TP-Link Archer C3200 Review

In case you have a high-traffic system with multiple customers vying for bandwidth, you might want to consider upgrading to a tri-band router. Whereas dual-band versions offer one 2.4GHz and something 5GHz Wi-Fi band, tri-band routers offer you 1 2.4GHz and 2 5GHz bands. The excess 5GHz band goes quite a distance in easing cellular network congestion and provides you more handle over how clients link wirelessly. With the TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200 ($259.99), you obtain good 5GHz throughput and a slew of management settings, also it does a good job of transferring files to and from attached USB storage products. However, it can’t match up the overall performance of its triple-band competitors.

Design

The C3200 can be an AC3200 router; its 2.4GHz band has an optimum data-link velocity of 600Mbps and each one of the 5GHz bands may reach speeds as high as 1,300Mbps. It really is powered by way of a 1GHz dual-core processor chip and helps the 802.11 b/g/n/ac networking standards. Along with Beamforming, which transmits Wi-Fi signals right to clients instead of in a wide spectrum, this router functions TP-Link’s Wise Connect technologies, which, when allowed, instantly assigns the very best rate of recurrence band to customers predicated on network traffic.

Measuring 1.5 by 7.9 by 7.9 inches (HWD), the C3200 is of typical size and sits horizontally. It is also installed on a walls utilizing the two mounting brackets on underneath of the chassis. The router will be black, and the very best is protected with a grille that provides it some style. It offers six exterior antennas that fold flush in to the top you should definitely used and nine Brought exercise indicators on leading panel for energy, USB, all three bands, Ethernet and WAN ports, and Cellular Protected Set up (WPS). Furthermore on the panel are usually control keys to initiate WPS, disable the LED lights, and change Wi-Fi on / off. Around back are usually four wired Gigabit Ethernet ports, a WAN (Web) slot, an USB 3.0 port, the USB 2.0 slot, and an electrical switch.

Performance

The C3200 performed similar to a midrange router when compared to a high-end model on our 2.4GHz throughput tests. Its score of 47.8Mbps on the close-proximity check is on par with the Tenda AC1900 Wi-fi Dual Band Router AC15 (53.4Mbps) and the Linksys WRT 1200AC($280.00 at Amazon) (50Mbps), both of which are usually midrange routers. Nevertheless, it couldn’t maintain pace using its fellow tri-band routers; the Linksys EA9200 have scored 90Mbps, the Netgear R8000 scored 90.7Mbps, and the Asus RT-AC3200 scored 86Mbps. Once more, the D-Hyperlink DIR-890L/R took best honors with 92.7Mbps. Email address details are comparable on the 30-foot check; the C3200’s rating of 24.2 Mbps may be the slowest of most of its tri-band competitors.

Specifications

WIRELESS
StandardsWi-Fi 6
IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz
IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz
WiFi SpeedsAX11000
5 GHz: 4804 Mbps (802.11ax)
5 GHz: 4804 Mbps (802.11ax)
2.4 GHz: 1148 Mbps (802.11ax)
WiFi Range4 Bedroom Houses
8× Detachable High-Performance Antennas
Multiple antennas form a signal-boosting array to cover more directions and large areas

Beamforming
Concentrates wireless signal strength towards clients to expand WiFi range

High-Power FEM
Improves transmission power to strengthen signal coverage
WiFi CapacityVery High
Tri-Band
Allocate devices to different bands for optimal performance

4×4 MU-MIMO
Simultaneously communicates with multiple MU-MIMO clients

OFDMA
Simultaneously communicates with multiple Wi-Fi 6 clients

Airtime Fairness
Improves network efficiency by limiting excessive occupation

DFS
Access an extra band to reduce congestion

12 Streams
Connect your devices to more bandwidth
Working ModesRouter Mode
Access Point Mode
HARDWARE FEATURES
Interface4 10/100/1000Mbps LAN Ports,
1 10/100/1000Mbps WAN Port
1 USB 3.0 Port + 1 USB 2.0 Port
ButtonWireless On/Off Button
Power On/off Button
LED On/off Button
WPS Button
Reset Button
External Power Supply12V/5A
Dimensions ( W x D x H )7.9 X 7.9 X 1.5 in. (200 X 200 X 39mm)
Antenna3 dual band Fixed antennas & 3 single band Fixed antennas
HARDWARE
Processor1.8 GHz 64 Bit Quad-Core CPU
Ethernet Ports1× 2.5 Gbps WAN Port
8× Gigabit LAN Ports

Link Aggregation (802.3ad) available with 2× LAN ports
USB Support1× USB-C 3.0 Port
1× USB-A 3.0 Port

Supported Partition Formats:
NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, FAT32

Supported Functions:
Apple Time Machine
FTP Server
Media Server
ButtonsWi-Fi On/Off Button
Power On/Off Button
LED On/Off Button
WPS Button
Reset Button
Power12 V ⎓ 5 A
WIRELESS FEATURES
Wireless StandardsIEEE 802.11ac/n/a 5GHz
IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz
Frequency2.4GHz and 5GHz Band1/Band4
Signal Rate5GHz Band1: Up to 1300Mbps
5GHz Band2: Up to 1300Mbps
2.4GHz: Up to 600Mbps
Reception Sensitivity5GHz:
11a 6Mbps: -94dBm
11a 54Mbps: -76dBm
11ac HT20: -68dBm
11ac HT40: -64dBm
11ac HT80: -60dBm
2.4GHz
11g 54M: -77dBm
11n HT20: -73dBm
11n HT40: -71dBm
Wireless FunctionsEnable/Disable Wireless Radio, WMM, Wireless Statistics
Wireless Security64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryption
Transmission PowerCE:
<20dBm(2.4GHz)
<23dBm(5GHz)
FCC:
<30dBm
Guest Network2.4GHz guest network × 1
5GHz guest network × 2
SOFTWARE FEATURES
Quality of ServiceWMM, Bandwidth Control
WAN TypeDynamic IP/Static IP/PPPoE/
PPTP(Dual Access)/L2TP(Dual Access)
ManagementAccess Control
Local Management
Remote Management
DHCPServer, Client, DHCP Client List,
Address Reservation
Port ForwardingVirtual Server, Port Triggering, UPnP, DMZ
Dynamic DNSDynDns, NO-IP
VPN Pass-ThroughPPTP, L2TP, IPSec
Access ControlParental Control, Local Management Control, Host List, Access
Schedule, Rule Management
ProtocolsSupports IPv4 and IPv6
USB SharingSupport Samba(Storage)/FTP Server/Media Server/Printer Server
IPSec VPNSupports up to 10 IPSec VPN tunnels
SECURITY
WiFi EncryptionWPA
WPA2
WPA3
Network SecuritySPI Firewall
Access Control
IP & MAC Binding
Application Layer Gateway

HomeCare™ AntivirusMalicious Site Checker
Port Intrusion Prevention
Infected Device Isolation
Notification and Log
Guest Network1× 5 GHz Guest Network
1× 2.4 GHz Guest Network
VPN ServerOpenVPN
PPTP
SOFTWARE
ProtocolsIPv4
IPv6
Game CenterGame Accelerator
Detects and optimizes gaming streams to keep latency as low as possible

Game Statistics
Check real-time latency, system utilization, and game duration on a redesigned dashboard to tweak every detail

Game Protector
Keep your accounts and system safe with HomeCare™ antivirus protection
Service KitsHomeCare™
Parental ControlsHomeCare™ Parental ControlsCustom Profiles
Content Filtering
App Block
URL Filtering
Time Limit
Time Schedule (Bedtime)
Log Insight
Monthly Report
WAN TypesDynamic IP
Static IP
PPPoE
PPTP
L2TP
Quality of ServiceGame Accelerator QoS
QoS by Device

HomeCare™ QoSQoS by Application
Cloud ServiceAuto Firmware Upgrade
TP-Link ID
DDNS
NAT ForwardingPort Forwarding
Port Triggering
DMZ
UPnP
IPTVIGMP Proxy
IGMP Snooping
Bridge
Tag VLAN
DHCPAddress Reservation
DHCP Client List
Server
DDNSTP-Link
NO-IP
DynDNS
ManagementTether App
Webpage
PHYSICAL
Dimensions (W×D×H)11.3 × 11.3 × 7.2 in
(288 × 288 × 184 mm)
Package ContentsWi-Fi Router Archer AX11000
Power Adapter
RJ45 Ethernet Cable
Quick Installation Guide
OTHER
System RequirementsInternet Explorer 11+, Firefox 12.0+, Chrome 20.0+, Safari 4.0+, or other JavaScript-enabled browser

