TP-Link - Archer BE550

I have the 550 (9300), cost me only $200 USD on Amazon. I got it to replace a Netgear orbit 960 QuadBand that starting to fail. Although I am mostly impressed with it, the one thing that bothers me is MLO works only on 5Ghz and 6Ghz. That is so stupid. My Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has wifi 7 support, but only has 2.4 and 5ghz...so it would not at all benefit from MLO. Same thing for my tablet. Some of my other devices do have 6ghz but only support WiFi 6E. When I bought it, the advertising showed all 3 bands supporting MLO...but unfortunately it was removed in a firmware update. I really wish I knew about this ahead of time...I would of bought the BE550 Pro, which cost $50 more....but for me it's totally worth it for 3 bands of MLO...the addition of 10g port is totally meaningless....there no scenario where that would be useful... except if I had local home server. Here link ($199.99 deal right now): https://a.co/d/4gnzTdb $249 for BE550 pro: https://a.co/d/7r08vSs The best deal is $299.99 for the BE700 (aka the BE15000), it's a BEAST! https://a.co/d/eDYk5bR Even if in Canada you can still order from US store.. although with longer shipping time. I often order stuff from German Amazon store and have it shipped here, since many things are not available in us store.

if you can stretch your budget a tiny bit, buy the BE9300 instead

I got this because i wanted to get 2gig service. And still had to get a 2.5gig ethernet card. Because most computers only support 1gig. https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Tri-Band-Archer-BE550-HomeShield/dp/B0CJSNSVMR/ref=asc_df_B0CJSNSVMR?mcid=fc67f9c637913067ac7c7331824bae36&hvocijid=8139651165056430106-B0CJSNSVMR-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8139651165056430106&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014409&hvtargid=pla-2281435181658&psc=1

I did the TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 WiFi 7 Router (Archer BE550). A bit pricy but I bet I can use the WIFI7 for something (maybe a new VR headset) in the future.

I'm a very tech savvy guy that builds computers as a hobby. If I were buying a router today, I would buy a TP-Link router. They have been around for a very long time and I have owned several of their routers that I have been very satisfied with. Being that it is tech, you can only expect a good router today to last for about 5 to 6 years. What is blazing fast today will only slow down as the years pass by. The most important thing with buying a router is to ensure it has the latest technology so that it doesn't become outdated too soon. Try to ensure that the router you buy today has these features: * Wi-Fi 7 * That it has all 3 bands - 6 GHz, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz * That it is MLO network capable. (This is the latest technology that is just now showing up in some smartphones. It will allow your phone to automatically switch which band it is using without user intervention. Let's say you are on a phone call inside your house and your phone is set to use the 5 GHz band but you walk outside and lose the 5 GHz connection, the router will automatically switch to using the 2.4 GHz band because the 2.4 GHz band has the most range.) I'm not sure that I can post a link here so I'll just tell you which TP-Link router that I would buy today: TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 WiFi 7 Router (Archer BE550) - 6-Stream, Full 2.5G Ports w/ 6 Internal Antennas, Up to 2,000 Sq Ft, Add Easy-Mesh Device for Extended Coverage, VPN Support You can find it on Amazon for $229.99 PRO TIP: You need to turn on the MLO network in the software.

$200 - [TP-Link BE550](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJSNSVMR) Fits your criteria and has Wi-Fi 7. $220 - [ASUS RT-BE92U](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHWCQ3FP) Non-Chinese alternative to the above. Supports a beta Merlin firmware that opens up a lot more tinkering options than TP-Link but less than the Flint 2 or UniFi. A little bit over $200 though. $280 - [UniFi UDR7](https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/udr7) Gets you into the UniFi ecosystem for a premium. $140 - [GL.iNET Flint 2](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP7S3117) Probably the best router for tinkering, however, it is Wi-Fi 6 only, and only 1 LAN port is 2.5GbE (total 2, including 1 WAN), but the budget allows buying a 2.5GbE switch to fix that. The Flint 2 will have better Wi-Fi performance with older 5GHz/2.4GHz devices due to 4x4 MIMO on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which all of the above budget Wi-Fi 7 options lack. So, if you don't have any Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices, then the above Wi-Fi 7 routers will effectively perform the same as an AX3000 router ($50-$100) in terms of Wi-Fi as those are also limited to 2x2 MIMO. Do note that no router in that budget will do VPN, QoS, SQM, etc. or many advanced features at more than a gigabit. And to get even close to 2Gbps over Wi-Fi you need recent devices (e.g., Quest 3, iPhone 15 Pro/16, M3 Mac, AX210+ laptop or most recent Android flagships).

I originally bought the Nighthawk as it was on sale locally but the router didn't work well with my Pico. It would periodically have long freezes on Wifi. I returned it for the Be550 and it's worked wonders ever since. Would the extra bandwidth on the be800 be worth the increase if I could get that for a discount as well? Or would it not make a difference for Pico wireless PCVR?

We've just upgraded to a 900mbps plan as well and the provided router (over wi-fi only, I have nothing cabled) was giving me speeds of around 500-550. After a bit of research and crossing my fingers that I was doing the right thing I upgraded to a TP-Link BE9300. Granted this is a wi-fi 7 router but the whole house now gets between 750-900+

We've just upgraded to a 900mbps plan as well and the provided router (over wi-fi only, I have nothing cabled) was giving me speeds of around 500-550. After a bit of research and crossing my fingers that I was doing the right thing I upgraded to a TP-Link BE9300. Granted this is a wi-fi 7 router but the whole house now gets between 750-900+

I'd go TP-Link BE9300. Wifi 7 for future proofing and officially recommended on Virtual Desktop discord.

