TP-LINK 1750: The best router you can buy today
In our previous post, we wrote of the importance of upgrading to 5Ghz WiFi, with the benefits being higher speeds, lower latency and access to a larger spectrum of available channels, which in turn extends range. Today we look at a router that probably gives out the most value for money when upgrading from 2.4 to 5Ghz.
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| The Tp-Link 1750 Archer C7. The best router you can buy. |
Buy the TP-Link 1750 from Amazon now:
In terms of design, the router has a polished glossy plastic look that stands out over the legacy routers that most budget users have. It also features 3 antennae, common for most 5Ghz routers and something not found in the older ones. This gives it the multi-band full-duplex features that allow the router to send to and receive from devices simultaneously rather than the single duplex send-wait-receive-wait-send approach which alternates between sending and receiving data.
The router has a WAN or internet port which you use to connect to your modem or existing router, four LAN ports and a USB port. To set it up, you have to connect the WAN port to your modem and connect any wired devices like desktop computers and TVs to the LAN por; plug the power-brick and turn on the device. Once the device starts, it will automatically create two WiFi networks which you can join using the password on the label of the router. Once you’ve joined, you could use the TP-Link Tether app on an android or iPhone device to connect to and set up a WiFi password. Alternatively, you could go to Tplinkwifi.net and follow the simple instructions onscreen to set up the router on a computer.
If you want to use the router as a range extender and retain your existing router (which is not recommended if your existing router is old), you could directly connect the WAN/internet port on the new router to a LAN port on the existing router and it would work instantly. You can also set up a guest WiFi network to limit guest users to a lower bandwidth.
The tether app is quite useful, you can use it to block devices, setup parental controls and QoS as well as control the LEDs on the router. For advanced users, the router offers quite a few features. With QoS you could set up speed limits for certain types of applications and devices; and speed up others. You could also use the Tfttt service to remotely control certain functions of the router and get notifications, e.g. disconnect a device when you send a tweet. Ifttt can also work with other smart devices like Phillips hue to perform functions based on remote instructions.
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| The Archer C7 packaging |
Its maximum speed is 1.75 Gbps with 1.3 Gbps coming from the 5Ghz stream and 450 Mbps via the 2.4 Ghz stream. It runs quite efficiently using up about 20 watts of electricity. It has full gigabit ports so any wired devices like Computers and TVs get up-to 1Gbps between router and device, however this depends on device’s capabilities too.
The router rates very well in terms of durability too, with many gamers using it for streaming over several hours on a stretch while still resulting in no degradation in quality. For such a quality product packed with features for so low a price, Kategat absolutely recommends this router.
See also
Image of TP-Link 1750 by Firecracker PR on Flickr, used under the CC BY 2.0 license.
