
That's a near perfect result, and one that no other mesh system I've tested has been able to match. In the latter round of tests at my home, where my fiber internet connection tops out at 300Mbps, the Orbi AX600 returned average speeds of 289Mbps to Wi-Fi 5 devices and 367Mbps to Wi-Fi 6 devices, including speeds at the farthest point from the router that were 95% as fast as when connecting up close.
Technicolor router wifi full#
With a second 5GHz band serving as a dedicated backhaul for system transmissions between the router and its satellites and full support for Wi-Fi 6, the system is still our top-tested mesh router, with the best scores in both our lab-based top speed tests and our at-home mesh coverage tests. Starting at $700 for the two-piece setup seen here, the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi is far more expensive than the dual-band version listed above, but it's also a lot more powerful. That makes the Deco W7200 an outstanding value, and the first mesh router I'd point most people towards if they're in need of something new. On top of that, TP-Link's setup process is about as easy as it gets, with satellite extenders that automatically join the mesh as soon as you plug them in.

In fact, the only system that managed to outperform it outright in my at-home speed tests is the AX6000 version of Netgear Orbi, which costs more than three times as much (keep reading for more on that one). That's the best deal I've seen for a tri-band mesh router with support for Wi-Fi 6 - and sure enough, it's an excellent performer, as well. Most mesh routers like that cost at least $300 or even $400, but the TP-Link Deco W7200 gets you there for just $229.
Technicolor router wifi plus#
As of mid-December, the best deal I'm seeing is on Amazon, where you can knock the price down to $70 by clicking to apply a coupon before checkout.įor the best performance from your mesh router, you'll want to prioritize getting one with support for Wi-Fi 6, plus a tri-band design that includes three separate bands of traffic: the usual 2.4 and 5GHz bands, plus an additional 5GHz band that the system can use as a dedicated wireless backhaul for transmissions between the router and its satellites.
Technicolor router wifi upgrade#
Add in a functional bandsteering mode that automatically steers you between the 2.4 and 5GHz bands within a single network, plus guest network controls and even a quality of service engine for prioritizing traffic to the most important devices on your network, and you're looking at a decent home networking upgrade that's as simple and affordable as it gets. It's nothing fancy, but it offered near flawless performance for small- to medium-size homes in our tests, and it's a cinch to setup and use thanks to TP-Link's Tether app.īest of all, when tested against other, similar routers from names like Asus and Netgear, the AX21 held its own with faster download speeds, better range, and low latency, too.

Available for $100 ( or less if you catch a sale), the TP-Link Archer AX21 is an entry-level, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that supports top speeds of up to 1,201Mbps (1.2Gbps) on its 5GHz band.