Have you run into any issues with this model not supporting WiFi 7 on the 2.4Ghz band? Right now I don't have any WiFi 7 devices, and if I did, I wouldn't use them on 2.4, anyway. I was mainly asking in terms of long term potential issues. I have the BE9300, and it's a solid router, and I mainly got it as a replacement for the Asus RT-AX86U which only has one 2.5G port, and I needed 2, but got 5 as a bonus. I'm in a small 1 bedroom apartment, 625 sq ft, so not sure how much of the different model specs I really need to apply to this environment, but asking around to get feedback. I've also considered turning off the radios in the TP-Link and using the Asus as the AP, until I have WiFi 7 devices, as I currently just need the 2.5 Ethernet ports to get the full bandwidth of my 1 gig plan. 940 is fine, but since I know I get more, worth trying to remove the cap at a reasonable cost. Thanks again.

Hey all, here is the story in short. I'm currently using an Asus RT-AX86U. There isn't anything wrong with the router, and it's meeting my current needs without issues. There are a couple things I have considered though in getting another WiFi 7 router, after having the Asus RT-BE92U develop issues after 6 months or a bit more of use. My considerations are the following: Right now, I have no WiFi 7 devices, however, my current iPhone (15 Pro Max is 6E, and my next phone will be WiFi 7) I would like multiple 2.5G Ethernet ports instead of just the one on the RT-AX86U. I only really need one more (2 in total) as my computer is the only device that can currently take advantage of more than a gigabit port currently. I am considering one of the more basic TP-Link routers from Walmart, that have one WAN, and one LAN 2.5 port, and I can either do a dual band, or tri-band router. And they aren't that expensive and have the current upgrades I'm looking for over my existing Asus. People have generally reviewed the TP-Link routers well, and I've had a couple myself and overall they've been stable. The main reason I went with Asus was for the more advanced. options which, in reality, I don't use a lot of on a daily basis. With this said, is what I'm looking for a reason couple upgrade options? The models are: the BE3600, and BE9300. Right now the 3600 is the only delivery from store option, and it's the dual band. The BE9300 is Tri-band, and both models at walmart have 2 2.5 G ports and 3 1G ports.

Just adding that Walmart got the BE9300 in so ordered one this morning (delivery from store) and will test it and compare. If it plays nice with my setup, I will keep the TRI-band model and return the dual band.

OK, I have the BE9300 set up and everything seems to work. the issue with the amazon smart plugs not wanting to connect out of the box with the default settings and the 6Ghz band enabled weren't present on the TPLink as they were with the Asus BE92U. The particular smart bulb that was also acting funny with Alexa voice control still has a slight issue, but it's not as bad, and it turns the right colors. So, here is my conclusion right now. It's possible the bulb is having issues as it's older, or it's controller doesn't like a TRI-Band router with the 6Ghz band, as both dual band routers didn't have the issue. So will be returning the BE3600 today. What I could also do is disable the IOT network on the TRI-Band router, and set up my old airport as a 2.4ghz AP, and connect the lights to that if I have issues since none of these 2.4 devices won't ever be able to use beyond 80211n.

Hey guys, just wanted to add a second question here. I've settled on the BE9300, and everything is working fine. However, Best Buy has a BE11000 pro for $250, and it's 4x4 on all three bands while the BE9300 is 2x2. The RT-AX86U that I have as backup is 3x3 on 2.4 and 4x4 on 5ghz, and I've seen absolutely no difference in my setup between the 2. The only difference is being able to keep the full gigabit connection to the devices that can support the 2.5g connection. Also a little fun fact is, like the B?E 550, the BE9300 has all 2.5 ports, even though 3 are labeled as 1G only. (the function at 2.5g). So with this said, is there any reason to really get a 4x4 WiFi 7 router yet? my iPhone 15 Pro Max is 6E, and all my other devices are either wired, or on 2.4G and are 80211n, and i think the google nest audio on 5Ghz is 80211ac, and the Roku Ultra, that is on wireless is WiFi 6., but I usually keep it wired as well. Right now I just see getting another 4x4 router a waste of money in my setup since I have one already and it doesn't seem to make a difference over the 2x2. Just wanted to get some feedback after sharing the details. Thanks.

I've owned the RT-AX86U (Gundam Edition) since 2022, and it's been a solid router. I have about 25 to 27 devices on my network, my iPhone 15 Pro Max is my only high data WiFi device that uses wireless. Everything else is wired, or, the other wireless devices are 2.4Ghz smart devices such as bulbs, and smart speakers, and a wireless printer. I recently upgraded to the TP-Link Archer BE9300 also known as the Archer BE550, because I found out that i can get a little extra bandwidth from a 2.5G connection on my gigabit connection. I had been using 1Gig internet for several years, and finally learning within the last year or so that provides over provision to at least 1.2Gbps for Gigabit plans vs the 940 Mbps cap on 1Gig rated ports. The RT-AX86U is still a solid router though, but only has the one 2.5 port that's either a LAN, or WAN port, and it only gives supported wireless devices the extra bandwidth versus both wired and wireless. The TP-Link has been a solid router on the latest firmware, and I haven't noticed any difference between the 86U's 4x4 5Ghz and 3x3 2.4Ghz over 2x2 radios in the TpLink. Before that, I was using an Airport extreme 6th Gen, and other than 5GHz and 6Ghz being able to deliver full Gigabit speeds over the older AC wave 1 Airport, overall performance of the network is about the same. So, I've had experience with several generations of WiFi on the basic same setup for years, and the only difference I've noticed is improvements for the newer devices. Legacy devices are about the same. However, I'm one who always wires when possible to avoid wireless when possible just because wired is always better in most cases, if not all.