Cable or DSL Modem (if needed)

Subscription with an internet service provider (for internet access)
CertificationsFCC, CE, RoHS
EnvironmentOperating Temperature: 0℃~40℃ (32℉ ~104℉)
Storage Temperature: -40℃~70℃ (-40℉ ~158℉)
Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing
Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing
OTHERS
CertificationFCC, RoHS
Package ContentsAC 3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200
Power supply unit
Ethernet Cable
Quick Installation Guide
System RequirementsMicrosoft Windows 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista™ or Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1/10
MAC OS, NetWare, UNIX or Linux
EnvironmentOperating Temperature: 0℃~40 ℃ (32 ℉~104℉)
Storage Temperature: -40℃~70 ℃ (-40 ℉~158℉)
Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing
Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing
TEST DATA
WiFi Transmission PowerCE:
<20dBm(2.4GHz)
<23dBm(5.15GHz~5.35GHz)
<30dBm(5.47GHz~5.725GHz)
FCC:
<30dBm(2.4GHz & 5.15GHz~5.25GHz & 5.725GHz~5.825GHz)
<24dBm(5.25GHz-5.35GHz & 5.47GHz-5.725 GHz)
WiFi Reception Sensitivity5 GHz_1:
11a 6Mbps:-96dBm, 11a 54Mbps:-78dBm
11ac VHT20_MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20_MCS11:-65dBm
11ac VHT40_MCS0:-93dBm, 11ac VHT40_MCS11:-62dBm
11ac VHT80_MCS0:-90dBm, 11ac VHT80_MCS11:-59dBm
11ac VHT160_MCS0:-87dBm, 11ac VHT160_MCS11:-54dBm
11ax HE20_MCS0:-94dBm, 11ax HE20_MCS11:-62Bm
11ax HE40_MCS0:-91dBm, 11ax HE40_MCS11:-59dBm
11ax HE80_MCS0:-88dBm, 11ax HE80_MCS11:-57dBm
11ax HE160_MCS0:-84dBm, 11ax HE160_MCS11:-54dBm
5 GHz_2:
11a 6Mbps:-96dBm, 11a 54Mbps:-78dBm
11ac VHT20_MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20_MCS11:-65dBm
11ac VHT40_MCS0:-93dBm, 11ac VHT40_MCS11:-62dBm
11ac VHT80_MCS0:-90dBm, 11ac VHT80_MCS11:-59dBm
11ac VHT160_MCS0:-87dBm, 11ac VHT160_MCS11:-54dBm
11ax HE20_MCS0:-94dBm, 11ax HE20_MCS11:-62Bm
11ax HE40_MCS0:-91dBm, 11ax HE40_MCS11:-59dBm
11ax HE80_MCS0:-88dBm, 11ax HE80_MCS11:-57dBm
11ax HE160_MCS0:-84dBm, 11ax HE160_MCS11:-54dBm
2.4 GHz:
11g 6Mbps:-97dBm, 11a 54Mbps:-79dBm
11n HT20_MCS0:-97dBm, 11n HT20_MCS7:-78dBm
11n HT40_MCS0:-95dBm, 11n HT40_MCS7:-75dBm
11ac VHT20_MCS0:-96dBm, 11ac VHT20_MCS11:-67dBm
11ac VHT40_MCS0:-94dBm, 11ac VHT40_MCS11:-64dBm
11ax HE20_MCS0:-96dBm, 11ax HE20_MCS11:-64dBm
11ax HE40_MCS0:-93dBm, 11ax HE40_MCS11:-61dBm

Pros

  • Lots of management features.
  • Good close-proximity 5GHz throughput and relatively fast file-transfer speeds in testing.

Cons

  • Expensive.
  • Middling range performance and 2.4GHz throughput on our tests.

Conclusion

The TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200 offers you an extra 5GHz band to greatly help ease Wi-Fi congestion. In addition, it supplies a nice collection of fundamental and advanced configurations to assist you manage your system and optimize your bandwidth. While its 5GHz performanc will be good its 2.4GHz throughput and overall variety performance can’t contend with some other similarly priced tri-band routers. For a supplementary $50, our Editors’ Option for high-finish routers, the D-Hyperlink AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router (DIR-890L/R), is a far better choice. It includes a feature-loaded Web-based management user interface and is particularly the fastest router we’ve seen up to now.

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