The TP-Link Archer AX50 (AX3000) Wi-Fi 6 router promises a lot for a low price, even if you can spend much less elsewhere.
The Archer AX50 supports HE160 technology, which means phones, laptops, and tablets with 160MHz bandwidth can expect maximum speeds of 2.4Gbps in addition to the usual benefits of Wi-Fi 6 home networking gear – faster and more reliable wireless connections, and lower latency.
The question is whether you’ll get that in every room of the house…
Other improvements include built-in TrendMicro-powered safety software and performance adjustments that allow for more devices to connect to the router at the same time. Just keep in mind that it lacks a built-in modem and must be used combined with one.
A TP-Link Archer AX50 is currently available for around £79.99 in the UK and $113.70 in the US.
It also includes a free lifetime membership to HomeCare. It protects your system from malware and restricts your family from visiting harmful websites. And it demonstrated strong throughput performance in testing. It has adequate file-transfer performance but does not support WPA3 encryption. Moreover, the Archer AX50 is a fantastic router that deserves the Editors’ Choice award for midrange Wi-Fi 6 models.
The TP-Link Archer AX50 has a low, wide profile and is clad in a combination of reflective and matt-finish black plastic. It measures 38 x 260 x 135mm.
While such a wide router may not be suitable for everyone, the reason it takes up so much shelf space becomes clear when you flip it over. At the back, there are five Gigabit Ethernet ports. One WAN, four LANs – a USB 3.0 port, and four large adjustable antennae. If you want to move these around to improve reception, they can be forced back and forth and also moved from side to side.
That’s pretty good considering the price – gadgets like the Honor Router 3 are cheaper, but they’re a lot less capable.
Moreover, the TP-Link Archer AX50 is a router that can be used independently. There is no built-in modem, so make sure you already have one, or put your ISP-supplied hardware into the modem mode before connecting it all.
Nowadays, setting up routers is usually a piece of cake. Big brands like TP-Link have simplified the process with helpful apps like TP-Link Tether (iOS, Android). It also provides detailed, step-by-step directions and acts as a mobile control panel once you’ve finished.
Once you’re up and running, you can begin messing with settings, such as the HomeCare panel. This includes QoS (Quality of Service), parental controls, and antivirus software.
QoS allows you to prioritize frequency bands for specific network devices as well as specific types of traffic. If you know you want to watch a TV show on your iPad in the evening, ticking ‘streaming’ and ‘Thomas’s iPad’ here will prioritize that activity.
QoS isn’t a feature exclusive to the TP-Link Archer AX50; many routers support it, but the interface here is one of the best.
Similarly, the Parental Controls panel is quite good, as it comes with four pre-defined age-specific content blocking categories and is very simple to use. However, the content filter does not allow you to block specific websites – for that, you’ll need a separate security software package.
The Antivirus tool, which does use TrendMicro software to scan for threats and allows you to quarantine an affected device on your network, preventing it from infecting other devices, is a welcome addition. Of course, if you also have your own virus protection, you don’t have to use this – it’s simple to disable.
Along with standard features like Guest Wi-Fi and IPv6, there are menu options for TP-Link Cloud for buyers with TP-Link smart home camera systems like the tpCamera, and an Alexa Skill, so you can ask Alexa to make the TP-Link Archer AX50 do stuff like prioritise gaming traffic to your Xbox or read out the Guest Wi-Fi passcodes.
As with most other TP-Link routers, the tear-down process is quite simple. So in the case of the Archer AX50, you need to remove the two screws on the backside and then use a prying tool to separate the plastic hinges to remove the top part of the router. This way, you’ll be greeted by a PCB surrounded by two larger heatsinks that must be removed to reveal the main components. To do so, turn the PCB inverted and gently remove the screws – on this side, be able to see the first component, the ESMT 128MB flash memory.
Returning to the top side of the PCB, the dual-core Intel AnyWAN GRX350 chipset clocked at 800MHz, 256MB of RAM from Samsung, and 1x DG18101 G 2041 WAN port transformer (10/100/1000Mbps) and 2x DG36001 G 20 For WiFi, the Archer AX50 uses the Intel WAV654A0 (S0404L8G SLMRS) chip 22:2 802.11b/g/n/ax for the 2.4GHz band as well as the Intel WAV654A0 (S0404L8G SLMRS) chipset 22:2 802.11a/n/ac/ax for the 5GHz band.
Nowadays, most routers are extremely simple to set up, especially when they come from well-known brands like TP-Link. If you’ve never used a TP-Link router before, you’ll need to create an account after downloading the TP-Link Tether app, if you have, you can simply sign in.
After you sign in, the app walks you through each step of the process. You choose which router version to install, and wait for the LED indicator lights to illuminate. And then configure your network and connect your devices.
After you’ve configured your TP-Link router, the app can still be used to monitor and manage your Wi-Fi network. There’s a Wi-Fi Detective feature, for example, that allows you to scan the network to see all currently connected devices and identify potential threats to your Wi-Fi security.
Despite having nearly identical hardware specifications to its twin brother, the Archer AX3000, a TP-Link Archer AX50 is a more capable router. It is always faster and has more useful features.
Connections that are dependable for up to 256 devices.
In response to the ever-increasing demand for home Wi-Fi, the Archer AX50 future-proofs your home networks by providing four times the capacity to connect more devices.
The TP-Link Archer AX50 is a low-cost Wi-Fi 6 router that provides fast throughput and includes lifetime malware protection and parental controls.
The TP-Link Archer AX50 offers excellent value for money, with fast wireless speeds, good range and stability, and a slew of useful features built-in. Support for 160MHz-capable devices makes this an important consideration for Wi-Fi enthusiasts on a tight budget.
While coverage is generally good, the Archer AX50 is not ideal for large homes – you’ll need something else to boost the signal and/or invest in a network switch if you want to expand coverage.
If you’re looking for a standalone Wi-Fi 6 router and coverage isn’t as important, the TP-Link Archer AX50 is a good option. It’s cheap, reliable, and powerful.
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