TP-Link Aims To Disrupt The Market With New Line Of Affordable Wi-Fi 7 Routers
You could easily spend well over a grand upgrading your home network to support the Wi-Fi 7 protocol, part of which is the result of a so-called early adopter tax on cutting-edge hardware. Pricing on Wi-Fi 7 gear will inevitably come down in time, and in fact it already has to some extent, though not by nearly enough as far as TP-Link is concerned. Hench TP-Link has unveiled what it calls "market-disrupting Wi-Fi mesh systems and routers."
"Consumers are often resigned to seeing new generations of technology siloed off behind high costs, relegated to businesses, technology enthusiasts and dedicated hobbyists," said Jeff Barney, President at TP-Link Systems Inc. "As leaders in Wi-Fi 7, we believe everyone should have access to the latest technologies. This is why we’re offering these new products at accessible price points today."
One of TP-Link's new Wi-Fi 7 products is the Archer BE3600 pictured above. It's a dual-band router supporting speeds of up to 2,882Mbps on the 5GHz band and 688Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. And for wired connections, it sports a 2.5Gbps WAN port, a 2.5Gbps LAN port, and three 1Gbps LAN ports. There's also a USB 3.0 port for sharing a printer or storage over your network.
Now, while this is labeled as a Wi-Fi 7 router, it doesn't take full advantage of the spec. For one, it's slower than some competing (and higher priced) Wi-Fi 7 models, and it doesn't sport a 6GHz band. But hey, if it's a cheap Wi-Fi 7 router you're after, you can find the TP-Link Archer BE3600 for $119.99 on Amazon.
In addition to the Archer BE3600, TP-Link also announced a couple of whole home mesh router systems, those being the Deco BE3600 and Deco BE5000. Here again, TP-Link is trading some Wi-Fi 7 features for cheaper price tags, as both models lack a 6GHz band.
The Deco BE5000 is rated to deliver up to 4,324Mbps of bandwidth on the 5GHz band and up to 688Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. It also features dual 2.5Gbps ports, with the ability to simultaneously connect wireless and wired backhaul with each unit. According to TP-Link, the Deco BE5000 offers wireless coverage for up to 6,600 square feet.
Meanwhile, the Deco BE3600 offers similar features, but isn't quite as fast on the 5GHz band at up to 2,882Mbps. Otherwise, everything else remains the same as far as we can tell. Here's how pricing looks for both models...
- TP-Link Deco BE5000 (3-Pack): $249.99 on Amazon (after $50 coupon)
- TP-Link Deco BE5000 (2-Pack): $189.99 on Amazon (after $40 coupon)
- TP-Link Deco BE5000 (1-Pack): $109.99 on Amazon (after $20 coupon)
- TP-Lnk Deco BE3600 (3-Pack): $199 at Walmart
These are certainly attractive price points across the board, but should you consider any of these models if you're specifically looking for Wi-Fi 7 connectivity? That depends on your vantage point, and obviously TP-Link thinks you should.
"The true differentiating feature of Wi-Fi 7 lies in Multi-Link Operation, or MLO. This feature allows for simultaneous transmission across all frequency bands, delivering faster speeds, a more reliable connection and eliminating input delay. Additionally, 4K-QAM delivers unprecedented transmission efficiency, while Multi-RU ensures seamless and more reliable connections for multiple users in a single household," TP-Link states.
For what it's worth, all of the TP-Link's new Wi-Fi 7 routers feature MLO support and 4K-QAM. What it boils down to is whether you want to pay more for faster speeds and more features, or sacrifice some speed and features for a cheaper cost of entry.
