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Review on Enhanced TP-Link AC1900 Wireless MU-MIMO WiFi Router - Dual Band Gigabit Routers for Home, Advanced Parental Controls & QS, Beamforming Technology (Archer C80) by Brian Page

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great for a very simple task

My ISP is CenturyLink Fiber, so I needed a router that operated as close as possible to the nominal speed of 940Mbps (actual speed, based on my signal strength, is closer to 850Mbps ). Although CenturyLink offers its own router, I wasn't impressed with its bulky ostrich egg look and wanted something a little more understated since the router's only function is to provide VLAN tags and PPPoE credentials. and stay solid in those roles only (Wi-Fi capability not included). This is because the router connects directly to my Nest Wifi setup, which manages all of the WiFi in the house as well as some wired connections via a simple speed or demand switch (like the Obi200 for Google Voice). I've only been using this router for a few weeks, so it's too early to say how reliable it is. The router I replaced, an Asus RT-AC66U (version B1, basically AC68U), was pretty good, but after about 3-4 weeks it tended to fail and all my Nest Points went out, so I ran out of power needed. Loop both routers. The AC66U took about five minutes to restart, even with Wi-Fi off, which was excruciating and often too much to do. Expecting a router to never have to be rebooted is a lot, but for me, a lifespan of more than three months is a deal breaker. In any case, this is probably more information than you really need. Bottom line, this thing loads fast, has solid hardware and firmware (at least for my basic needs), and the price is pretty much unbeatable, especially if other reviews are to be believed, and this thing stays reliable for months. I ran a speed test through Google Home just to see how the speeds hold up and it's still in the 800mbps range both up and down. BTW this is important as I've found that routers that cannot match both the uplink and downlink speeds for fiber are either faulty or misconfigured in their firmware and will eventually fail. I've experienced this on several devices over the years. From what I've seen so far, this is a great router. It's easy to hide, small, powerful and reliable, all at a very affordable price.

Pros
  • Advanced WiFi Features: Smart Connect and Airtime Fairness ensure your devices operate at the best available WiFi range and don't slow down older devices.
Cons
  • So far so good