Pros: - Easy setup, the TP-Link web tools are simple and straightforward.
- Three networks - really awesome if, like me, you work from home and have lots of devices connecting to your network. Helps keep congestion down.
- Maintains fastest connection from my ISP, over WIFI!
-- Routinely pulling my max 100/10 from my ISP over the WiFi connection. Super impressed by that.

Cons: - Had an recurring issue where my network would cut out for no apparent, obvious reason. I later learned it was an issue with my ISP in my apartment complex. I had Bright House over my apartment 4 times in 2 weeks, and the tested my cable line, my modem, and troubleshooted my router. Ultimately, there was an issue upstream from my apartment connection that they resolved, and now my network connection is perfect at all times.

Moral of the story: dont always assume that network troubles are with YOUR equipment.

Other Thoughts: The router itself looks cool.

I also notice there are mounts underneath the router for wall mounting, but I have no idea why someone would want to do that.

Pros: Still thinking about the pros...

Cons: See below

Other Thoughts: Have not used it much, yet, but how come the latest FW revision is still at major level 0? 0.9 to be exact
Unfortunately, the very first issue came up right at the first steps of the initial setup. Apparently, this router does not accept the passwords longer than 15 characters (and the requirement I have is 18). Also, even if it looks like it took the 13 or 14 or 15 characters long password, it mysteriously truncates it and the only way to log back in to the router is by factory reset...
TP-Link support supposed to route this issue to the engineering, but I have not heard back yet
The other odd thing is the slow reaction to the control buttons - if you want to toggle the WI-FI on / off, it takes about 20 -30 sec to take effect. I have not seen it on any other modern wireless routers.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Sam,

We thank you for taking the time to provide your detailed feedback regarding our product.

If you currently have an open ticket with our support team, we would appreciate the opportunity to follow up with you so we may update you on the status of your case.

Please feel free to contact our local support team anytime via the email provided below regarding any questions or concerns you may have about our products.

We thank you again for the feedback and certainly look forward to your response.

Best Regards!
TP-LINK Support Team
866) 225-8139
ussupportteam@tp-link.com

Pros: Works well with HDHome run EXTEND. The router is connected to my media pc over the wired ethernet connection and works fine for watching the full MPEG-2 HD broadcast from my local TV stations. I can also watch live TV on my NEXUS 5X over WFI using their Android app with the Mobile Tanscode level setting without any issues.

Cons: Wish the Wi-Fi was faster but real world performance is never as close to the ideal conditions tested in the lab.

Other Thoughts: Following tests done at about 15 feet from the router with it in line of site using IEEE 802.11ac at 5.0GHz and the routers latest firmware.
1. Using "Lan Speed Test (Lite)" on the client with a Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 nic and with "LAN Speed Test Server" running on the server connected to the router with a Intel® Ethernet Connection I219-V. I get around 160 megabits per second up and 220 megabits per second down. I ran through all the different combinations of settings: Channels/Channel Width/Transmit Power retesting the transfer rate each time and this is the best numbers i could get. I do live in an apartment with other wireless networks around. I also tried a TP-Link AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter and the speeds were about 90% of the built-in Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 nic.
2. On a Nexus 5x Andriod phone (Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz)) using wifi speed test (Zoltan Pallagi) and his wifi_speed_test_server running on the PC connected to the router i get around 100 megabits per second up and down.

Pros: Easy setup, intuitive and easy-to-use admin UI, attractive design, good reviews.

Cons: The router suddenly became unstable a few weeks after installation. Both wired and WiFi throughput was severely crippled, complex webpages that had encryption would not load, and WiFi power dropped markedly. Rebooting and power cycling the router did not resolve the issues. Taking the unit out of service and replacing it with the old router it had replaced immediately solved the problems, which points to a failure in the AC3200.

Other Thoughts: This is a huge disappointment to me. The router initially had very good WiFi coverage of the very large house and yard and had respectable speeds. That all ended in an instant.

I considered doing some extended troubleshooting and tweaking of the UI settings to try to find the problem but decided against it since the wired connections were crippled as well. Another factor was that I had only a few days left in the 30-day return window. In my experience, brand-new equipment that suddenly malfunctions without any changes being made to it or to its environment/infrastructure is an ominous sign to return it while you still can and not waste any more time on it.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Ed,
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding our product.
We are sorry to hear that our device was unable to provide a solution for you.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our products in the future, please feel free to contact our support team at the number and/or email provided for you below and an available support agent will be happy to assist you.
We thank you again for your feedback and certainly hope this experience will not discourage you from checking out more of our great networking products in the future.
Best Regards!
TP-LINK Support Team
866) 225-8139
ussupportteam@tp-link.com

Pros: Fast
Stable

Cons: None

Pros: Versatile-2.4 GHz for older devices and 5 GHz for newer. Good range and thru-put.

Cons: Shipped with a short Cat 5e cable, yet all of the Ethernet ports (including the Internet port) are 10/100/1000. Why not ship with a Cat 6 cable? The USB 2.0 port did not work with my printer. Check the compatibility list B4 you buy.

Other Thoughts: Short power cable is great. It is the standard computer type, so if you need a longer one, it's not a big deal. Unit is a little large, but not terribly so. Even with the cons, I gave it 5 eggs and would buy it again.

Pros: It does connect to my network and the www. Speed is OK. I didn't notice anything earth shaking.

Cons: BUT: The TP-LINK Archer C3200 is not compatible with the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner the tuner will not work with Windows Media Center at all when this router is installed. Windows will not see the tuner, install any tv functions, or TV guide of the Silicondust HDHomeRun TV tuner. After fighting with trying to make it work with my HDHomeRun Prime over the weekend and not getting any timely response from the maker I had to RMA this router.

