The TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 is an upgraded version of the C5400, and it comes with a new (lower) price as well as a number of smart home features that will appeal to people who have a house full of Amazon Echos, Philips Hue lightbulbs, and other connected gadgets, as well as people who have a house full of Amazon Echos and other connected gadgets.
Even if you are not the type of person who enjoys shouting commands at Alexa, the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 offers the build quality and degree of performance that we have come to expect from TP-Link products in this price range.
As a result, at least on paper, the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 is a router that should appeal to a wide range of customers, including enthusiasts, gamers, small companies, and even casual users. With such a broad clientele, can this router suit everyone, or is it a jack-of-all-trades in some areas? Continue reading to find out.
Design
Even while a growing number of routers, such as the Amplifi HD, are adopting more visually appealing designs to better blend into modern houses, the Archer C5400 v2 is unapologetically retro in its appearance. With this device, you’ll get a huge black box with vents on the top, as well as eight antennae that can be moved about to assist enhance Wi-Fi reception.
In a minimalist environment, the Archer C5400 v2 isn’t the most visually appealing piece of equipment, but in a home office or sitting next to a gaming PC, it won’t seem out of place, and it will surely appeal to people who place a high priority on function over appearance.
An Ethernet connector for connecting wired devices, as well as a WAN port for connecting the router to a modem, are located on the back panel of the router. It may be used with any internet connection because the Archer C5400 v2 does not include a built-in modem, however, you will still need to purchase a separate modem to utilize it. There are also two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port for sharing files and printers, respectively.
Do not anticipate a gadget that is aesthetically pleasing, but rather something that has been built to perform as efficiently and effectively as possible. That’s something to be commended as well.
Not only does the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2’s design imply that it is a serious network device, but the gadget’s specifications list also says that it is capable of handling a significant amount of network traffic.
In addition to the Broadcom ARM processor with two cores running at 1.4GHz, there are three co-processors for processing data, with each co-processor handling a different band (one 2.4GHz band, and two 5GHz channels). The Archer C5400 v2 is designed to maintain a robust and stable data flow between devices even when networks are busy and have a high number of wireless devices connected to them, according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
The eight antennae that protrude from the Archer C5400 v2, giving it the appearance of an upturned spider, at the very least make a compelling case for their inclusion, handling the 2.4GHz band with 1000Mb/s of bandwidth over four streams, with the two 5GHz channels each receiving four streams with potential speeds of up to 2167Mb/s between them.
If you look closely, you will see that this bandwidth exceeds the capacity of Ethernet network connections, which may result in a bottleneck for wired devices such as Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives and desktop PCs. However, TP-Link has solved this issue by incorporating link aggregation. Because link aggregation allows you to use two physical Ethernet ports as though they were a single connection, you can effectively double the bandwidth of your wired connection provided you have a NAS device or network card that supports it.
Given that this is a feature that is typically found in network switches and business-oriented routers, its inclusion in a router that is also aimed at home users is impressive, and it can make a significant difference to your network speeds provided you have compatible hardware – for example, a NAS device that serves media and files to various devices throughout your home.
Performance
So far as Wi-Fi performance moves, we were extremely impressed. Connecting correctly close to the router we
In terms of Wi-Fi performance, we were quite satisfied. We were able to get download rates of 74.3 Mb/s on the 5GHz band and 66.8 Mb/s on the 2.4GHz band by connecting directly to the router. Upload rates were 18.2 megabits per second on the 5GHz frequency and 17.1 megabits per second on the 2.4GHz band. This is in a line with maximum download rates of 76.6 Mb/s and upload speeds of 19.1 Mb/s, so you won’t notice any difference in speed if you want to use wireless technology.
We next tested the speeds on the second story of the building and were happy to see that even at this distance, the 5GHz network maintained its steady rates of 74.2Mb/s down and 17.9Mb/s up, which was impressive.
The 2.4GHz band, on the other hand, saw a more substantial reduction in speed, with 62.5Mb/s down and 17.1Mb/s up. With two floors between our device and the Archer C5400 v2, we were still able to get extremely strong 5GHz band speeds, with 73.5 Mb/s down and 17.9 Mb/s up on the 5GHz band.
For its part, the 2.4Ghz band delivered 60.3Mbps down and 17.1Mbps up in the test. Although these are still respectable speeds, it is clear that the performance gap between the older 2.4GHz band and the newer 5GHz band has opened up.
