![]() Further investigation revealed that TP-Link’s Smart Connect, which is supposed to pick the best band for devices, sometimes picks the 2.4-GHz band when it should pick the 5-GHz band. I also noticed some strange results on a desktop computer upstairs. When I tested the Sony Xperia 1 V ( 7/10, WIRED Review), I was puzzled by speeds around a third as fast as the iPhone and Pixel. With no Wi-Fi 7 devices and only a few Wi-Fi 6E devices capable of connecting on the 6-GHz band, which is still very limited in range, you will struggle to realize its full potential. If you think that splurging now will future-proof you, that’s true to an extent, but there are some things to consider. That won’t stop you if you demand the latest releases and have disposable cash to burn. Realistically, this router is overkill for most folks. While my connection maxes out at 1 Gbps, this router can handle multi-gig connections for the lucky few that have one, and my internal network tests suggest you can expect speeds in excess of 3 Gbps within a few feet of the router. Firmware updates have rolled out since I started testing, but I haven’t had any issues with stability. The BE800 has blanketed my two-floor, 1,600-square-foot home and backyard with a consistently strong signal. It scored particularly well on the iPhone 14 Pro (5 GHz) and the Pixel 6 Pro (6 GHz).Įven with concurrent movie streams, online games, and video calls, there wasn’t a hint of buffering or pixelation for my busy family of four. ![]() It topped the charts by moving a 2.2-GB file from one PC on my network to another in one minute and nine seconds, allowed me to download a 30-GB game in under five minutes, and finished in the top three for nearly all of my speed tests. The Archer BE800 performed admirably in most of my tests. You can expect quirks and bugs, and these pre-certified devices lack the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) that will boost the range of the 6-GHz band. In brief, you are paying a premium for Wi-Fi 7 right now, and you almost certainly don’t have the devices to take advantage. If you want to plug in switches and hubs, or run Ethernet cables around your home, this router has you covered.Įverything I said about TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 7 mesh, the Deco BE85 ( 7/10, WIRED Review), applies to the BE800. With link aggregation you can combine two 2.5-Gbps ports for a 5-Gbps wired connection. The Archer BE800 has ports aplenty, with a 10-Gbps WAN/LAN or SFP+ port, another 10-Gbps WAN/LAN, four 2.5-Gbps LAN ports, and a USB 3.2 port. Over a couple of weeks of testing, it sometimes got a little warm, but never hot, and it has remained silent. The router is surprisingly light for its size, with a mostly empty case that hides multiple antennas and allows airflow to keep things cool inside without a noisy fan. When you pick the Archer BE800 out of the box, it turns out to be plastic. You can write text and design your own stills and animations in the app, but it feels like a missed opportunity that it can’t display anything useful other than the time. It mostly just displays emoji faces or animations (I do love the Pac-Man). Though I like the classy look and the fresh design direction, the LED display feels gimmicky. To further zhuzh it up, TP-Link added a customizable dot-matrix LED screen to the front. This router looks serious enough to work in a fancy corporate office. The boxy rectangular case appears to be anodized aluminum and resembles a desktop computer, but it is pinched in the middle to form an X. If you’re not keen on arachnid-looking routers bristling with antennas, TP-Link’s classy, new design will please you. ![]()
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