TP-Link Archer AXE75 router review: A sensible Wi-Fi 6E router

The problem with introducing a new technology standard is that the affected products have to offer years of backward compatibility or they will be obsolete. Some excellent high-end devices like the latest Pixel 7 phones have embraced the tech, but the fact is that most of our devices still use the older versions of wi-fi. It's essential for new routers to support years of aging tech for smart home tech to work.

The TP-Link Archer AXE75 has plenty of capacity for new and old devices so you can use your full connection speed. TP-Link has a tri-band AXE5400 connection that has a maximum speed of 574Mbps at 2.4 GHz. The majority of the routers's capacity would go unused because they went all-in with wi-fi 6e, instead of wi-fi 6e. TP-Link was able to avoid that issue with its balanced capacity.

The TP-LinkArcher AXE75 is available from online retailers. The suggested price of $199.99 is often cheaper with sales. Make sure you get the right version of theArcher AX75, it swaps the 6 GHz band for a second 5 GHz band and is similar to the one pictured. Home Shield is an optional subscription service that has enhanced security and parental controls.

It's easy to recycle this router, which was packed in cardboard with a lot of plastic. For the first time, you will be reading this review after TP-Link gave it to you.

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...

The TP-Link Archer AXE75 is the best deal of the day.

I reviewed the TP-Link Archer AXE75 over a year ago and it doesn't look like it's that fast. They are very similar in a vacuum. The Archer AXE75 has some tricks that help it stand out and for many people it will be able to deliver greater wireless speeds.

One thing that may not seem like a big deal is that this is a tri-band routers. It is possible to broadcast on both the common and compatible lower 5 GHz band as well as the 6 GHz band, where there is less congestion. If you live in a dense residential area such as an apartment building, you might have noticed that your phone can see all of your neighbors' wi-fi signals. All of these signals must share the same 5 GHz bands and while wi-fi 6 has gotten better at dodging other signals, it is still better to work with some open air.

There are many more bands at 6 GHz than there are at 5 GHz. Most new flagship-tier phones as well as some laptops and tablets have started to pack in the tech, even though only a few of them currently support wi-fi 6e. The burden on 5 GHz can be alleviated by people moving their devices to 6 GHz.

A monster quad-band AXE16000 router like the ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 gives you as much speed as possible, but in reality, very few people need that kind of speed. Most people, including me, have enough power for all of their devices, including gaming.

The AXE75 sticks to the same general design as the other TP-Link routers with a repeating pattern on top allowing for plenty of heat dissipation and a glossy plastic rectangle to give it some flair.

There are four gigabit ethernet ports around the back and a few buttons to make it easier to use. It is possible to turn off the lights when you are trying to sleep. There are six antennas and a port on the side. The time machine mode on theusb port can be used to back up mac computers.

Speed is the most important thing for most people. I tested the TP-LinkArcher AXE75 on my internet connection. I tested this connection and it delivered speeds up to 900Mbps down and 700Mbps up. The band that most devices will use is 5 GHz.

The results were generally good for this house. The ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is much more powerful at 5 GHz. The Archer AXE75 did not fall behind at all in 6 GHz results and in some places it came out ahead.

I was happy with the speed test results, they were in line with what I expected from this tier of hardware, maybe even better. You should be happy with the results of your purchase of this routers.

TP-Link's 6GHZ wi-fi is easy to connect to because it is separate from the smart connect system. That means that if you use the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections, you'll get the default name, while if you use the 6 GHz connections, you'll get the exclusive name. If the 6 GHz connection isn't strong enough, you'll need to use your device to switch over to the other signal. If you have a large house, you may see your phone switch more than you like.

The standard TP-Link software is behind the hardware that I like. My preferred way to get a TP-Link up and running is to use the tether app on both phones and a laptop. You can set up Home Shield security and parental controls. Home Shield is a subscription service that costs $5.99 per month or $54.99 per year and has some nice web filters. TP-Link doesn't badger you with pop-ups about Home Shield and you don't need it at all.

There is a scanning tool that you can use to see if you are using the best band. If network performance isn't up to expectations, it's nice to have some basic tools to help.

During the setup process, you will be able to set an auto-update time so you won't have to do an update. If you want to set up network storage in the app, you have to use the web browser.

While it is not offensive, there are a lot of other routers that are doing better design work than TP- Link. The design is solid and most people won't look at it more than a few times. I am not happy to see glossy plastic on any electronic device as I know how much dust it will cause. TP-Link could have done more to make this a special place.

The AXE75 doesn't have any multi-Gig Ethernet options. Your top wired speeds will only ever be 1 gigahertz because there is no link aggregation. A more robust wired setup is what you will want if you are looking at multi-Gig internet service. The price is still something to consider, even though a multi-Gig Ethernet switch would have disrupted one of the greatest strengths of the routers.

OneMesh needs to be reexamined. TP-Link has a number of compatible wi-fi extenders. One Mesh can't create a mesh between two TP-Link routers. If you wanted to create a mesh with the two AXE75 routers, you would have to use a different method. It doesn't seem like that much of a leap since TP-Link has made all Decos compatible.

In my time testing the Archer AXE75, I did not experience any issues with the internet.

If you like what the AXE75 does in terms of wireless capacity, but think you will benefit from mesh expansion, you should check out the Deco XE75. The Deco XE75 has the same wireless speeds and reliability as the archer and can be expanded with any Deco nodes. One thing to keep in mind is that the Deco software is simpler, so you won't lose access to some of the advanced settings, but you'll keep the most important thing, the wi-fi 6e speeds.

If you have a small space and don't need a mesh solution, the eero Pro 6E is a great option. When deployed as a mesh, eero used smart connect to unify all bands under a single wi-fi name and often didn't choose wi-fi 6e for your devices. The eero Pro 6E picked wi-fi 6e more often after just a single routers deployment. Signing up for eero Plus will include some cool features like eero internet backup. The eero Pro 6E has a lot of capacity and multi-gigabit networking.

The ASUS RT-AXE7800 is a good choice if you don't want a gaming powerhouse but still want a 6e wi-fi network. I reviewed the ROG Rapture GT-AX6000 with the second 2.5GbE port replaced with a 6 GHz band and it looked a lot like this one. The top speeds are reserved for 5 GHz devices with 4804Mbps of capacity and a 6 GHz band with 2402 Mbps. It makes sense since most of our devices won't be using the 6 GHz band. If you need the extra capacity, you can upgrade to $329.99 on Amazon. It will be years before most of our devices switch over so it makes sense to keep focused on 5 GHz.

If it's something you should buy it.

• You need Wi-Fi 6E support as cheaply as possible.
• You want to use 6GHz devices without impacting 5GHz speeds.
• You have a fast internet connection of up to 1Gbps.

If that's the case, you should skip it.

• Your internet is faster than 1Gbps.
• You need robust mesh expansion options.

When it comes to performance, the TP-Link Archer AXE75 is just as good as the more expensive ones. It has plenty of speed at both 5 GHz and 6 GHz so you don't have to give up any capacity to make the most of it. The layout makes it one of the best in the business. TP-Link's software is easy to use and offers advanced customization for those that want it, without complicating the software for those that don't

If you want to see the best possible speeds on a new phone that supports 6 GHz, this is a great choice. OneMesh has a path to mesh expansion if you want it, even though it isn't as robust as some of its competitors. There is plenty of capacity for the majority of 5 GHz and 6 GHz devices in the TP-LinkArcher AXE75. If you're okay with a slower connection for the next couple of years, this is one of the best routers to make the switch to wi-fi 6e.