TP-Link gets practical about ac class wi-fi on its latest router
A few weeks ago, I reviewed TP-Link’s Archer VR2600, a router of mythic proportions. And now I’m back with its more calorie-conscious little brother, the Archer VR600, and it seems a generally more desirable proposition.
For less than £100, TP-Link plies you with a full VDSL modem, four gigabit Ethernet ports, dual USB ports and AC1600 wi-fi.
The integrated DSL port supports all standard DSL connections, including VDSL2, ADSL2+, ADSL2 and ADSL, allowing this to be a drop-in replacement for BT customers and those reselling their services, as well as also cable users through the WAN use of the Ethernet ports.
That’s a major selling point, because those who want to upgrade their equipment might be looking to also enhance their connections and won’t want to sling their router when they do it.
The AC1600 spec alludes to offering 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 1300Mbps on the 5GHz range that some hardware can bond together into a unified connection. However, as the Ethernet is only rated to 1000Mbits and overhead reduces that marginally, that’s about as fast as any data can be streamed to a single connected device.
Performance on this equipment was generally very good, though it didn’t seem very aware of other wireless hardware and initially sat on exactly the same channels as my existing BT setup on both 2.4 and 5GHz ranges.
Why it picked this when other frequencies were unused is inexplicable, but hopefully a firmware update will fix this tendency.
For those that like to tinker, TP-Link has pandered to your needs with one of the more comprehensive web interfaces I’ve seen on a router. For casual users, it's provided a ‘Quick Setup’ that gets you connected, then a Basic mode that gives you more control, and an ‘Advanced’ mode for those who want to configure VPNs, NAT forwarding, bandwidth controls and a million other features.
In addition, the router, like other Archer routers I’ve seen in this generation, can be used in three operational modes: DSL modem router, 3G/4G router and wireless router. That 3G/4G mode requires an additional 3G/4G dongle, which TP-Link sells separately.
My only complaint about these modes is that when I used wireless router mode, it worked for connected wireless and wired devices, but internally it wouldn’t accept it had connected to the internet. That meant it couldn’t set the internal clock or check for firmware updates. Again, with so many parameters available to alter, these things are relatively easy to fix, but they should just work by default for the majority of customers who aren’t networking experts.
Most users won’t run into these idiosyncrasies in standard usage, thankfully.
What they might well experience is the slow speed of the USB ports on this router. For whatever reason, both of them are only USB 2.0, limiting its usefulness as a media distribution tool, unless you’re prepared to detach the drive/flash key and do all the file transfers directly on your PC. Surely it should have been possible to make one of them USB 3.0 at the very least?
Also, they’re both placed at the rear, when there was a perfect position on the right side (facing) for one to be placed for easier access.
The things TP-Link got right in this design are that it’s robustly made, relatively small as these things go and wall mountable. The basket-weave finish on the top half is an acquired taste, though it does allow for plenty of fanless ventilation.
You can buy an AC1600 router for this price, but generally not with a built-in VDSL modem, critically. That should make the Archer VR600 a natural choice for anyone wanting to upgrade to AC wi-fi.
There is a blot on TP-Link's finely considered landscape, however. It comes in the shape of BT’s new Smart Hub, with no less than seven antennas for a retail price of £129.99. Existing Infinity customers will be able to get it free for renewing their contract or £50 without renewal.
In that environment, as generally good as the VR600 is, it might have a hard time convincing people, especially BT customers, to part with hard cash for it.
That’s a shame, because for lots of people this does enough AC-class wi-fi without going channel-bonding bonkers. Mark Pickavance
A router/modem that offers affordable AC wi-fi.