The TP-Link Archer A9 router is one of the most popular models from the company, owing to the functionality it provides at a reasonable price range. The Archer A9 should be straightforward to use, because of technology such as Alexa compatibility and MU-MIMO, and it should project a Wi-Fi signal over a large range.
The Archer A9 is being tested to see how it performs in today’s world, where more and more families have home offices, several streaming devices, and a variety of smart home items. In order to determine whether the TP-Link Archer A9 is a reasonable purchase, I put the gadget through its paces for a week to evaluate its design, connectivity, network range, software, and performance.
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TP-Link Archer A9 Router Reviews: Design
The Archer A9 isn’t particularly eye-catching in terms of its design. With indication lights on the front and ports, power switch, WPS button, and antennae on the rear, it has a glossy black finish and features indicator lights on the front and back. While I would have preferred a matte finish over the glossy finish, the TP-Link Archer A9 router is generally a well-thought-out device with a thoughtful design.
Aside from that, the TP-Link Archer A9 router’s venting is intelligently constructed, with little branding that is neither obnoxious nor garish. Instead of simply having vent holes that are visible from the outside of the device, it includes recesses that divide the router into three halves while concealing the venting. The venting holes appear to serve a purpose, and they serve to enhance instead of detract from the overall appearance of Archer A9.
The Archer A9 is on the smaller side; it’s small enough to tuck away in a corner and go unnoticed for long periods of time. It measures 9.6 inches in length, 6.4 inches in width, and 1.3 inches in thickness, however, due to its narrow profile and huge antennae, it appears even smaller than it actually is.
On the rear of the device, three movable antennas are visible, and you can manually swivel them approximately 180 degrees from side to side and approximately 90 degrees from front to back. The inclusion of a second internal antenna is not visible from the outside, but it is present inside the device.
Use the two mounting holes on the back of the router to hang the Archer A9 on a wall, or you can lay it flat on a table or desk to use as a level surface. As a result, I hung the router near the smart box in my home’s closet and tucked it away in the back of the closet.
TP-Link Archer A9 Router Reviews: Connectivity
Due To the Archer A9 is a dual-band AC1900 router, the top speed over the 5Ghz band is 1300 Mbps, and the top speed over the 2.4 GHz band is 600 Mbps. Setting up the networks was quick and simple, and I had my 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz networks up and running within five minutes of installing the companion and downloading software.
Additionally, the TP-Link Archer A9 router is equipped with MU-MIMO (3 × 3) technology, which allows it to manage three streams all at once. Some of the top wireless routers on the market, like the Netgear RAX120 and the Netgear RAX200, can handle eight or more streams, but some of these routers cost as much as five times as much as the Archer A9.
Performance is adequate for the Archer A9 Router’s price point, and I was able to use my phone, a PS4, a PC, and a bunch of smart home devices all at the same time with no feeling any notable lag. In contrast, when I turned up the volume and connected two gaming PCs, another PS4, and three FireTVs, the network began to visibly sluggish, especially on the FireTVs and consoles. Following my decision to prioritize gaming, the gaming PCs and consoles experienced higher signal speeds, while the shows continued to experience buffering problems.
Smart connect and airtime fairness are also included in the TP-Link Archer A9 router’s feature set. Because of this, a router is capable of automatically switching connected devices across bands in order to encourage the most efficient routes, as well as preventing older and slower devices from slowing and hogging the network down traffic to other devices. Because I like to manually allocate devices to bands rather than using a smart connect feature, Smart Connect is not a favorite of mine. It can, however, be a beneficial function for people who wish their router to manage their network traffic on their behalf.
The TP-Link Archer A9 router is provided with gigabit Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices (4 LAN and 1 WAN). There is a USB 2.0 connector that supports the NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, and FAT32 file systems, allowing you to attach an external hard drive to your network and share it with others. In addition, the router includes FTP server and media server functionality.
TP-Link Archer A9 Router Reviews: Performance
I reside in a suburb about 20 miles outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, and my internet service provider is Spectrum (a subsidiary of Charter Communications). Internet speeds in my home are limited to 400 megabits per second.
Speeds were superb (as expected) in the same room as the router, with as high as 352 Mbps on the 5 Ghz band and 76 Mbps on the 2.4 Ghz spectrum recorded on the 5 Ghz frequency. As I made my way upstairs, I noticed that speeds were a decent 124 Mbps on the 5Ghz band and 36 Mbps over the 2.4 Ghz band.
Nearly everywhere in my two-story home, including regions such as closets and many other places that could theoretically be considered Wi-Fi dead zones, the signal remained strong and consistent. My garage and a guest room beyond of the house, on the other hand, were a little slower than usual.
Aside from that, I had intermittent internet access in the yard. When using devices outside, the signal decreased dramatically, so if you prefer to use your devices outside, you’ll need to consider purchasing a Wi-Fi extension or switching to a different router entirely.
TP-Link Archer A9 Router Reviews: Range
Although the Archer A9’s coverage range was not specified in the spec sheet, I was able to gain coverage in nearly every room of my 3,000 square foot home. Although the range is stated as 3,000 square feet, this is not always the case thanks to a range of factors like the type and number of devices you have, the thickness of your walls, obstacles, your Internet service provider, and other considerations. According to general consensus, the A9 has enough power to power at least a 2,000-square-foot residence.
Conclusion
The TP-Link Archer A9 router is an outstanding router for a household with an average number of devices; however, families with a large number of gamers or home office employees may require something a little more robust than this.
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