- Simultaneous dual band
- Wireless speed up to 300 Mbps + 867 Mbps
- 2 dual band detachable antennas (RP-SMA)
- 2 x 1 USB ports
- 4 x gigabit Ethernet ports
- TP-LINK Tether app
- TP-LINK Live 24 / 7 technical support
Wireless AC on a Budget
01/02/2015
This review is from: TP-LINK Archer C5 AC1200 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router, 2.4 GHz 300 Mbps+5 GHz 867 Mbps, 2 USB Ports, IPv6, Guest Network
Pros:
This router is great for anyone looking to upgrade to Wireless AC on a budget. It performs very well, easily outperforming my ASUS RT-N66U Wireless N router.
The two USB ports are nice to see. I used one share a printer and the other port connected to a hub to share a pair of USB hard drives. Everything works perfectly.
Setup was straight forward and easy. Once logged into the web GUI setting up the router was just as easy as any other router I've used. The layout might have been a little easier to navigate but all the important settings were there.
It is nice to see detachable antennas, but it was disappointing to learn they were the 5.0GHz antennas and the 2.4GHz were internal.
It was nice to see a wifi on/off switch, but I can't really think of a time I'd use it. Though I know there are some people that are really paranoid and don't actually want wifi and like a hardware switch to turn it off.
Cons:
Combining the reset/wps button was kind of odd to me. They should be kept separate. Because they are combined you have to go through a rather odd process to reset the router if you have to do that.
Also, I prefer the WPS button to be placed on the front of the router. I don't like it in the back because it can often be hard to reach. In my case, where my router is placed on the shelf, pulling the router out to hit the button is almost impossible with all the cables connected. When I first got the router and was connecting all my wireless devices I accidentally reached on the wrong side of the router and hit the power button. I eventually just started entering my WPA keys instead of using the WPS button.
All the LEDs are really bright, brighter than other routers I've used. If this was in my bedroom I don't think I could sleep.
The glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet! I like glossy finishes, and I've seen some that don't take fingerprints, but this one definitely does.
Overall Review:
For the price this router can't really be beat. This is probably the best AC router you can get for the price. I'd expect to pay over $100 for a router of this caliber, but this router comes in at a fair bit less than $100. Functionally this router is awesome, it just has some minor design issues.
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- Jeffrey F.
-
EggXpert
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Owned For:
1 week to 1 month
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