It’s big, bulky and expensive – but the TP-Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router offers high-speed, trustworthy Wi-Fi 6 performance, as well as additional features that make it ideal for hard-core gamers.
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Two-minute review
TP-Link’s Archer range is always a good option for people who are looking for an affordable upgrade for their home router. Nevertheless, there are some high-end performance models also available in the range, suching as the recently released TP Link Archer GX90.
Archer GX90 SPEC SHEET
Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 6 (IEEE 802.11 ax), tri-band 2.4 GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz
Processor: 1.5 GHz, quad-core
Memory: 512Mb
Storage: 128MB Flash
Beamforming: Explicit for 2.4 GHz and 5GHz
Ports: 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, 4x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0
Dimensions (HxWxD – inc. antennae): 175 x 212 x 212mm, 1.35 kg.
Priced at ₤ 299.99, the TP-Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router is very much paid attention to the gaming market, providing tri-band Wi-Fi 6 (aka 802.11 ax) with a top speed of 6.6 Gbps. That’s not a bad price for a high-end router such as this, and the Archer GX90 provides a number of additional features that will particularly appeal to serious gamers who are looking for a competitive edge.
The TP-Link Archer GX90 Router costs AU$ 557.00 for customers in Australia but, somewhat oddly, the US opts for a different model called the AX90, which looks slightly different, but provides similar features and performance for $329.99.
You will need a computer or other mobile device that supports Wi-Fi 6 to get max performance from the Archer GX90, but the router will still be backwards-compatible with existing devices that use 802.11 ac Wi-Fi too.
Archer GX90 Design and features
Similar to all good gaming routers, the TP Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router is festooned with an intimidating array of big, pointy antennae – eight, to be precise – that make it look like a Cylon battle cruiser from Battlestar Galactica.
It’s big and bulky, and it’s going to need a bit of room around it to give those antennae a clear shot at beaming the Wi-Fi signal to the furthest reaches of the solar system (or your upstairs bedroom – whichever is nearest).
There are three Gigabit Ethernet ports to offer a wired connection for a laptop, games console or set-top box, together with a fourth Gigabit Ethernet port that can double-up for a wired connection or for connecting to your existing modem or router in order to use its Internet connection. And, if you’re fortunate enough to have really super-fast broadband, there’s a fifth Ethernet port that supports 2.5 Gb connections as well.
The TP Link Archer GX90 Router also supports TP-Link’s OneMesh technology, which helps it to form a more extensive mesh network with other TP-Link routers, or range extenders such as its new RE650X.
There are other Wi-Fi 6 routers now available that offer similar tri-band performance, but the TP Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router stands out with a number of features that are clearly paid attention to gaming. Rather than simply creating two networks on the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands, the TP Link Archer GX90 Router supports you to create a third network using the second 5.0 GHz band, and to assign that third network to be your dedicated ‘Gaming Band’, with a speed of 4.8 Gbps just for that band alone.
There’s a QoS option – quality of service – that allows you to prioritise tasks which include gaming, streaming video, or downloading large files. And, if you don’t mind delving into the router’s web browser interface, there are diagnostic tools that can help you to monitor your gaming performance and also to prioritise the bandwidth allocated to individual devices, such as a gaming console or PC.
The GX90 even supplies good parental controls too, with scheduling options to limit the kids’ Internet use, and content filters to block adult web sites or other unsuitable material.
But, if managing three separate Wi-Fi networks seems a bit daunting, there’s a ‘smartconnect’ option that supports you to merge them together into a single network and automatically links your devices to the fastest frequency band that they can support.
Archer GX90 Performance and getting started.
We did encounter some small hiccups when using the TP-Link Tether app to get started.
Once the router is plugged in and connected, the app helps you to scan a QR code printed on the router to make sure you can automatically connect to its new Wi-Fi network. That worked smoothly, but we then kept getting error messages telling us that the router wasn’t connected to the Internet – even though we had already connected it to our existing broadband router.
Only after delving through the app a little more did we find an option that needs you to specify which of the router’s two available Ethernet ports – 1Gb or 2.5 Gb – is being used for the internet connection.
That should really be part of the initial connection process, and the app’s habit of throwing around jargon such as ‘MAC address’ and ‘dynamic IP’ could also be a bit confusing for new users. However, more experienced users and gamers will appreciate the web browser interface that really allows you to delve into the network settings and fine-tune your gaming performance.
The TP Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router doesn’t dissatisfy on that score either. We tested all three of its Wi-Fi networks and – as expected – all three bands recorded strong performance with the Ookla speed test, hitting 100Mbps download and 11Mbps upload for devices located in the same room as the router that provides our broadband connection.
The performance for Steam downloads was strong in that room too, cruising along effortlessly at the full 12.5 MB/s supported by our office broadband connection – with the third ‘gaming band’ even nudging as high as 13MB/s sometimes.
That’s not surprising, but we were pleased to find that the performance of the TP Link Archer GX90 Router remained rock solid on all three bands even when we went to our back office, where the dodgy Wi-Fi normally forces us to rely on a couple of wired Powerline adapters instead.
A high-end router such as this will probably be overkill for home users who simply want to watch Netflix and make the occasional Zoom call for work, but if you’re serious about gaming then the speed and features of the GX90 will really earn their keep.
Buy Archer GX90 if …
You have mad skillz.
The TP Link Archer GX90 Router is fast and versatile router, but its real focus is on gaming, with a dedicated 5GHz ‘gaming band’ that lets you hog most of your household bandwidth and additional tools for fine-tuning your gaming performance.
Money is no object.
The TP Link Archer GX90 isn’t badly priced for a high-end Wi-Fi 6 router, but it’s still pretty expensive for most people. Actually, it’s way faster than most home broadband services, so it’s not essential unless you have really fast fibre broadband.
Your kids play games too.
Somewhat surprisingly, the TP Link Archer GX90 AX6600 Gaming Router manages to provide good parental controls along with all its gaming features. There are content filters to block unsuitable material, with pre-set profiles for children of different ages. You can also create a schedule to limit Internet use on school nights.
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