You probably heard of TP-Link and probably used a Wi-Fi network from a TP-Link product before. Well, this is not a surprise considering TP-Link is the largest WLAN equipment manufacturer all over the world. They’re known for making really good products while undercutting conventional brands.
This year, TP-Link is returning its focus to the midrange by releasing the brand new TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router with Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 support. At RM249, it’s even cheaper than some Wireless AC routers in the market which makes it a no-brainer purchase.
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest Wi-Fi technology that’s already being supported by most flagship devices and expect all new devices released in 2021 to support Wi-Fi 6. My favorite part of Wi-Fi 6 is up to 40% Wi-Fi speed improvement compared to Wireless AC.
That’s not all because Wi-Fi 6 also promises to deliver better Wi-Fi speed when more devices are connected to the network. Wi-Fi 6 routers will use some smart resource allocation mechanism named OFDMA to improve the efficiency of the available bandwidth which will result in better overall performance.
Despite the most benefit can only be realized on Wi-Fi 6 devices, Wireless AC devices will benefit significantly as well. The TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router uses independent wireless front-end module otherwise known as an amplifier from Skyworks to amplify the signal.
Where To Buy TP Link Archer AX20 Router:
TP-Link Archer AX20 Hardware and Specs
Powering the TP-Link Archer AX20 is a Broadcom BCM6755 1.5 Ghz Quad Core CPU. It can support a theoretical maximum link speed up to 1201Mbps on the 5Ghz channel and 574Mbps on the 2.4 Ghz channel. TP-Link also included support for the latest WPA3 Wi-Fi security standard on the Archer AX20.
| Wireless 2.4Ghz | Wi-Fi 6 up to 574Mbps (40Mhz 2X2) |
| Wireless 5Ghz | Wi-Fi 6 up to 1201Mbps (80Mhz 2X2) |
| WiFi Features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Beamforming, WPA3, OneMesh |
| CPU | Broadcom BCM6755 1.5Ghz Quad-Core |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x Gigabit WAN port + 4x Gigabit LAN port |
| USB | 1x USB 2.0 port |
There are several status indicators at the front of the router to show you the current status of your Internet connection. If the Internet connection is not working, the Internet LED is multi-color and will be changed to orange.
Behind the Archer AX20, it has 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port. There’s also a single USB port that can be used for USB file sharing on your Wi-Fi network. It’s possible to connect a USB external hard drive and access it wirelessly on other devices.
The bottom of the router is filled with vents for cooling. It is possible to wall-mount the TP-Link Archer AX20 outer but you need to purchase your own screws. The default Wi-Fi name (SSID) and password is labeled at the sticker underneath the router.
Inside the box, it comes with the router, a CAT5E Gigabit LAN cable, power adapter and some instruction manuals. TP-Link also provided a card to remind users to update the driver of your WiFi adapter at their devices to be sure they work better with Wi-Fi 6 technology.
TP-Link Archer AX20 Internal Teardown
I also performed a simple teardown to evaluate the build quality of the Archer AX20. I am not an expert but it does seem fairly well built with a decent-sized heatsink to improve the cooling of this router. This review is written based on the V1.20 hardware version of TP-Link Archer AX20. We’ve been told that the V2.0 version performs similarly.
Easy Setup Procedure
The setup process of the Archer AX20 is a farily straightforward process. You can either use a PC or use the mobile app to set up the router. If you are an Unifi or Maxis customer, make sure you use the web interface to perform the setup in order to select the VLAN profile.
For most Malaysians, I recommend connecting the TP-Link Archer AX20 directly to the modem provided by your service provider and use the PPPOE setup process for the best performance. The PPPOE username and password can be obtained from your Internet service provider.
For those staying in Malaysia with TM Unifi, the Unifi VLAN profile must be selected during the initial setup. The TM Unifi HyppTV box can be connected to the LAN1 port on this router. I found the setup guide video provided by TP-Link to be pretty helpful. The same is required for Maxis Fiber customers.
TP-Link Archer AX20 Wi-Fi Performance Testing
I will be testing the Archer AX20 using my laptop with Wi-Fi 6 support powered by an Intel AX200 Wi-Fi adapter. I will be testing it in 2 spots and comparing the results against other Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy in the market right now.
On a short distance, it exceeded 800Mbps easily which is not a surprise thinking about this router is Wi-Fi 6 capable.
On the long-distance test, the speed is decreased but it is still within a good margin compared to many other Wi-Fi 6 routers I have tested.
OneMesh
It’s possible to form a mesh WiFi system by using TP-Link OneMesh technology if you stay in a bigger property. You can combine the Archer AX20 router and OneMesh support WiFi extender to form a true Mesh WiFi network. The mesh WiFi network will have the same WiFi name and all benefits such as seamless roaming and AP steering.
The coverage of the TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router is probably strong enough for most users. Those staying in a bigger home with 3 floors may want to consider adding TP-Link OneMesh extender to form a mesh WiFi system. Now, the only WiFi 6 OneMesh extender is the TP-Link RE505X and you can checkout my review article here.
TP-Link Archer AX20 Firmware and Features
TP-Link firmware is easy to operate and very user-friendly. It has all the standard features that you will normally need on a home wireless router. Everything is clearly labeled and simple to understand on the interface.
I recommend enabling the smart connect feature which will enhance the user experience when using this router. This will combine both 5Ghz and 2.4 Ghz into a similar name and the router will automatically decide which one is the best for you based on signal conditions.
Security-wise, TP-Link Archer AX20 supports the latest WPA3 encryption for better Wi-Fi security. However, I don’t recommend enabling this now as most devices in the market still do not support WPA3. It may cause some compatibility issues with older devices released before 2018.
You will like to download the TP-Link Tether app to use with this router. The app will let you to see currently linked devices and view their current usage. It is also able to perform some advanced configurations using just the app which is quite handy. Those LED indicators on the router can be disabled on the app as well.
Overall, the firmware on the Archer AX20 is reliable and pretty stable in my test. My only complaint is the lack of the HomeCare advanced parental control feature that’s only available on the more expensive Archer AX50 model.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Archer AX20 met the 3 most important aspects of a good wireless router. The speed is excellent, the coverage is strong and the stability is great. At this price point, there’s nothing that performs just as good as this Archer AX20. This will probably be my best budget mid-range router under RM300.
Comparing to the Archer AX10 and Archer AX50, the Archer AX20 is easily my favorite pick. It offers a slightly stronger and faster Wi-Fi connection than the Archer AX10 because of the use of external Wi-Fi FEM (TP-Link so-called amplifier). While the AX50 performs better than the AX20 in the 160Mhz situation, under the 80Mhz scenario, the TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router performs.
You probably heard of TP-Link and probably used a Wi-Fi network from a TP-Link product before. The coverage of the TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router is probably strong enough for most users. You will want to download the TP-Link Tether app to use with this router. TP-Link Archer AX20 met the 3 most important aspects of a good wireless router. While the AX50 performs better than the AX20 in 160Mhz situation, under the 80Mhz scenario, the TP-Link Archer AX20 wireless router performs.
Leave A Comment