We think most people will be better served by the TP-Link Archer AX6000 router, a more powerful Wi-Fi 6 router that should be able to handle connections with a high number of wired devices in particular. It doesn’t come cheap, but the range of function and performance make it a worthy investment.
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Pros and Cons
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Design
The TP-Link Archer AX6000 router offers support for Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), a brand-new design and excellent speed. This router features a square design and comes with 8 external non-detachable antennas. On the top, there are venting holes to keep the top-end quad-core CPU cool. The antennas are collapsible for portability. There is a row of LEDs under the gold-coloured metal panel that glow when the router is powered up. Do be used to looking, the router’s status not be as easy to find as independent status lights can be. Archer AX6000 is fitted with several large heatsinks thanks to passive cooling, and capable of heat dissipation at a higher rate for the quad-core CPU in the router, keeping it running at top performance.
There are side-mounted USB-A 3.0 and USB-C 3.0 ports on the router, which can be used to connect one or two external drives. If you need network storage, it can do that for you on a small level. With it, I can move videos, share files between my PC and others with ease. Facing the other side of the router are three narrow buttons: one for WPS, one for turning Wi-Fi on and off, and one for turning its top LED indicator on and off.
TP-Link has not cut corners with the Archer AX6000, that’s for sure. The gateway’s back side comes with a 2.5 Gbps WAN port and eight gigabit LAN ports, meaning it’s great if you want to connect lots of wired devices to it. It also doesn’t offer multiple gigabit LAN ports, but for link aggregation the second and third LAN ports can be combined. In theory, this gives you up to 2 Gbps of wired speed if you need it.
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Feature
- High Speed WiFi 6 Router: Archer AX6000 Dual Band Wi Fi speed boosted by 1024QAM deliver wireless speed up to 5952 Mbps: 4804 Mbps (5GHz) and 1148 Mbps (2.4GHz)
- INTELLIGENT ETHERNET PORTS: 1 Gigabit Internet LAN ports; Ideal for any internet plan and allow you to directly connect your wired devices.AddRange:4500 sq; ft.; MU MIMO: Simultaneous streaming to multiple devices ways, and portable enough to take anywhere; Millimeter Wave Exploration: A 22 paper anthology from the C on the fun, and challenges, of exploring the wireless world.
- WiFi Long Range: 8 high-gain external antennas that deliver wireless coverage up to 2000 sq ft. BSS colour technology provides smooth and stable connections by eliminating signal interference – likely from your neighbours, and MIMO and Beamforming technology helps your Wi-Fi handle high bandwidth as in multiple devices.
- High Speed Performance: 1.8 GHz Quad Core Processor and 2 co-processors for a smooth and responsive performance without delay
- Ultra-connectivity 1 × 2 5Gbps WAN port, 8 × Gigabit LAN ports, and 2 × USB 3 0 in Type A and Type C
- Advanced security: Protect your network and connected devices with a free lifetime subscription to TP-Link HomeCare featuring next-level antivirus, robust parental controls, and QoS
- TP-Link OneMesh compatible: create a mesh network by connecting the deco M5 to an one mesh router for Whole Home coverage. Just plug in a OneMesh range extender to a OneMesh router.
- Compatible with all major Cable internet providers: Including certification by Xfinity by Comcast, COX, and Spectrum.
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Specifications
Brand | TP-Link |
Model Name | Archer AX6000 |
Processor | 1.8 GHz 64 Bit Quad-Core CPU |
Standards and Protocols | Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz |
WiFi Speeds | AX6000 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps (802.11ax, HE160) 2.4 GHz: 1148 Mbps (802.11ax) |
Dimensions (W×D×H) | 10.3 × 10.3 × 2.4 in. (261.2 × 261.2 × 60.2 mm) |
Special Feature | Beamforming, QoS, Alexa Compatible, Access Point Mode, Internet Security, Parental Control |
Frequency Band Class | Dual-Band |
Wireless Communication Standard | 802.11n, 802.11ax, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11ac |
Compatible Devices | Laptop, Gaming Console, Security Camera, Personal Computer, Printer, Smartphone |
Frequency | 5 GHz |
Recommended Uses For Product | Gaming, Home |
Included Components | Wi-Fi Router Archer AX6000 Power Adapter RJ45 Ethernet Cable Quick Installation Guide |
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Performance
As a blogger who has reviewed tons of routers, I used a Dell XPS 13 laptop with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s (802.11ax) network adapters to test the Archer AX6000. The AX6000 scored 124Mbps points in our 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test, just short of the Netgear RAX120’s performance but 20Mbps slower than the Asus RT-AX88U. At 30 feet in our testing, the AX6000 scored 55 Mbps, just slightly less than what the Netgear RAX120 and Asus RT-AX88U earned.
Its 5GHz performance is good. In our close-range testing, the TP-Link Archer AX6000 managed a score of 775 Mbps, closely following the ASUS RT-AX88U which got only a few Mbps slower and ahead of the pack that was the Netgear RAX120 with an 839-Mbps lead. In the 30-foot test, the AX6000 delivered a speed of 315 Mbps, again taking a backseat to the ASUS RT-AX88U but falling short of the Netgear RAX120 by more than 100 Mbps.
On file transfer, we moved a 1.5GB folder of photos, videos, music, and office files back and forth between a USB 3.0 drive attached the router and a desktop computer to test write and read speed. The TP-Link Archer AX6000 router achieved a write speed of up to 76MBps, surpassing that of the ASUS RT-AX88U and the Netgear RAX120. It had a read speed of 73MBps, a tad faster than the Netgear RAX120 and its write speed was a little slower than the ASUS RT-AX88U.
TP-Link Archer AX6000 Router Hardware
The TP-Link Archer AX6000 router is a powerhouse of a router, with built-in antivirus and cutting-edge features like ad blocking. Its CPU and RAM are identical in capacity to the flagship Archer AX11000 gaming router. And here is the full TP-Link website link containing the specs.
Wireless 2.4Ghz | Wireless AX up to 1148Mbps (40Mhz 4X4) |
Wireless 5Ghz | Wireless AX up to 4804Mbps (160Mhz 4X4) |
WiFi Features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Beamforming, WPA3 |
CPU | Broadcom BCM4908 1.8Ghz Quad-Core CPU |
RAM | 1GB |
Ports | 1x 2.5G WAN port + 8x Gigabit LAN port |