TP-Link Archer A7 – Still the best cheap Wi-Fi router

The TP-Link Archer A7 is the simple choice if you’re wanting to spend less than $50 on a new router. The TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750, like its bigger sibling, the TP-Link Archer C2300, won’t win any design awards thanks to its plain black housing and three antenna array. Still, the finished product is an excellent performer at a fantastic price.

You can set a variety of variables to customize your network for particular activities using the user-friendly customization tools available on the website and application. You may, for instance, enable certain fundamental security elements in addition to parental restrictions.

The TP-Link Archer A7’s drawbacks include its overall range, which is probably adequate for a home of about 2,500 square feet, and the number of users who are heavily straining the network with demanding activities like 4K streaming or gaming. The most expensive choices do not necessarily have to be the best Wi-Fi routers.
The Archer A7 uses the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously, resulting in excellent wireless performance. While bandwidth-intensive tasks like online gaming or HD video streaming can be done by the 5GHz band simultaneously, simple tasks like writing emails or browsing the internet can be handled by the 2.4GHz band.

Speaking of protection, this TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 router offers WPA/WPA-PSK, WPA2/WPA2-PSK encryption, 64-bit WEP, and 128-bit WEP. For a secure setup that is automatically configured, it also contains a WPS button. Along with four Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 LAN ports and a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 WAN port, there are three fixed external antennas. To share files or to print wirelessly, attach a printer or an external hard drive to the router’s USB 2.0 Type-A port, accordingly.
The TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 router connects directly to your cable modem or, if you have fiber internet, to your optical network terminal (ONT). Like other routers, it will wirelessly connect your smartphones, computers, and streaming devices to the internet, but we especially prefer this one. In internet years, this router has been a budget choice since 2018, which is a very long time.

An internal Qualcomm Atheros QCA9563 Wi-Fi chip with a 750 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM runs the Archer A7 dual-band router. The firmware and configurations for the device are stored in 16MB of flash memory. Maximum throughput for the dual-band router’s 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands combined is 450 Mbps and 1.3 Gbps, for a total bandwidth of 1.75 Gbps.
The Archer A7 router offers buttons for the WPS system, on/off switching, and a hidden reset key. Compared to todays modern monster routers with six or eight antennas, the Archer A7’s three moveable antennas give the impression that it is from a simpler Wi-Fi age. The antennae of the Archer A7 cannot be removed or changed, which is a disadvantage.
In a close-proximity test, the Archer A7 AC1750 performed remarkably well for a low-cost router on the 5GHz band, achieving 511Mbps as opposed to the Netgear R6220’s 332Mbps and the D-Link DIR-842’s 108Mbps. The read and write file-transfer speeds on the single USB 2.0 connection are average, which is what you’d expect from the majority of low-cost routers.
The Archer A7 outperforms other cheap routers, which peak out at 75.1Mbps, thanks to its improved Alexa integration and outstanding 2.4GHz throughput of 92.6Mbps.  photo: TP-Link

Although the TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 isn’t the fastest, biggest, or most efficient router on the market, its reasonable pricing puts it on level with the famous Netgear R6220 router, making it one of the finest deals in the router market. The Archer A7 should be sufficient for a small to medium-sized home and comes with parental controls, Quality of Service (QoS) software, and the capacity to fight online threats, despite its unimpressive range. The two-year warranty for the Archer A7 is the highlight of the package.
The TP-Link Archer C2300 may be the best option for individuals wishing to equip a larger home with high-speed Wi-Fi because it offers superior performance at a premium price. But for individuals residing in a studio or compact house, the TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 is a great choice.

TP-Link Archer A7 AC1750 router specs: