The Archer series of routers from TP-Link is usually a fantastic choice for individuals who are searching for an economical update for their existing home network. However, there are several high-end performance versions available in the range, like the recently introduced Archer GX90, which is part of the range.
The GX90 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax) router that has a maximum speed of 6.6Gbps and is priced at £299.99. It is primarily targeted at the gaming sector and offers a maximum speed of 6.6Gbps. In our opinion, this is excellent pricing for a high-end router of this caliber; in addition, the GX90 has a number of additional capabilities that will appeal to dedicated gamers seeking a competitive advantage.
Consumers in Australia may purchase the GX90 for AU$557.00, however, customers in the United States can get a different model called the AX90, which looks somewhat different but offers identical features and performance for $329.99.
In order to get the best performance out of the GX90, you’ll need a computer or other mobile device that supports Wi-Fi 6, although the router will still be backward-compatible with older devices that use 802.11ac Wi-Fi as well.
Design
It has an imposing array of large, pointed antennas, eight to be exact, that give it the appearance of a Cylon battle cruiser from the television show Battlestar Galactica, much like all excellent gaming routers. The GX90 is no exception.
There will be some space surrounding it because of the size and mass of the device, and those antennas will need to have a clean shot at blasting the Wi-Fi signal to the farthest reaches of the solar system (or your upstairs bedroom – whichever is nearest).
Gigabit Ethernet ports are provided for connecting a laptop, games console, or set-top box to the network, as well as a fourth Gigabit Ethernet port that can be used for a wired connection or for connecting to your existing modem or router in order to take advantage of its Internet connection, if one is available. A fifth Ethernet port, which enables 2.5Gb connections, is also available for those who are fortunate enough to have extremely fast broadband.
This router also supports TP-OneMesh Link’s technology, which enables it to build a larger mesh network with other TP-Link routers or range extenders such as the company’s new RE650X range extender, among other things.
There are several Wi-Fi 6 routers on the market currently that offer similar tri-band performance, but the GX90 stands out because it has a number of features that are specifically designed to benefit gamers. The GX90 does not only enable you to build two networks on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands; instead, it allows you to create a third network on the second 5.0GHz band and designate that third network as your dedicated ‘Gaming Band,’ which has a speed of 4.8Gbps exclusively for that band.
With the QoS option (quality of service), you may prioritize actions like as gaming, streaming video, and downloading huge files above other tasks. If you don’t mind navigating to the router’s web browser interface, there are diagnostic tools that may assist you in monitoring your gaming performance as well as prioritizing the bandwidth provided to particular devices, such as a gaming console or a personal computer.
As an added bonus, the GX90 has excellent parental controls, including scheduling settings to limit the kids’ Internet access as well as content filters to prevent pornographic websites and other inappropriate information.
Performance
There were a few minor glitches in the TP-Link Tether app when we were first getting it up and running.
Once the router is plugged in and connected, the app allows you to scan a QR code printed on the router in order to instantly join its new Wi-Fi network, which is created by the router. The installation went easily, however, we continued to receive messages saying that the router was not connected to the Internet despite the fact that it had previously been linked to our current broadband connection.
The option to designate which of the router’s two available Ethernet ports – 1Gb or 2.5Gb – is being utilized for the internet connection was only discovered after we dug deeper into the app’s interface.
That should actually be part of the first connection procedure, and the app’s tendency of spouting jargon such as “MAC address” and “dynamic IP” might also be a bit perplexing for new users, especially if they aren’t familiar with the terminology. More experienced users and gamers, on the other hand, will love the web browser interface, which allows you to truly dive into the network settings and fine-tune your gaming performance to your liking.
Furthermore, the GX90 does not let you down in this department either. With the Ookla speed test, we tried all three of its Wi-Fi networks and, as predicted, all three bands delivered impressive results, with download speeds of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds of 11Mbps for devices situated in the same room as the router that serves as our internet connection.
