TP-Link AC3150 Wireless Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (Archer C3150 V1)

After moving to a new place, I had a very happy life with smooth, fast Internet from Comcast. That had lasted about 6 months. Fast forward to today, the Internet has been dropping intermittently, and I spent several nights trying to figure out if something had broken. After several unsuccessful calls to Comcast, with many of those calls ending with a nonchalant response, “Please reset your modem and try again in 15 minutes”. I obediently performed a “power-cycle”, which is a technical jargon for switching an equipment, usually a modem, off and then on again. On my first attempt, I observed that the Internet had spiked to 100+Mbps on speedtest.net, which is more than what I had subscribed for. I was elated. But that didn’t last long. 10 mins later, the Internet crawls back to a mere sub-1Mbps. Exasperated, I would go back and try the “power-cycle” method again. And fail, yet again.Finally, I had decided to take things into my own hands and attempt to solve the problem through trial and error.I went through Amazon.com, and researched the top 3 most popular routes and modems. Routers:TP-Link C3150 ArcherTP-Link Archer C7 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (AC1750)Netgear Nighthawk AC1900EeroGoogle Wifi MeshModems:Arris Surfboard SB6141Arris Surfboard SB6190---The routers were picked by number of ratings on Amazon, cost/features and brand. Brand reputation was critical to me because in the realm of technologies, in spite of what one might think otherwise, electronics are not commodities — some companies consistently produce better and more reliable products. I tend to believe that these reliable companies are able to churn out superior products and I want to stay with dependable brands.Another added advantage here is if the product does break, and believe me, electronics will and do break over time, we can always send the customer rep an email to get things resolved.The TP-Link Archer C7 is the best bang for buck in the list. It is significantly cheaper than the others in my list (about $90 as of this time of writing), and it has a ton of features that the average user might need. TheWirecutter.com even calls it best wifi router for most people (http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/). I liked the user interface, the simplicity of the product and also, it just plain works. However, it only has 3 external antennas and it just didn’t work for me (I live in a 3-story townhouse). The 5Ghz network provided upwards of 100+ Mbps within 30ft radius, yet anything more than that and I was lucky to get anything more than 40 Mbps. The 2.4Ghz network was more reliable and I was able to get coverage all over the place, however, it wasn’t providing speeds as fast as the 5Ghz network. 2.4Ghz competes with other networks in your neighborhood (I had about 10+ other networks in my area at any one time), and it’s simply not cut out for fast Internet speeds. 5Ghz network = Fast, but short distances2.4Ghz network = Slow, but long distancesThat’s a trade-off we often have to make in today’s world of networks. Right? Well, not really.I decided to take things further and see what other new technologies can we try today. I then went on Amazon to do more research, and went to a local BestBuy to see if there’s anyone there that could help. And boy, one of the assistants at BestBuy sure knew his stuff. He was extremely knowledgeable, didn’t spew any B.S that the Comcast Customer service rep was telling me, gave me his honest and unbiased opinion (at one point, he told me not to get one of the expensive routers at BestBuy (*ahem* Eero) and just opt for a simpler AC1900 router. Step into mesh networks. That’s the new technology that has everyone talking about in the networking world, it seems. Let’s step back a little for some networking lesson, shall we? With a common everyday router, it sends out signal in waves. Inevitably, due to modern day infrastructure, there are beams and walls that block these waves and cause what we call “dead-spots” — areas where the internet waves simply can’t reach. In these cases, we as end users usually experience either a massive slowdown in Internet speed or sometimes not receiving any Internet at all. Traditionally, there are several options to solve this problem. One of them is using a range extender, which basically works as a bridge to relay network. The pro here is that you’re now able to extend your network to all corners of your house. The downside here, however, is you’ll be receiving at most 1/2 of your original bandwidth. For example, if you have 100Mbps right next to the source (your router), then you can, at best, expect 50Mbps download bandwidth by using the range extender. And, quite a minor quip here, is that you need to transfer between two networks while within the same area. (Your router and the range extender use different SSIDs, and you can usually identify the range extender’s network name (or SSID) by the -EXT suffix.) A mesh network, however, attempts to address the decreased-speed-with-increased-coverage problem. Note that I used the word attempt, because it is just a gallant attempt at best at this point in time. One of the most commonly heard names in the mesh network realm right now is Eero. They specialize in making mesh networking units (usually a set of 2 or 3 units) that link together to form sort of a mesh around your house without sacrificing speed. The promise is very, very sweet. However, in reality, the implementation leaves much to be desired. Leaving aside the astronomical price tag (one of the downsides of being a pioneer in electronics world, read Tesla), the Eero doesn’t work all the time. While some have heaped praises for its noteworthy performance, there’s another half that have complained about flaky performance and subpar Internet speed. On the upside, customer service appears to be top-notch. A number of critical reviews on Amazon have been met with excellent response from Eero’s customer service team. While I’m not a believer in the technology at the moment, I’m keeping my eyes peeled and I’ll definitely jump on this once the prices make more economical sense to me.Of all the routers I looked at, I’ve decided to find the sweetspot between the Archer C7 (AC1750, $90) and Eero ($500 for a set of 3 units) — the Archer C3150 ($150 on sale). For not a lot of extra $s, I think I’ve got a ton of more performance. In terms of bang for buck, I think this fits the bill.One of the best features is the Smart Connect, which essentially addresses the concern about picking between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Smart Connect relies on the router to intelligently determine what device is connected and allocate bandwidth according to the device’s capacity. It’s actually really well done, and I haven’t noticed any slowdowns so far (I’m 5 days in and still haven’t had any issues). The only gripe I have is that the Smart Connect feature didn’t work for me right out of the box. I went to the TP-Link website and downloaded the latest firmware from this link. I did notice, however, that there are two different hardware versions. My device was V1, but from the research I did, there doesn’t appear to be any noticeable differences between the two versions. I downloaded the latest V1 firmware, uploaded it to the router (use this URL to connect to your router: 192.168.0.1), and installed it in a matter of minutes. A short reboot later, the router is up and running like a charm!My experience thus far:Turning on Smart Connect merged my two networks (5Ghz and 2.4Ghz) together. Now, all my devices that were connected to both networks remain connected, and the ones that are capable of 5Ghz are now getting maximum bandwidth. In my 3-story 1400sqft townhouse, my router is placed on the middle floor, and I’m able to get 3–4/5 bars in the basement and top floor. On my Macbook Pro, I’m able to get 100+Mbps throughout the house; my iPhone 7 is able to get 80–90Mbps on the bottom and top floor, 100+Mbps right next to the router; my Android TV box stuck to the back of a TV is able to get 30+ Mbps right next to the router, which is more than sufficient to stream movie content smoothly; two iPad minis are able to stream movies smoothly as well all throughout the house.The C3150 gets two big thumbs up from me. Best Bang For Buck: TPLink C3150 ArcherIf you have anything less than 3000 sq ft, I’d say this router is very difficult to beat for the price. The stellar performance, no-hassle setup, combined with Smart Connect offers a very, very compelling case. Best Budget Router: Archer C7 V2 (V1 has some issues, so make sure you get the V2/3)

