our densely-framed house in our suburban neighborhood. Once 802.11ax (Wifi-6th Gen) came about, we were excited to see if the improved network bands offered would allow us to simplify our home network and go back to a single-source router setup. We were KIND OF right to make this assumption.First of all the Archer AX5400 is only a Wifi-6 router, not a Wifi-6e router so its limited to dual-band capabilities, but offers just about all of the features in the WiFi 6 standard to alleviate concerns like this: It has 6 beam-forming antennae, but I'm not sure how much of a coverage improvement that creates, but does allow for a larger capacity of simultaneous connections to the router. The AX5400 also has excellent uplink abilities with both a 2.5Gbps and 1 Gbps WAN/LAN links, allowing for connection to higher speed fiber modems with more than a 1Gbps uplink. With the high speed capabilities of this router, this is a welcome addition.In my real-world testing the router performed admirably on my 500mbps x 20mbps home cable connection, delivering my full modem-provided bandwidth even several rooms away, while the over 30 smart home devices in my home worked without incident during my tests. I did start to lose signal/speed as I moved upstairs from the router to the far end of the house, something specific to the details of my home's build and the arrangement of my networking equipment, which is why we've always faired better with Mesh systems.I was delighted when I realized you can add any of TP-Link's OneMesh products into a mesh network with this router as the core, allowing for maximum performance home-wide while still getting the high bandwidth and high speed coverage of this system.I'd recommend this for someone with a home where single-routers are adequate and this one will bring great performance and great capacity, but if you're used to the coverage of a mesh, this is just one piece of the equation for getting the right setup!

For starters, this is a “pro” router with everything so simplified that even the UI of the app looks like it was intended for a kid to install. It is really meant for one to just hook it up and be online. You can use the Tether app on your phone or through the web interface that will automatically come up when connected to a computer for the first time. The only confusion I had was their differentiation between the 2.5 Gbps and the 1 Gbps ports. Like most routers, you have your WAN port as one color and the LAN as another. But, the 1 Gbps WAN port is one of the LAN ports and the images make it seem like they are side by side and the same blue as the 2.5 Gbps port. That and it took a fair amount of time for it to connect to the internet that I thought my device ... MoreFor starters, this is a “pro” router with everything so simplified that even the UI of the app looks like it was intended for a kid to install. It is really meant for one to just hook it up and be online. You can use the Tether app on your phone or through the web interface that will automatically come up when connected to a computer for the first time. The only confusion I had was their differentiation between the 2.5 Gbps and the 1 Gbps ports. Like most routers, you have your WAN port as one color and the LAN as another. But, the 1 Gbps WAN port is one of the LAN ports and the images make it seem like they are side by side and the same blue as the 2.5 Gbps port. That and it took a fair amount of time for it to connect to the internet that I thought my device couldn’t use the 2.5 Gbps, which it can. I don’t have 2.5 Gbps internet to test it out with, but the 1 Gbps and the 300Mbps of the two ISPs I tried with work fine albeit it taking a few more minutes that I am used to.Once the device is up and running, I am kind of disappointed that most of the typical pro features that you see in other routers are actually behind a paywall. Virus protection, web protection, intrusion prevention and internet of things protection, all offered with a 30 day free trial leading to a monthly or annual fee. There are some basic parental controls, but many of the options require “upgrade”. Another, maybe nit picky type thing, is that you can enable/disable the LED status, which is good for people that want their room to stay dark. However, the lights don’t show the individual status of your ports, like most routers show 1-4 status. Just so long as 1 port is active, the LAN light is on. Making it harder to determine if one of your four wired devices may be disconnected. To me, that just seems the opposite of a “pro” device.Overall, I just feel like with this one, the “pro” label is just to make someone think they are getting a professional device that even they can understand while it truly doesn’t have all the professional settings that other pro routers have. Then all of the additional protection that you know you want in your device is hidden behind a paywall. I can’t tell if there is even the basic protection as the security just gives check marks that certain high risk options are disabled. In all actuality, the label of this product should have an asterisk beside the word Pro in every part they mention, as it is just basic unless you subscribe for more.