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 | AX6600 5 GHz: 4804 Mbps (802.11ax) 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps (802.11ax) 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps (802.11ax) |
| WiFi Range | 4 Bedroom Houses8× 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 4T4R Multiple streams in the same band strengthen the fault tolerance in transmission |
| WiFi Capacity | Very HighTri-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 8 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× Gigabit WAN/LAN Port 3× Gigabit 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 ⎓ 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™ AntivirusMalicious 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 |
| Game Center | Game Accelerator Detects and optimizes gaming streams to keep latency as low as possible GeForce NOW™ QoS Prioritizes GeForce NOW™ streaming over other internet activities, delivering a smooth cloud gaming experience 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 Kits | HomeCare™ |
| 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 | HomeCare™ Parental ControlsCustom Profiles Content Filtering App Block URL Filtering Time Limit Time Schedule (Bedtime) Log Insight |
| WAN Types | Dynamic IP Static IP PPPoE PPTP L2TP |
| Quality of Service | Game Accelerator QoS GeForce NOW™ QoS QoS by Device HomeCare™ QoSQoS 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) | 8.3 × 8.3 × 2.0 in (212 × 212 × 51.8 mm) |
| Package Contents | Wi-Fi Router Archer GX90 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: <30dBm(2.4GHz & 5.15GHz~5.25GHz & 5.725GHz~5.825GHz) <24dBm(5.25GHz-5.35GHz & 5.47GHz-5.725 GHz) |
| WiFi Reception Sensitivity | 5 GHz-1: 11a 6Mbps:-93dBm, 11a 54Mbps:-76dBm 11ac VHT20 MCS0:-92dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS8:-69dBm 11ac VHT40 MCS0:-90dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS9:-65dBm 11ac VHT80 MCS0:-87dBm, 11ac VHT80 MCS9:-62dBm 11ax HE20 MCS0:-93dBm,11ax HE20 MCS11:-62dBm 11ax HE40 MCS0:-90dBm,11ax HE40 MCS11:-59dBm 11ax HE80 MCS0:-87dBm,11ax HE80 MCS11:-56dBm 5 GHz-2 (Gaming Band): 11a 6Mbps:-96dBm, 11a 54Mbps:-77dBm 11ac VHT20 MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS11:-64dBm 11ac VHT40 MCS0:-93dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS11:-62dBm 11ac VHT80 MCS0:-90dBm, 11ac VHT80 MCS11:-59dBm 11ac VHT160 MCS0:-84dBm, 11ac VHT160 MCS11:-53dBm 11ax HE20 MCS0:-93dBm,11ax HE20 MCS11:-62dBm 11ax HE40 MCS0:-90dBm,11ax HE40 MCS11:-59dBm 11ax HE80 MCS0:-87dBm,11ax HE80 MCS11:-57dBm 11ax HE160 MCS0:-84dBm,11ax HE160 MCS11:-54dBm 2.4 GHz: 11g 6Mbps:-96dBm, 11g 54Mbps:-77dBm 11n HT20 MCS0:-95dBm, 11n HT20 MCS7:-76dBm 11n HT40 MCS0:-93dBm, 11n HT40 MCS7:-73dBm 11ac VHT20 MCS0:-95dBm, 11ac VHT20 MCS8:-73dBm 11ac VHT40 MCS0:-92dBm, 11ac VHT40 MCS9:-68dBm 11ax HE20 MCS0:-95dBm,11ax HE20 MCS11:-64dBm 11ax HE40 MCS0:-95dBm,11ax HE40 MCS11:-62dBm |
Verdict
Overall, the Archer GX90 has shown to be a dependable router that accomplishes the tasks that it is set out to do admirably. With AX6600 speeds and Tri-Band technology, gamers can now completely immerse themselves in their hobbies without having to worry about a sluggish internet connection interrupting their enjoyment.
Its eye-catching industrial style and a slew of cutting-edge features distinguish it as one of the most inventive products available in its price range. You will be blown away by the performance of the TP-Link Archer GX90 Gaming Router if you are in the market for a new router or considering upgrading your existing one.
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