Other Thoughts: It will probably work for most users but not for me. I will keep looking for a router in this class that is compatible with my network setup.

Pros: * The device comes with an easy to setup gui and at the same time, lets you take control of your network
* Dual Band, Multi Channel, Guest SSID. Really, everything you need for every situation.
* Speeds are as advertised (~Speed fluctuation is around 5 - 8%)
* Typical bottom mounting holes
* Typical USB ports
* Typical Print Server system
* Typical WPS
* Typical Parental Controls
* IPSEC VPN (This is important for me, as this allows me to connect to work and manage our local servers. This is great!)
* Nice Packaging
* Has all you need to get started

This thing is a solid build design also. Easy to hide too.

Cons: I really wish it had more Ethernet ports. For the more advanced people; there is no Tomato/3rd Party support currently. This is quite disheartening but to be expected at the moment of me writing this

Other Thoughts: I did the typical speed tests and bench marking I do with routers. This router falls under the "as advertised" category. Nothing really different to report than what is in specs listed.

You know what you are buying and that is nice as a consumer.

Pros: The Archer C3200 is very easy to setup. Although there is no included setup DVD as with other TP-LINK routers, it really is not needed, which equates to one less disc in the landfill. There is a small technical support pamphlet, and a quick start guide included with the power adapter and 4ft CAT5e cable in the box.

Overall, the web GUI is very organized and easy to navigate. They’ve cleaned up the menu significantly since the last TP-LINK router that I reviewed, which was an Archer C7. The menu is divided into three sections; Quick Setup, Basic, and Advanced. Within those sections you will find either the essentials of setting up a router, or you will find a plethora of options and advanced settings which allow you to really customize the functionality of this router. I’ll go into more detail in a moment.

The C3200 can broadcast up to SIX different SSID’s across three different bands with the optional guest networks enabled. Each SSID can have its own security settings. The three primary SSID’s can have their own channel number and width settings, as well as the transmit power can be adjusted from low to high. The guest networks will follow the global settings for channel widths and power, DHCP or static addressing, and other settings like MAC filtering, bandwidth control, and parental controls. Guest networks can have client isolation enabled and local network access disabled, which is an added layer of security for password-less open networks.

The C3200 has two USB ports, of which one is 3.0. These create a great way to quickly and easily setup your own personal media server, or FTP internet accessible storage device, or even a turn a wired printer into a wireless one. The ability to control access to the USB device is done through a user chosen set of credentials. You can even limit access to a specific file/folder on the drive. However, there can only be one username built into the access list at time, which is very disappointing.

There are a ton of other features that advanced users will find useful, like allowing NATing, MAC device filtering, custom WAN MAC address, VPN tunneling, advanced routing rules, and creating a DMZ. There are some useful built-in diagnostic tools like ping and traceroute for troubleshooting network connections, as well as a detailed system log with SMTP ability. There is also remote management ability built into this router with unique login credentials. One of my favorite features is the hour-by-hour on/off schedule for each of the three wireless bands. This allows you to only broadcast certain SSID’s during times of peak traffic in your home, like weekends and evenings, as well as disable Wi-Fi altogether when you’re at work or asleep to help prevent intruders.

The underside of the router has two mounting holes for wall or ceiling mounting, however, the antenna design would limit your broadcast range if the router is not flat/horizontally mounted.

Cons: I only have a couple complaints with this router. Firstly, DD-WRT firmware is not currently supported. If you are not familiar with DD-WRT, just think of it as jail-breaking your router with new software. But unlike jailbreaking, some and most manufacturers will support this on select devices. Doing so will unlock a fair amount of features not usually found with consumer router interfaces, as well as improving security against intruders and hackers.

Secondly, I did experience some client disconnects on the primary 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands when, and only when, the guest networks were enabled. In other words, when all six SSID’s are broadcasting, occasionally some of my devices would be blocked from connecting to the primary SSID’s. This could be temporarily remedied with a router reboot, or disabling the guest networks. At no time were any LAN connected devices ever disconnected. I have seen this same thing occur with another Wi-Fi router review, but never with a TP-LINK product. I can only wonder if it was caused by interference caused by the very many SSID’s and devices within my home. I attempted to troubleshoot with Wireshark, but my packet snooping device itself was kicked along with several cell phones and a laptop, so my trace ended before I could get any data that pointed to an issue. I really hope TP-LINK can reproduce this in their labs, and pinpoint the cause, because I believe this could just as easily be a firmware issue within the device.

Lastly, I still am asking during every router review for manufacturers to start building PoE ports into their devices. Again, so many homeowners are turning to grassroots security devices, including PoE cameras, that this could pose a significant gain in this realm. It would allow the flexibility to locate security cameras where AC power just isn’t reachable, or practical, but a CAT5/6 connection could be run instead.

Other Thoughts: Despite the few cons listed above, I truly would recommend this router to any homeowner looking for a tri-band router with long range, good surrounding coverage, and a rich list of advanced features. If you do not use or need a dedicated guest network, you might never experience the disconnect issue that I had even seen.

Thank you to TP-LINK and Newegg.com for the review sample!
If you found my review helpful in your product search, please check Yes below! Thanks!

Pros: Worked on first start without even going to its web page-just like a good piece of equipment should! I don't use wireless that much in my house for reasons I don't understand on signal carry-for the TV closest, 5 bars easy. For all my wired devices, including those on Netgear Megaplug-connections are great.

Cons: None at this point.

Other Thoughts: I'd started w a Mikrotik 10-port routerboard off another Church Member's suggestion. I wasn't smart enough to make that work so it was returned for a full refund. I did no small amount of research b4 ordering the Archer. This included MU-MIMO AC2600 units (inclusive of TP-LINK'S). I'm just not at that tech point-and this unit's reviews were clearly better. I now understand and agree with the others.