TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi Router (Archer AX21) Review

Upgrading your network rigs for your home is of utmost necessary at present. Since the WiFi 6 technology is trending, you might be in search of the best router that supports the same networking technology. We have good news for you – go through this TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi router (Archer AX21) review. TP-Link brings you the Archer AX21 for your networking supremacy.

So, what’s different with this new smart Wi-Fi router? The TP-Link Archer AX21 is loaded with exciting networking features along with fast internet speeds, parental control, and much more.

The TP-Link Archer AX21 is a compact router so you need not worry about its placement. Let’s see whether this TP-Link Archer AX21 is going to be the perfect addition to your networking regime or not.

Design Aesthetics: TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi Router (Archer AX21) Review

First, you might be interested in the looks of this TP-Link Archer AX21 router. The router seems to be very compact, and it’s only 6-inch high, including the height of its antennas. You can easily position this smart WiFi router anywhere you like.

The router is perfect for small to mid-sized houses according to the specifications. So, you shouldn’t expect that this router can serve a big area.

However, the router comes with a USB port and four gigabit LAN ports for connectivity efficiency. Additionally, you might shift the router from its main routing principle, and rather than, you can use it as a component or hub of a mesh network.

Archer AX21 is an AX1800 category router which means that it supports WiFi 6 technology along with a cumulative band speed of 1800.

The overall design looks classy along with those four antennas. The shiny plastic casing has done justice to the design of the router. If you’re curious about physical buttons on the router, then there is a Power On/Off button. The fool-proof ports with the WAN port reside at the rear side of the TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 router AX1800 smart WiFi router Archer AX21.

Setup of the TP-Link Archer AX21 Smart WiFi Router

TP-Link router setup is not a big deal, and the credit goes to the Tether app. This app has made the setup possible easily, even when trying to connect the router to an Android or iOS device. If you are a networking novice, you can open up the router’s web interface via a PC. After entering the IP address and login credentials, you have to log into the admin panel. And, your TP-Link Archer AX21 is ready to go.

Connecting to the router’s network after connecting it to a modem is also simple. Flip the router to discover the SSID and password to enter the wireless network of the TP-Link WiFi 6 AX1800 smart router.

Once you can connect to the router’s admin panel, you can manage the entire network. The interface or the Tether app lets you view the status of your network, manage connected devices, fix any issue, or introduce a guest network. Another special program called night mode allows you to program the router to shut down blinking lights for the proposed hours.

On the other hand, it’s pretty easy to set up your smart home with TP-Link Archer AX21 and Alexa. Yes, this router comes with Alexa control support, and for instance, you can give your home WiFi a pause with the help of Alexa.

So, if you are looking to create a smart home, then you should go for the TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi Router (Archer AX21) review. After all, this router supports NAT forwarding, IPv6, managing a DHCP server, and much more.

Performance of the TP-Link Archer AX21 Router

From the price aspect, TP-Link Archer AX21 might seem more expensive than all other within-budget AX1800 routers. We think that the performance of this router has justified the price tag. This WiFi 6 router comes with the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access or OFDMA technology.

How does this technology work for the betterment of network performance? The manufacturer has claimed that this OFDMA technology can increase network efficiency by splitting the channel bandwidth into smaller resource bandwidths.

Different resource units are assigned for different clients so that every client can have an improved connection. Therefore, there will be fewer conflicts while dealing with tiny data packs.

However, the speed remains 300Mbps while testing the router at the remotest corners of a home of 1300 square feet. Additionally, we found terrific download speed through this TP-Link Archer AX21 router compared to other same class routers in the same price budget.

Apart from looking at the download, upload speed, and coverage, you need to care for latency or ping. It denotes how long the router takes to dispatch a signal and receive a response from the other end.

Latency should be lower so that you can enjoy a speedy internet service. While testing, we found that the average latency of this router never exceeded 19ms. Therefore, we think that it’s considerable throughout the TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi Router (Archer AX21) review.

Network Standards

The TP-Link Archer AX21 comes with the promise of delivering an AX1800 wireless connection. Does it do so? According to the manufacturer, the 2.4GHz band channel provides a speed of 574Mbps, and the 5GHz channel offers a speed of 1201 Mbps. The maximum speed of 1201 Mbps can be achieved with only four streams on a single device when you consider WiFi 6.

The speed reduces to 867Mbps when you switch to WiFi 5. Additionally, the 2.4GHz channel might not work for most devices. If you have security cameras at your home, then there are chances of utilising the 2.4GHz channel.

Moreover, the USB port is not good for a fast file transfer experience. You can use the port for some basic documents and files transfer.

However, there’s one thing that seemed interesting. You just have to activate the Smart Connect utility to set up WiFi bands for different devices. You need not go for different SSIDs to connect to a different channel. On the other hand, you can make use of OneMesh with this TP-Link Archer AX21 router.

Any Cons?

Everything comes with a price, and so does this router. The TP-Link Archer AX21 router is not efficient for large families or houses. We have also witnessed that the 2.4GHz channel is not up to the mark. Some advanced features are missing from the router. If these backdrops don’t bother you, you can go for this router. Hopefully, this TP-Link WiFi 6 Router AX1800 Smart WiFi router (Archer AX21) review was helpful to decide if you should purchase it or not.