This outstanding performance demonstrates that the Archer C5400 v2 is a fantastic router for individuals who live in large homes, and if you have a suitable 802.11ac device, you should be able to enjoy fast and dependable Wi-Fi across a long distance.
It also means that gamers and others streaming 4K films will be able to utilize the wireless network without having to worry about it affecting their performance, rather than having to rely on Ethernet connections to do so.
Specifications
| WIRELESS | |
|---|---|
| Standards | Wi-Fi 5 IEEE 802.11ac/n/a 5 GHz IEEE 802.11n/b/g 2.4 GHz |
| WiFi Speeds | AC5400 5 GHz: 2167 Mbps (802.11ac) 5 GHz: 2167 Mbps (802.11ac) 2.4 GHz: 1000 Mbps (802.11n) |
| WiFi Range | 4 Bedroom Houses 8× Fixed 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 Capacity | High Tri-Band Allocate devices to different bands for optimal performance 4×4 MU-MIMO Simultaneously communicates with multiple MU-MIMO 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 Modes | Router Mode Access Point Mode |
| HARDWARE | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 1.4 GHz Dual-Core CPU |
| Ethernet Ports | 1× Gigabit WAN Port 4× Gigabit LAN Ports |
| USB Support | 1× USB 3.0 Port 1× USB 2.0 Port Supported Partition Formats: NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, FAT32 Supported Functions: 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 ⎓ 5 A |
| SECURITY | |
|---|---|
| WiFi Encryption | WEP WPA WPA2 WPA/WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x) |
| Network Security | SPI Firewall Access Control IP & MAC Binding Application Layer Gateway HomeCare™ Antivirus Malicious Site Checker Port Intrusion Prevention Infected Device Isolation Notification and Log |
| Guest Network | 1× 5 GHz Guest Network 1× 2.4 GHz Guest Network |
| VPN Server | OpenVPN PPTP |
| SOFTWARE | |
|---|---|
| Protocols | IPv4 IPv6 |
| Service Kits | HomeCare™ |
| Parental Controls | HomeCare™ Parental Controls Custom Profiles Content Filtering App Block URL Filtering Time Limit Time Schedule (Bedtime) Log Insight Monthly Report |
| WAN Types | Dynamic IP Static IP PPPoE PPTP L2TP |
| Quality of Service | QoS by Device HomeCare™ QoS by Application |
| Cloud Service | Auto Firmware Upgrade OTA Firmware Upgrade TP-Link ID DDNS |
| NAT Forwarding | Port Forwarding Port Triggering DMZ UPnP |
| 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) | 9.0 × 9.0 × 4.23 in (230 × 230 × 43 mm) |
| Package Contents | Wi-Fi Router Archer C5400 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 to 5.35GHz) <23dBm(5.47GHz to 5.725GHz) FCC: <30dBm |
| WiFi Reception Sensitivity | 5GHz: 11a 6Mbps: -94dBm 11a 54Mbps: -76dBm 11ac HT20 (MCS8): -68dBm 11ac HT20 (MCS11): -61dBm 11ac HT40 (MCS9): -64dBm, 11ac HT40 (MCS11): -57dBm 11ac HT80: -60dBm 2.4GHz 11g 54M: -77dBm 11n HT20 (MCS8): -73dBm, 11ac HT20 (MCS11): -63dBm 11ac HT40 (MCS9): -67dBm, 11ac HT40 (MCS11): -62dBm |
Pros
- Fast
- Powerful
- Easy to set up
- Great 5Ghz performance
- Alexa and IFTTT support
Cons
- Expensive
- Not the nicest-looking device
Verdict
The TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 is an excellent router that does a brilliant job of appealing to a wide variety of users. It’s easy to set up and configure, thanks to a user-friendly app and interface, yet it also has enough advanced features and powerful hardware to appeal to enthusiasts and enterprise users.
The star of the show is its Wi-Fi performance. Forget about faffing with multiple units to set up a mesh system or rely on a Wi-Fi repeater to extend coverage, as the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2 has enough power to cover large buildings with fast and reliable Wi-Fi.
There’s no denying that it’s expensive, however, and it’s not the most elegantly designed router. However, if you have a busy and demanding home network that’s often filled with streaming and gaming traffic from multiple devices, then you’ll see an instant upgrade if you swap out your free router for this one. For many people, that will make it well worth the investment.
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