Router TP-Link Archer C8: Review, Characteristics, Reviews

TP-LINK Archer C8 is a new, powerful and modern router, which has everything you may need to create a stable wired and Wi-Fi network in your home or office. The model is not so long ago appeared on the market, I have already got acquainted with this router, checked how it works, and even prepared instructions on how to configure TP-LINK Archer C8. Well, today I’ll write a small review, its main features, and I’ll leave a review by tradition. Archer C8 and TP-LINK Archer C9 (AC1900) are almost identical models, C9 is a bit more powerful. If you are considering buying a C9, this article will be just as useful for you.

Let me start by saying that the router is not cheap. It’s probably middle class, as there are routers that are more expensive. Its price is about 125 dollars (at the time of writing). I recently wrote an article with tips on choosing a router for your home, so if the price makes you obsolete, you can safely take Archer C8, or even more powerful Archer C9. It will definitely make friends with all the devices in your house, and will provide them with a stable connection to the Internet.

Frankly speaking, I don’t know how many devices are needed to make this router “think”, but you can hardly gather so many Wi-Fi clients in your house. And it doesn’t matter if you play online games, or watch online videos in high definition.

This is of course a dual-band router, with support for the latest 11ac standard. With data transfer speeds of up to 1.75Gbps. That’s at 5GHz. There are high-speed USB ports, gigabit WAN and LAN, and a powerful processor. I will write more detailed information on the characteristics below.

TP-LINK Archer C8 (AC1750) router review

When you open the not insignificant box with this router, it is clear in principle what the money paid for. No, there is nothing unusual in the kit, except for a small network cable, a power supply, three antennas, a disk and documents. It’s just that the router looks very stylish and you should definitely like it. Yes, many will say that it is not a decoration that would put it in a prominent place, and admire it. Maybe so, but it’s still nice. And the router is already an integral part of the interior. White color looks cool, but I would have made the model in black color.

The front panel is made of white glossy plastic, which looks like glass. On the front panel there are indicators (lit in blue color) and a logo. By the way, the silver stand frame is made of plastic. Just in the picture, it looks like it’s metal. That would be cool, but they don’t seem to use metal in router housings. There are three antennas screwed into the top. They rotate. But I don’t see why. You don’t hang a router on the wall. True, you can screw it up, but better not 🙂 By the way, the case of Archer C9 is exactly the same.

On the left side there are no ports and buttons, and on the left side there is a USB 3.0 connector and a button to disable Wi-Fi network. Almost all connectors and buttons are placed on the back panel, which is logical. There is 1 WAN-port, 4 LAN, a socket for a power adapter, a button to power on and off the router, a Reset/WPS button, and another USB-port, but already version 2.0. And a sticker with information: MAC-address, IP-address for entering the settings, user name, password, etc.

I would like to mention the power adapter. It is much larger than in cheaper models. It does not whistle. Sometimes I’ve seen reviews that TP-LINK power adapters make whistling noise when working.

Specifications of TP-LINK Archer C8

As usual, I’m writing only the main ones. All specifications can be seen in any online store, or on the official website.

WAN and LAN ports can work at speeds up to 1000 Mbps.
Two USB ports for connecting storage devices and printers. There is no support for 3G/4G modems.
wi-fi network can operate at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
Wi-Fi network speed: on 5 GHz – up to 1.75 Gbps. At 2.4 GHz – up to 450 Mbps.
802.11ac support.
Dual-core processor, which operates at a frequency of 800 MHz. TP-LINK Archer C9 model runs on a 1 GHz processor.
Three removable antennas. Good coverage radius of the Wi-Fi network. The use of Beamforming technology, which determines Wi-Fi clients and directs the signal to them.

And a set of all the necessary functions: guest network, parental control, IPv6 support, etc.

New TP-LINK router control panel (in blue colors)

In the article on configuring this router (link at the beginning of the article), you can see the router settings page, which is unusual for TP-LINK devices. It has been completely redesigned, made simpler and more modern. Now it is not green, but more pleasant, in blue colors.

There is a great configuration wizard. I configured my TP-LINK Archer C8 (AC1750) through it. But, in the next hardware version or firmware, most likely there will be a multilingual web-interface. Which is very much lacking. As in the latest hardware version of Archer C9 model, it is already available. Read about the firmware of Archer C8 router here.

Of course, you can use the TP-LINK Tether mobile app to control the router.

Reviews of TP-LINK Archer C8

There are very few reviews so far (I hope for yours!). Well, it’s understandable, the router is new and not cheap. It is unlikely that it will become a people’s model, like for example TP-LINK TL-WR841N. But I’m sure that it will find its buyers. Here it is important to understand what we pay money for. For example, if you compare TP-LINK Archer C8 with the same Tp-Link Archer C20i, many people won’t even understand the difference. And the latter is three times cheaper. There are a lot of differences, and the main thing is performance and stability. Which is very lacking in cheap models.

With Archer C8, you are unlikely to have ping drops in games, when someone turns on watching videos on YouTube. Well, if you have a Smart TV that requires a good connection, then you need a router like this one. Yes, everything will work through cheaper models too, but how, that’s a question.

I liked the router. I think we should finally highlight the pros and cons. From the pros: design, power, radius of coverage of Wi-Fi network, speed on Wi-Fi and LAN, 2 USB. On the downside: there is no possibility to hang it on the wall, scratches remain on the glossy plastic, and there is no touch screen (I just really like TP-LINK Touch P5). And there’s enough space on the front panel, you could put in 7 inches 🙂 In the near future, we’ll see more of this.

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends, leave reviews about TP-LINK Archer C8, and write what you think about this router. All the best!