Best TP Link Router: Talon AD7200 vs Archer C5400 vs c3150 vs C9 vs C7

As home network technology advances and companies try to get as much of this new technology into their routers as possible, it can be hard to keep up with what all these new technical features actually offer. Don't worry, we're here to help you!

Top Rated TP-Link Routers

More on these routers below..

What this does mean though, is that if you are looking to buy a new router, you have a ton of great choices. In fact, the five routers in this roundup, all of which are equipped with (at least) Wireless AC and dual band technology, all come from TP-Link!

TP-Link have always tried to compete with the likes of Netgear and Linksys but chipping in at a more competitive rate. And they are still undercutting with their prices today.

To make things simpler, and to help you decide if any of these routers are the one for you, we have written this comparison guide to find out which is the best TP-Link router.

1. TP-Link Talon AD7200 802.11ad Router

The first TP-Link router we will look at today is the flagship router, the jewel in the crown of TP-Link’s router range, the Talon.

Its flagship status is confirmed due to the presence of the brand new standard wireless AD. It also has a ton of other top-end features to keep you happy.

Upon unboxing the router you will likely be struck by its distinct looks. It has a massive 8 external antennas that crown the router and a matt black finish that completes the space-age look.

TP-Link didn’t spend all their time just making it look nice, mind you. As mentioned before it has wireless AD to give you theoretical speeds of up to 4.6Gbps on the 60GHz band. Even though you don’t actually get these speeds in the real world, you are still likely looking at a significant improvement over your previous router. Just keep in mind that AD only really works in line of sight and within the same room.

Another cutting edge feature of the TP-Link Talon is that it is tri band. It offers separate bands on the 60GHz, 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.

As well as this, the Talon router has Beam Steering technology, which is basically the ability for the router to ‘steer’ your signal around stationary objects that would otherwise block the signal. Although this is only available on the 60GHz band (for Wireless AD), it is the band with the most attenuation and therefore the one that most needs all the help it can get.... an option like Beam Steering.

It also has MU-MIMO support (when used with compatible devices), a dual core 1.4GHz processor and 2 USB 3.0 ports.

Basically, this is a massively powerful router with that comes with all the latest features. Of course, it also comes with a pricetag to match, and as such you should probably take into consideration how badly you need wireless AD before you choose this router over one of the others on the list.

If you do decide that wireless AD is something you need, you can’t go far wrong with the TP-Link Talon.

Full Talon AD7200 review

TP Link Talon AD7200 Features

• Wireless AD
• MU-MIMO support
• 1.4GHz dual core processor
• Tri Band
• Beam Steering

2. TP-Link Archer C5400 Router

The first thing you may notice when looking at this router, is how similar it looks to the TP-Link Talon. It has almost the exactly same design, which in our eyes at least, is certainly no bad thing.

In fact, the similarities don’t stop at the outer appearance. This router also has features like tri band, MU-MIMO compatibility, USB 3.0 functionality and powerful Ethernet connections.

The one thing it doesn't have, however, is wireless AD. Luckily for most people though, wireless AC is still going to be enough for almost all uses. This includes streaming, gaming, internet use and file transfers.

It is a router built with wireless gaming in mind. MU-MIMO support, tri band functionality and Smart Connect all work together to get you the best possible signal while gaming, which should result in less latency, even when using wifi.

Meanwhile, it has eight antennas and beamforming technology that work together to give you the best possible signal throughout your home. In fact, TP-Link claim that this router will be able to provide a wireless signal to an area of up to 10,000 square feet.

All in all, this is an excellent and powerful router that comes with many of the features available on the TP-Link Talon. This makes it a great choice for people who don’t really have any use for the latest standard of wifi (Wireless AD) just yet.

TP-Link AC5400 Features

• Wireless AC
• Tri Band
• USB 3.0
• MU-MIMO, Smart Connect and Beamforming
• 8 external antennas

3. TP-Link Archer C3150

Like the routers we have already looked at, this is another feature packed router with a ton of high-end specifications.

