If you’re in the market for a solid Wi-Fi 6 router under $60, TP-Link’s Archer AX21 AX1800 router is a good one to consider. It provides consistently fast speeds, full-signal coverage for most homes, and a full feature set, including parental controls and QoS as well as support for VPN and guest networks.
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Pros and Cons
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Design
While the TP-Link Archer AX21 router uses many of the same internal components as the Archer AX20, it has a whole new shell, with design changes that appear to be meant to increase internal airflow. The Archer AX21 gets a patterned top, with four non-removable, adjustable antennas. The router rests on a desk, or you can mount it to a wall using the two holes on the bottom. It measures 1.5 x 10.2 x 5.3 inches (H x W x D).
On the front of the Archer AX21 router, you can see a variety of LED status lights to indicate the status of the current router power, Wi-Fi signal, network connection, and other information. You can use this indicator light to know at a glance the working status of the router. The back of the panel has plenty of connectivity. Stable and Reliable With 4 x Gigabit LAN ports browse, download and enjoy smooth streaming Pass gaming, and video at the same time Four Gigabit LAN ports provide reliable wired connectivity.
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Feature
- VPN Server: Archer AX21 V4 provides Open VPN Server and PPTP VPN Server
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi Internet Router: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology reduces network congestion and provides faster and more efficient Wi-Fi; AX1500 Wi-Fi speeds up to 1.5 Gbps.
- Next-Gen 1.8 Gbps Speeds: Enjoy smoother and more stable streaming, gaming, downloading and more with WiFi speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps (1200 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 574 Mbps on the 2. 4 GHz band)
- Expand your network: The AX3000 PCIe WiFi 6 adapter runs at 2. 4GHz and 5 GHz for up to 2. 4 Gbps throughput, and reduces by up to 75% of latency so you can enjoy ultra responsive real-time gaming, video call or an immersive VR experience.
- More devices? No problem: simultaneously communicate more data to more devices using revolutionary OFDMA technology;
- Extensive Coverage: Achieve the strong, reliable WiFi coverage with Archer AX1800 as it focuses signal strength to your devices far away using Beamforming technology, 4 high-gain antennas and an advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Specifications
Archer AX21 is an AX1800 dual-band router that delivers a top (theoretical) data rate of 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1,201 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. It’s run by a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU and includes most modern Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission, WPA3 encryption, MU-MIMO data streams and direct-to-client signal beamforming.
| Brand | TP-Link |
| Model Name | Archer AX21 |
| Processor | Dual-Core CPU (V4) |
| Standards and Protocols | Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz |
| WiFi Speeds | AX1800 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps (802.11ax) 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps (802.11ax) |
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | 10.2 × 5.3 ×1.5 in (260.2 × 135.0 × 38.6 mm) |
| Special Feature | Beamforming, QoS, Alexa Compatible, Access Point Mode, WPS, Parental Control |
| Frequency Band Class | Dual-Band |
| Compatible Devices | Gaming Console, Personal Computer, Tablet, Smartphone |
| Included Components | Power Adapter, RJ45 Ethernet Cable, Quick Installation Guide |
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Performance
Next, we measured the Archer AX21 router’s throughput: It delivered a speed of 120Mbps on our close-proximity 2.4GHz test, faster than the TP-Link Archer AX50 (109MBps) but slower than the Rock Space AX1800 RSD0619 (126Mbps) and the ZTE AX3000 Pro (127Mbps). In the 30-foot test, only the AX21 router turned in the slowest speed of the tested routers, but the margin wasn’t much of an issue: It delivered 40 Mbps, while the AX50 matched 42 Mbps and the ZTE topped 44 Mbps. Rock Space’s clocked in at 53 Mbps.
The Archer AX21 router’s 694Mbps speed in our 5GHz close-range throughput test was faster than and Rock Space (614Mbps) and just a hair behind the Archer AX50 (689Mbps), but well behind the ZTE AX3000 Pro (925Mbps). Likewise, its upper-end 319 Mbps on the 30-foot test beat Rock Space (175 Mbps) and AX50 (231 Mbps), though ZTE is winning at 334 Mbps.
TP-Link Archer AX21 Router Verdict
TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router V4 (Archer AX21) – Dual Band Wireless Internet, Gigabit, Easy Mesh, Works with Alexa -...
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