The TP-Link Archer AX3200 is a router that is difficult to come by. This is due to the fact that it is only accessible at Costco, which needs a membership, in the United States. And it turned out to be a fantastic find for certain people, according to my research.
Considering that it is a product for a single shop, the Archer AX3200 is a little unusual. It has a limited set of hardware and does not contain capabilities found in other TP-Link routers, which is a shame.
Here’s how it works: If you only want dependable Wi-Fi and nothing more, this tri-band router will meet your needs. It’s a great Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster, especially considering its low price of less than $200.
However, if you want to get the most out of your network, a general retail version such as the Archer AX50 or Archer AX6000 may be a better option. Alternatively, you may choose any of these current best Wi-Fi 6 routers.
Design
The Archer AX3200 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router that is a little underwhelming. In many respects, it reminds me of the Archer AX3000, which was only available at Walmart.
Its appearance, on the other hand, is completely different, with six non-removable antennae and a casing constructed of strong and toughened plastic.
Despite this, the Archer AX3200 seems to be a standard router in appearance. The only thing that stands out in terms of design is the color-changing status light located at its “nose.”
In fact, many Wi-Fi 5 routers offer even more amazing performance statistics. For example, the Asus RT-AC88U is an AC3100 router. The TP-Link Archer C5400X, on the other hand, offers a total bandwidth of 5400 Megabits.
The Archer AX3200 has the bare minimum Wi-Fi 6 specifications that may be found. Each of its 5GHz bands is equipped with two Wi-Fi 6 specifications. However, without compatibility for the 160MHz channel width, each connection is limited to a maximum of 1200Mbps. The actual speeds in the real world will be much slower.
In other words, even when looking at the document, this router is nothing to be concerned about. In spite of the fact that it is a tri-band router, it has less bandwidth than many dual-band equivalents. That takes us to something very intriguing about the network ports on the device.
The Archer AX3200 is equipped with three Gigabit LAN ports, which is standard for this type of device. What distinguishes it from the competition is the fact that it includes two LAN/WAN ports. One is a Gigabit port, while the other is a multi-gig port with a transfer rate of up to 2.5Gbps.
These are referred to as LAN/WAN ports since you can only utilize one of them as a WAN port. Select one to be used in this manner, and the other will now function as a LAN port.
However, because of the poor Wi-Fi specifications, the multi-gigabit Ethernet connection will make little impact. When hosting a portable drive, the router also has a USB 3.0 connection, but its small hardware power is insufficient to offer rapid NAS performance due to the limited bandwidth.
Performance
In light of the router’s hardware specifications, it performed admirably in my tests as a tri-band router. It was interesting to note that it performed better with Wi-Fi 5 clients than it did with my 2 2 Wi-Fi 6 clients.
The Archer AX3200 is equipped with a network interface that can transfer data at the maximum speed of its Wi-Fi band. My tests revealed that at a close range of around 10 feet (3 meters), my 22 Wi-Fi 6 clients could actually connect at 1.2Gbps and maintain a continuous throughput of more than 850Mbps. It averaged around 700Mbps when it was further away.
Since I utilized the 2.5Gbps port on the router to connect it to the test server, it is reasonable to claim that the Wi-Fi connection is causing the bottleneck. This is in accordance with my test methodology. As a result, when compared to comparable multi-gigabit read routers, the Archer AX3200 performed the worst. However, its Wi-Fi 6 performance was generally satisfactory.
When it came to Wi-Fi 5 clients, the router performed even better. My 44 Wi-Fi test equipment was able to achieve the negotiated speed of 1.7Gbps and recorded almost 870Mbps of continuous throughput at a close range. My three consumers each received an average of over 770Mbps from a distance of 40 feet (12 meters).
With a speed of between 100Mbps and 180Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, the Archer AX3200 performed similarly to the most current router, providing enough data transfer to support a modest Internet connection in its entirety. Overall, the Archer AX3200 is a fantastic alternative to the AX50 in terms of Wi-Fi performance.
When it came to Wi-Fi coverage, the Archer 3200 was comparable to the Archer AX50 and the Asus RT-AX58U. If you reside in a house that is 1800 ft2 (167 m2) or less, this router will most likely be sufficient if it is located in the center of the house.
It should be noted that the Wi-Fi range varies considerably depending on the surroundings, so your results may differ, but the Archer 3200 delivered a reliable performance. There were no difficulties with it throughout my three-day stress test.
