TP-Link Archer BE800 Router Review: Premium Performance

Setup is fast and straightforward with the Tether app. By default, the two.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands will seem as one, and the router will choose the very best connection. There’s additionally a separate 6-GHz community (appended “_6G”) that suitable Wi-Fi 6E or 7 units can be part of. The MLO (Multi-Hyperlink Operation) possibility is new for Wi-Fi 7, and allows Wi-Fi 7 units to attach concurrently on a number of bands.

Additional choices embody visitor community, IoT community, VPN server or consumer, EasyMesh, and some different bits and items. All the things is accessible via the net interface, when you favor, and you’ll arrange distant administration. TP-Hyperlink’s HomeShield consists of primary community safety, parental controls (profiles, bedtimes, content material filters), and QoS to prioritize units. Enhanced safety and higher parental controls require HomeShield Professional ($6 per thirty days or $55 per 12 months). However I’m not a fan of the subscription mannequin with a router this costly.

Off to the Races

All the things I stated about TP-Hyperlink’s first Wi-Fi 7 mesh, the Deco BE85 (7/10, WIRED Review), applies to the BE800. In short, you’re paying a premium for Wi-Fi 7 proper now, and also you virtually definitely don’t have the units to take benefit. You’ll be able to anticipate quirks and bugs, and these pre-certified units lack the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) that may enhance the vary of the 6-GHz band.

The Archer BE800 carried out admirably in most of my exams. It topped the charts by transferring a 2.2-GB file from one PC on my community to a different in a single minute and 9 seconds, allowed me to obtain a 30-GB recreation in beneath 5 minutes, and completed within the prime three for almost all of my pace exams. It scored significantly effectively on the iPhone 14 Professional (5 GHz) and the Pixel 6 Professional (6 GHz).

Even with concurrent film streams, on-line video games, and video calls, there wasn’t a touch of buffering or pixelation for my busy household of 4. The BE800 has blanketed my two-floor, 1,600-square-foot dwelling and yard with a persistently sturdy sign. Firmware updates have rolled out since I began testing, however I haven’t had any points with stability. Whereas my connection maxes out at 1 Gbps, this router can deal with multi-gig connections for the fortunate few which have one, and my inside community exams recommend you’ll be able to anticipate speeds in extra of three Gbps inside a couple of toes of the router.

Maintain Your Horses

Realistically, this router is overkill for most folk. That received’t cease you when you demand the most recent releases and have disposable money to burn. When you suppose that splurging now will future-proof you, that’s true to an extent, however there are some issues to think about. With no Wi-Fi 7 units and just a few Wi-Fi 6E units able to connecting on the 6-GHz band, which remains to be very restricted in vary, you’ll wrestle to comprehend its full potential. It additionally has some flaws.

Once I examined the Sony Xperia 1 V (7/10, WIRED Review), I used to be puzzled by speeds round a 3rd as quick because the iPhone and Pixel. I additionally observed some unusual outcomes on a desktop laptop upstairs. Additional investigation revealed that TP-Hyperlink’s Sensible Join, which is meant to choose the very best band for units, generally picks the two.4-GHz band when it ought to choose the 5-GHz band. You would at all times break up the bands, however this detracts barely from an in any other case spectacular efficiency. With a number of updates to return, it’s going to hopefully enhance.

You’ve gotten cheaper options that may seemingly carry out equally effectively within the quick time period. The Asus RT-AX86U ($250) is a superb dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. The tri-band Asus RT-AXE7800 ($280) is a Wi-Fi 6E router that delivered comparable outcomes, even beating the Archer BE800 in some exams. Each embody safety and parental controls at no additional value. You would additionally snag an excellent mesh system for lower than $600.

In the end, it’s too early for most folk to purchase a Wi-Fi 7 router. Till extra units can take benefit and certification is full, it’s prudent to chill your heels. Costs will fall when you wait. Early adopters with multi-gig connections will probably be sorely tempted, and I don’t suppose the BE800 will disappoint, however it’s a work in progress.