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Review: TP-Link Archer C9

by Ryan Martin on 23 February 2015, 16:00

Tags: TP-LINK

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Conclusion

Relative to the competition the TP-Link Archer C9 is an impressive piece of networking hardware for its street price of £125. The router delivers high-wireless throughput that gets the most out of the Broadcom AC1900 hardware it deploys, making it an ideal solution for home users with an array of high-performance AC, and non-AC, devices. Better still are the sleek aesthetics and simple setup process which make the router easy to use without much technical knowledge.

While wireless performance is strong the USB implementation leaves something to be desired in terms of performance - speeds failed to exceed USB 2.0 limits even on the USB 3.0 port. On the other hand, the USB functionality is reasonably well-equipped with file-sharing and print server capabilities which are forgiving.

The TP-Link Archer C9 is a stylish and solid performer with a more affordable price point than many other equivalent AC1900 routers on the market. While the router may be lacking in USB speed and advanced tweaking options it still has enough up its sleeve to appeal to the gadget-hungry household. TP-Link, conveniently, offers the same router with a built-in DSL modem for users whose ISP requires a modem to operate.

 

The Good
 
The Bad

Excellent AC performance
Competitively priced
Easy setup process and web-interface
Classy design

 

Mediocre USB throughput
Lacking some tweaking options

 


TP-Link Archer C9

 

HEXUS where2buy

The TP-Link Archer C9 is available from Ebuyer.com.

HEXUS right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



HEXUS Forums :: 13 Comments

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After seeing the numbers in review I thought maybe it was time to upgrade my router, after all, the conclusion has this as ‘Competitively Priced’. At £120 I was a little surprised, I guess I haven't been paying attention to router pricing. I reckon I'll put off the upgrade for a little while ;)
CustardInc
After seeing the numbers in review I thought maybe it was time to upgrade my router, after all, the conclusion has this as ‘Competitively Priced’. At £120 I was a little surprised, I guess I haven't been paying attention to router pricing. I reckon I'll put off the upgrade for a little while ;)

Competitively priced for an AC1900 unit, it's among the lowest priced out there. Of course there are many other much cheaper routers out there using lower spec'd AC standards. AC750 is the entry-level sweet spot at around £50~, next step up is AC1200 for approximately £70.
Pricing of routers is a moot point as in this country currently routers are quite often given away…
3dcandy
Pricing of routers is a moot point as in this country currently routers are quite often given away…

Assuming you want a total crap router then yes, given away. Most of the freebie ones are severely limited.
Still stops the majority of users shelling out for something that is effectively free…