In terms of looks, it is quite a step away from the above two routers mainly due to the fact that it only has four antennas (not eight). However, it is still a decent looking router that you will likely be happy to have in your home.

It is a dual band router, so again, a step down from the tri band offered on the routers above, but nonetheless a good feature that is perfectly adequate for most people. This router allows you to connect to both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.

If you are unsure what exactly dual band is, and how to use it to optimise your network, you will be happy to hear that this router has Smart Connect technology. This will place any device you connect to your router on the best band for its individual uses.

One of the stand-out features is that it uses MU-MIMO when connected with compatible devices. This allows better connections for up to four users at a time and will come in handy when gaming or streaming movies across your network.

As well as this the C3150 includes two USB ports (one of which is USB 3.0), a dual core 1.4GHz processor, Beamforming technology and the ability to provide a guest network.

This is an excellent router without the higher price point of the two above routers. It still manages to pack in some great features that should keep you, and everyone on your network connected.

Read our full review of the C3150 here

TP-Link Archer C3150 Features

• Wireless AC
• Dual Band
• 1.4GHz dual core processor
• USB 3.0 connectivity
• Beamforming, option to provide a guest network

4. TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900 Router

This router was released almost two years ago now, although it still has some features that will be suitable for many people’s home networks.

This router is dual band, including one band that uses wireless AC. This will allow you to put devices that need a faster connection on this band, and other less data hungry devices on the 2.4GHz band.

It also has Beamforming, a 1GHz processor, a USB 3.0 port plus an extra USB 2.0 port and 4 gigabit Ethernet ports. These ports mean that this router can still be used for gaming and cross network streaming/transfers.

Of course the biggest selling point about this router is its price. It is an affordable router which makes it perfect for someone looking for wireless AC and dual band functionality on a budget.

All our opinions on the C9 here

Archer C9 AC1900 Features

• Wireless AC
• Dual band
• USB 3.0 connectivity
• Beamforming
• Quality of Service

5. TP-Link Archer C7 Dual Band Router

The final router on our list is the TP-Link Archer C7. It is similar to the C9 router above, but differs in that it only has a single core processor, 150Mbps less total theoretical data speeds, and no USB 3.0.

However, it still offers two big features in Wireless AC and dual band, along with a host of others including gigabit Ethernet, Quality of Service to ensure applications that need a consistent connection get it, and a simple setup process.

Despite being the least powerful product on this list, it is still worth looking at if you are trying to upgrade to Wireless AC on the cheap. As long as you don’t plan to spend too much time sharing files on your network (the lack of USB 3.0 means this will be much slower than on the other routers), this should be a decent router that will give you good wireless speeds.

Read more on what we said about the C7 here

TP-Link Archer C7: Features

• Wireless AC
• Dual Band
• Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
• Quality of Service

Talon AD7200 vs Archer C5400 vs c3150 vs C9 vs C7: Which Router To Choose?

Although it's going to be pretty cool to own a Wireless AD router, it's kind of overkill right now, ad not really necessary. That said, the die-hards who must have the latest and greatest are not going to be talked out of it. So we'll let them get on with it.

The C5400 is another fine piece of kit, but again it's at the higher end of the price spectrum.

We have to say that the Archer C3100 and the C9 & C7 all bring a solid set of specs and features to the table. Obviously, the C3100 is better spec'd than the others. It's going to be up to you as to whether or not it's worth forking out the extra money for that power.

If you're a power user, you'll probably want to opt for the C3150 router, and above. Otherwise, the C9 & C7 still hold their own today. Most users will find them up to the job for their networks. Just bear in mind that the USB ports (including 3.0 on the C9) don't transfer as fast as younger routers.

In fact, the Archer C7 was given the best router (for most people) by The Wirecutter. No mean feat!

Have you got a TP-Link router? Tell us about it below...