TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router - Review 2022

After a agglomeration of network vendors revealed their multi-antenna router solutions, some of which make the design appear ghastly, it seems like not even the once docile land of networking peripherals would be able to hold dorsum the tide of design innovation. While Information technology sports two fewer antennas, the TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router is no slouch. It's a high-end tri-band wireless router, it promises impressive speed and coverage with less network congestion.

It's armed services-like design isn't confined to the device as even the packaging that keeps it condom within the box is equally equally straightforward.

Design: Funky yet Serious

Out of the box, the TP-LINK AC3200 looks similar any average blackness router one might find idling in a corporate role. Yet, extend its six side-lined antennas outwards and information technology takes on a pretty funky appeal.

All the same, it'southward all business for this router thanks to its small-scale footprint and ventilation grids ample on its chassis frame, where the latter ensures adequate cooling. 2 mounting screw slots on the bottom also arrive pretty convenient to mountain on a wall.

After I got over the strangely appealing design, it's easy to recognise the other aspects of the TP-LINK AC3200.

Parked at the front end are nine indicator LEDs while the back contains a skilful number of ports comprising the Gigabit Ethernet, WAN, USD 3.0, and USB 2.0. Parked right next to that array is the power switch.

Setup: Functionally Uncomplicated

Setup out of the box is pretty straightforward with the Quick Setup Wizard and one time the initial configuration is done, information technology is only a thing of customising some features and extra details in the Ambassador Mode.

Notwithstanding, like well-nigh router software, it can be somewhat hard for starting time timers every bit many of the options are buried under superbly and, at times, oddly crafted technical terms. This won't exist an issue for seasoned networking veterans, but expect to spend a fleck of time buried in the documentation otherwise.

One time all that is done, information technology's only a matter of jumping right into the groove of surfing and streaming.

Performance: Mixed Results

With the setup out of the way, does this thing actually perform similar a high-end router?

Well, the short answer is yeah and no; the 2.4GHz throughput for the TP-LINK AC3200 held steady at 29Mb/south on a TM UniFi connection (Malaysia's incumbent high-speed broadband service) for brusk distances, less than 5m abroad, merely rapidly dropped off in one case I went beyond 15m. By my count, it dropped down to a paltry 12Mb/s.

Things take a plow for the better at the higher bandwidth mode. With the 5GHz choice, it performed similarly to the 2.4GHz connexion, though it offers a stronger performance for the shut proximity test and only faltered once the distance went beyond 15m thank you to the presence of multiple walls in betwixt the router and device. With a direct line of sight, information technology performs marginally meliorate while the lower-rated wireless link tapered off really fast.

More than accurately, the 5GHz ring is able to maintain a solid link as it is given the role to ease network congestion, especially in a room with a large number of devices. Thus, it has to be able to go along connection speeds consistent and seamless.

With both USB two.0 and 3.0 slots, the TP-LINK AC3200 can also serve as a storage hub, with read speeds of upwardly to 60MB/southward, a performance rating that is two-tims faster than the ASUS RT-AC3200. Write speeds are more in line with the competition, at xxx MB/s, though it is nonetheless among the benchmark performers.

Users tin can expect similar relative functioning for the USB 2.0 slot, though adapted for 2.0 speeds in relative to what information technology can deliver.

Conclusion: The Fashion Forward

TP-LINK has come upwards with a pretty impressive tri-band wireless router, offering very solid speeds and network optimisation features, though it falters when it comes to distance coverage. Ordinarily, nosotros'd accept a different opinion from PCMag United states with reviews simply this round, it'due south mostly in understanding.

If the coverage surface area is relatively small with a big number of users, this entry is an option that should definitely be on the shortlist of those on the hunt for a proper network router that is serious in what it has to offer.