Specifications
| WIRELESS | |
|---|---|
| Standards | Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz |
| WiFi Speeds | AX3200 5 GHz: 1440 Mbps (802.11ax) 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps (802.11ax) 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps (802.11ax) |
| WiFi Range | 3 Bedroom Houses7× Fixed High-Performance Antennas (External and Internal) 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 Capacity | Very HighTri-Band Allocate devices to different bands for optimal performance 3×3 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 7 Streams Connect your devices to more bandwidth |
| Working Modes | Router Mode Access Point Mode |
| HARDWARE | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU |
| Ethernet Ports | 1× 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN Port 1× 1 Gbps WAN/LAN Port 3× 1 Gbps LAN Ports |
| USB Support | 1× USB 3.0 Port 1× USB 2.0 Port Supported Partition Formats: NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, FAT32 Supported Functions: Apple Time Machine FTP Server Media Server Samba Server |
| Buttons | Wi-Fi On/Off Button Power On/Off Button LED On/Off Button WPS Button Reset Button |
| Power | 12 V ⎓ 3.3 A |
| SECURITY | |
|---|---|
| WiFi Encryption | WPA WPA2 WPA3 WPA/WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x) |
| Network Security | SPI Firewall Access Control IP & MAC Binding Application Layer Gateway |
| Guest Network | 1× 5 GHz-1 Guest Network 1× 5 GHz-2 Guest Network 1× 2.4 GHz Guest Network |
| VPN Server | OpenVPN PPTP |
| SOFTWARE | |
|---|---|
| Protocols | IPv4 IPv6 |
| OneMesh™ | OneMesh™ Supported Without replacing your existing devices or buying a whole new WiFi ecosystem, OneMesh™ helps you create a more flexible network that covers your entire home with TP-Link OneMesh™ products. |
| Parental Controls | URL Filtering Time Controls |
| WAN Types | Dynamic IP Static IP PPPoE PPTP L2TP |
| Quality of Service | QoS by Device |
| Cloud Service | Auto Firmware Upgrade TP-Link ID DDNS |
| NAT Forwarding | Port Forwarding Port Triggering DMZ UPnP Virtual Server |
| IPTV | IGMP Proxy IGMP Snooping Bridge Tag VLAN |
| DHCP | Address Reservation DHCP Client List Server |
| DDNS | TP-Link NO-IP DynDNS |
| Management | Tether App Webpage |
| PHYSICAL | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | 11.9 × 8.1 × 6.8 in (302 × 207 × 174 mm) |
| Package Contents | Wi-Fi Router Archer AX3200 Power Adapter RJ45 Ethernet Cable Quick Installation Guide |
| OTHER | |
|---|---|
| System Requirements | Internet 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) |
| Certifications | FCC, CE, RoHS |
| Environment | Operating 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 Power | CE: <20dBm{2.4GHz} <23dBm{5.15GHz~5.35GHz} <30dBm{5.47GHz~5.725GHz} FCC: <24dBm{5.47GHz~5.725GHz } <30dBm{2.4GHz &5.15GHz~5.25GHz&5.725GHz~5.825GHz } |
| WiFi Reception Sensitivity | 2.4 GHz: 11n HT20 MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS8:-72dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS9:-68dBm, 11ax HE20 MCS11:-64dBm, 11ax HE40 MCS11:-62dBm 5 GHz-1: 11n HT20 MCS0:-92dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS8:-69dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS9:-65dBm, 11ac VHT80 MCS9:-62dBm, 11ax HE20 MCS11:-61dBm, 11ax HE40 MCS11:-58dBm, 11ax HE80 MCS11:-55dBm 5 GHz-2: 11n HT20 MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS11:-63dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS11:-61dBm, 11ac VHT80 MCS11:-58dBm, 11ac VHT160 MCS11:-53dBm, 11ax HE20 MCS11:-61dBm, 11ax HE40 MCS11:-58dBm, 11ax HE80 MCS11:-55dBm, 11ax HE160 MCS11:-53dBm |
Verdict
To put it another way, the TP-Link Archer AX3200 is a “high-end” router for a family with modest Wi-Fi requirements. It’s a tri-band router that offers the same (if not less) bandwidth as many dual-band routers while also offering a more limited feature set.
However, at a price of less than $200, it is a fantastic router for people who only want a dependable performance and nothing else. If you are such type of user, go ahead and get it; you will not be disappointed with our selection.
However, for even more alternatives in terms of performance and functionality, it’s a good idea to also have a look at our list of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers available.
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