TP-Link TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 Dual-Band Router Review

Dual-band routers may be more costly than single-band ones, but they also offer better performance. Also, you can find many affordable options when it comes to dual-band routers. And, a lot of them can offer you a viable choice for upgrading your home or office Wi-Fi. Here, we will look at the exclusive features of the TL-WDR3500 N600 router from TP-Link, offered to you.

TP-Link TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 Dual-band Router Review: Important Features

The TP-Link TL-WDR3500 N600 router comes with quite a wide range of features. And these are some of the major and noteworthy ones among them:

Design 

This router comes with a sleek design like most other models from TP-Link. It features two antennas at its rear to provide a decent network range. However, you might want to go for models with more antennas if you want a very high range network. As in most router models, the four LAN ports and the Internet port are also located at the rear. And, so are the WPS/ Reset and Wireless On/Off buttons.

You also get a USB 2.0 port on the TP-Link TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 router. So, you can easily share files, from a USB drive, with all the devices connected to the network.

This feature is missing in many other router models from TP-Link. And, this gives the TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 router an advantage over them in this regard.

The lights indicating the ports and functionalities are located at the front of the device. This router model weighs less than some other models from TP-Link.

Installation and Setup

You would always want a router that has a hassle-free installation and setup procedure. And, the TP-Link TL-WDR3500 N600 router can provide you with that. You can easily set it up through its web-based interface. Moreover, like all other TP-Link models, this router also comes with app support. So, apart from the web interface, you can also use the Tether app to set up a Wi-Fi network.

But that does not affect the ease of setup much as the TP-Link interface is quite easy to navigate. Apart from that, this router also has the option of a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS).

So, you cannot start using it right away by pressing the WPS button at the back of the device. This router also comes with an installation CD which is included with the product. You can use that for the setup as well if required.

Bandwidth and Speed

The bandwidth is undoubtedly among the most important features of any router. And in the case of this router, it is also among the most noteworthy ones. The TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 dual-band router allows you to use both bandwidths simultaneously.

So, you can connect one device to the 2.4 GHz band and the other to the 5 GHz band. Moreover, each of these bands offers a speed of 300 Mbps. And, that makes the total speed 600 Mbps on this router model.

Are you looking for a faster home Wi-Fi network? Then, the TP-Link TL-WDR3500 N600 can surely fulfil your requirements. Apart from that, it would also be optimal for small offices. This router is suitable for daily internet requirements and HD streaming and gaming.

You also get an IP-based bandwidth control on this model. And, that means you can assign the amount of bandwidth allotted to every connected device through the web interface.

Interface

As mentioned before, the TL-WDR3500 N600 router has quite a simple interface. Moreover, you do not need the default gateway for accessing the login page. And, that makes the interface of this router easier to access as compared to routers from other brands. You must connect your device to the router and go to tplinkmodem.net for logging in.

Once you access the interface, you can make various changes to your network. And, that includes security modes, DHCP settings, network settings, wireless settings, among other things. You can also access many system tools that might be helpful to fix various issues.

Detachable and Adjustable Antennas

Unlike some other TP-Link routers, this model has detachable antennas. You can adjust them as per your requirements as well as remove them. Also, you need not worry about them getting damaged as you can replace any broken antennas easily. Not only that, but you can also upgrade the performance by using better quality antennas.

Live Parental Controls

The TP-Link TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 router comes with Live Parental Controls. This is an older parental control technology but remains quite an effective one. You can use it to filter content on selected devices and set timers for them.

Moreover, you can apply it to various devices, including gaming consoles. This is an essential feature that you can get in other recent TP-Link routers as well.

Guest Wi-Fi Network

Do you want to avoid guest devices on your home Wi-Fi network? Then, you can set up a separate guest network through the interface of this router. You can also use the Tether app to monitor the guest network.

Pros and Cons

We have come across various pros and cons during our TP-Link TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 dual-band router review. So, you must take them into account before deciding on these products. Here are the pros of the TL-WDR3500 router:

• Good connection speed on both bands
• Easy setup
• Robust build quality
• Includes USB port

This router also has some cons, and the following are the main ones:

• Security issues
• Cannot be placed vertically
• 10/100 Mbps LAN ports

Verdict

Do you want a suitable router for entry-level requirements? If yes, the TP-Link TL-WDR3500 wireless N600 should be suitable. It has the right specifications and is also quite easy to control. Apart from that, it can also offer you a more affordable alternative than other options you have considered.