TP-Link AC3150 (Archer C-3150) router, just nailed it. Zero signal drop on 5ghz in 2900sqft indoor (full bar top speed same as wired). Back yard and front yard 4bars no flaw on speed. Man, TP-LINK know$$$ how to do it!!! I strongly recommend this router anyone who has wifi connection/signal issues. I guarantee this device in a multi floor and up to 5000sqft will give you the top boost on your connections. I removed extenders and disabled cable modem/routers wifi as well. It is not even placed on a high spot, placed in low spot in a wooden tv stand. Outstanding job from TPLINK.-Very easy setup with a great wizard assistance.-Good looking and simplified UI.-Doesn't require to whole device restart for every changes made in settings.-Simple and very easy to understand settings.-User manual and tech support is great (even i didn't need to use it, just gave a call to see how responsive they are).-Extremely fast in an environment where 2x 4K tv's(roku ultra), 2 tablets, amazon echo, 2 top of the line asus ROG gaming laptop, home security, robotic wifi vacuum, multiple mobile phones in and out time to time, and some other small big devices. I simply ran a 4 times a 12 hour stress test on this router at 150mbps internet connection and over 10 devices constantly playing or streaming. There is almost no latency (well my broadband is pretty decent also), no connection drops, no flicks flickers or flocks, I mean this router is solid rock that I am proud of every penny that I have paid to it.-The range with 5ghz is amazing, I have always had issues with wifi routers due to well insulated walls and when the place gets crowded but this router killed it with its strong signal capabilities.-The range with 2.4ghz is not the best strongest but it is definitely stronger than what you have in your home that you bought 2 years or longer time ago.- I just wanna scream speed speed speed speed on this device, wired and all wireless connections are on the flight thats all i can say.-Handles heavy load very good, doesn't get too hot.-12V 5A brick adapter was also great addition to it due to i use all the ports and connecting multiple devices wireless, it handles all the power needs pretty well and it doesn't get overheated as well.-Mu-mimo (not everyone can use it, I am pro and not even using it at all coz not every device yet supports it, but definitely good to have it)If your concern is speed, range and stability on your network, buy this router with confidence, you will not be regretful. I think no other brand is out there does better than this TP-Link Archer AC3150 router.Whole household is happier than ever right now!Do Not Hesitate, Do Not Be Cheap, BUY THIS ROUTER WITH 100% CONFIDENCE.

Worked great the first 4 months great range and speed, moved to a new house and installed with a TP-link modem and got rid of the $10 a month fee from comcast. Worked for about 2 months then the 2.4 channel quit working. On the phone and chat for most of one day with tech support. No help at all. Wanted me to install new firmware. Not an easy task. It wouldn't take the update. During this time the 5.0 channel quit working. I need the 2.4 in order to be able to use a thermostat that only works on 2.4. Still under warrantee, they sent me an RMA and I needed to send a credit card number for some reason. After over a week of waiting for a replacement (even thought I received an email confirming they are processing my request) no new router. I contacted TP-Link and they told me nothing has been sent yet. Seems they lost the order and had to start the process all over again. Still no router. I have a TP-Link TL-WR841N N300 at our cottage and it works great and it's only $21. This one is $199! I know it has a lot more features and dual bands. But it quit after about 6 months of operation. I'm happy it has a 2 year warrantee but the customer service stinks. I only bought this because I liked the N300. I've had issues with Netgear and Linksys in the past. Maybe it's time to look for another brand. I should say what happened, all the lights on the router are on just no signal would show up on my three computers, 3 iPhones and iPad. No explanation from TP-Link what the problem was. They had me do a hard reset and wipe out all my settings. I don't like doing this. All my devices need to be changed. Apple TV, phones etc. Then when this didn't work they suggested the firmware update. Nothing worked.

It has been many months since I installed it and the router has performed flawlessly for me, 24/7. I seem to keep adding things that need the router, and everything has continued to work great. We have two laptops, cell phone, printer, and now Alexa with a smart plug, as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Nada a reparar

Pesquisei muito a compra de um novo roteador para substituir um velho Tp-Link que tinha aqui. A princípio fui seduzido pela função tripla-banda que o aparelho possui e achei que todos os meus problemas de conexão seriam superados... Devo confessar, as primeiras tentativas de configuração foram frustrantes, simplesmente nada funcionava bem... Uma das três redes não aparecia para todos os dispositivos e, se apareciam todas, ao conectar havia uma desconexão após alguns minutos conectado. Entendo que possa ser alguma má-configuração de minha parte, mas também reforçado pela falta de instruções mais claras, coesas e atuais (algumas telas de manual, por exemplo, tem ilustrações de sistemas que não mais batem com a realidade)... Mas após ler sobre o recurso SMART CONNECT e configurá-lo tudo se transformou e a mágica do aparelho aconteceu... Sério... Sem falsas modéstias... Configure essa opção, você terá uma única rede visível, que conecta com apenas uma senha, mas em que o roteador administra as conexões alocando cada dispositivo conectado a melhor banda disponível para melhor experiência de uso. Parece complexo, mas não é... Parece inacreditável, mas ver isso funcionando é realmente de outro mundo... A velocidade de conexão é incrível, há estabilidade de conexão é ímpar, e as facilidades propiciadas pelo Smart Connect são indescritíveis... Se tiver possibilidade compre! Você não vai se arrepender!!

This is my first TP-Link wireless router. I've used Cisco, Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear in the past, this router is comparable to all of those models. And in many ways it surpasses them with some of the features. Built in Anti-Virus and Parental controls are the ones that have impressed me most thus far. I can set device time limits for my kids devices right at the router level. I can also disable their devices right from the app on my phone (they don't like the features of the router as much as I do).The router itself is really classy looking and feels well built. The antennas feel a little flimsy, but they are a 'set and forget' item with my router placement so that isn't a concern. The wireless range is amazing. I have have wifi signal way back in the back corners of my yard which my old routers definitely didn't cover. I also love that you can set one SSID for the 2.4 and 5Ghz networks and the device picks the best automatically. No more having to add multiple connections to every device. It also connected to my RADIUS server for authentication so my family can use their own passwords to add new devices - no more "can you add my friend's device to wifi".

Ahora que estoy por entrar en el mundo de la domótica, más que nunca necesite mayor velocidad y mucha mejor cobertura de wifi en mi casa. Lo compré a un súper precio, ya que en ML está como 2-3mil pesos más; y aunque si lo vale, pues te ahorras unos pesitos.