When there are many different devices in the house, on which, in addition to visiting websites and communicating on social networks, they watch videos, play online games or download files, the performance of the router may not be enough. This primarily applies to budget routers. For a stable and fast connection, even under load, you need a powerful and efficient router. For example, such as TP-Link Archer C2300. It cannot be called a budget one for sure, it costs about $ 170. But it is two times cheaper than some top models. And the performance and functionality in it is more than enough for home use.
TP-Link Archer C2300 is built around a powerful processor. Of course, it supports the Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard, is equipped with gigabit ports, two USB ports and a HomeCare security system. There is support for Beamforming, MU-MIMO, Range Boost, etc. The software functionality of the router is very rich. It has a multilingual web interface and cloud-based functionality.
Appearance and equipment
I decided to start my review of TP-Link Archer C2300 not with technical characteristics, as I usually do, but with the package and appearance. The router comes in a nice box with all the basic information about the device.
Everything is packed securely enough. All glossy parts are covered with a protective film.
The equipment is standard: a router, antennas (they are removable), a power adapter, a network cable and instructions.
We remove the film, fasten the antennas and get such a handsome man.
Almost the entire body is made of high-quality matte plastic. The top cover is divided into two parts. The first is made of matte plastic with an unusual texture and holes for ventilation, and the second is made of glossy plastic (which, of course, gets very dirty and scratched). There are inserts made of silver plastic, which perfectly complements the TP-Link logo of the same color. The indicators are located at the top and are highlighted with a special strip. They can only be seen when TP-Link Archer C2300 is turned on. The bottom of the silver strip is the button to turn off the indicators. But I didn't really understand what this button is for, because the indicators shine very dimly even in the dark.
On the left side there are three buttons: Wi-Fi On / Off (to enable / disable the wireless network), Reset, and WPS. And two USB ports, one of which is 3.0 (it's blue inside).
4 LAN ports and 1 WAN, as well as a power connector and an On / Off button are located on the back.
Removable antennas.
The router looks expensive. Heavy for its size.
At the bottom there are many holes for air ventilation and cooling of powerful iron, a sticker with factory information and some small rubber feet, which, frankly, are ineffective. But the router does not slide as much as it does on plastic legs.
There are two holes on the bottom that allow you to hang the router on the wall.
Quality materials and interesting design. The buttons and ports are placed conveniently. I just didn't like the straight holes (through which you can see the board) on the top cover of the router. This is a very good solution for circulating air and cooling the board, but it will be very easy for dust to get there. The board will quickly become covered with dust, which, I think, will heat up even more.
TP-Link Archer C2300 Specifications
On the TP-Link website, I found information that the Archer C2300 is powered by a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor with an additional coprocessor. Chip from Broadcom. What model is unknown. The RAM is 512 MB, and the permanent memory is 128 MB.
Of course, such powerful hardware allows you to squeeze out good speed over the wireless network. In the 5 GHz range up to 1625 Mbps, and in the 2.4 GHz range up to 600 Mbps. Performance adds support for the MU-MIMO function, thanks to which the router can transmit information to several devices at the same time. And the Smart Connect function will automatically assign devices to the best available Wi-Fi range of the network.
WAN / LAN ports are gigabit (up to 1 Gb / s). There is support for the (Link Aggregation) function, which allows you to combine two LAN ports into one and get speeds up to 2 Gb / s. This can be useful when connecting a network attached storage (NAS) to a router. Two USB ports can be used to connect flash drives, external HDDs, or a printer. One USB 3.0 port. The write / read speed will be much faster compared to USB 2.0. However, when you connect the appropriate drive (with support for USB 3.0).
The TP-Link website says that the router comes with 3 detachable antennas. But for some reason it seems to me that there are also built-in Wi-Fi antennas. Dual-band, high-speed wireless and MU-MIMO technology are hardly possible with three antennas. Maybe I'm wrong. I did not find information on antenna power. But the network coverage is good. It will be enough for a two- or three-room apartment (do not forget that the range of the wireless network depends not only on the router).
Other characteristics and features:
- Range Boost and Beamforming are features that are designed to provide fast and efficient wireless connectivity and extend the range of your network.
- Supports cloud functions "TP-Link Cloud". You can, for example, control the TP-Link Archer C2300 via the Internet (instructions here).
- HomeCare security system, which includes parental control, QoS, firewall and even antivirus. Maximum protection for your home network.
- OpenVPN, PPTP VPN and VPN Acceleration are available to set up a fast VPN connection.
- Multilingual, beautiful and intuitive web interface.
- Supports TP-Link Tether app (with internet control).
The functionality and capabilities of this router will be enough even for advanced users.
Wi-Fi network speed
Testing the speed of a router such as TP-Link Archer C2300 when you have a speed of up to 100 Mbps at a rate from an Internet provider is a little silly and pointless. Is that in the 2.4 GHz band. But I made several measurements (I tested the speed on the iPhone) and now I will share the results with you.
My cable speed is from 90 to 100 Mbps. In the 5 GHz range, the router gave the maximum speed, of course.
In the 2.4 GHz band (which in my apartment is very busy with neighboring networks) the speed is only slightly lower.
This is at the maximum signal of the Wi-Fi network. When I went to the farthest room and one division from the signal level disappeared, the speed dropped slightly (54 Mbps incoming and 85 Mbps outgoing).
To get the most out of this router, you need an Internet channel of at least 300-500 Mbps. But this speed is needed not only for connecting to the Internet, but also for a stable connection of devices in the local network. For example, to watch movies on TV from a computer or NAS via DLNA, or share files over a local network.
Conclusions
TP-Link Archer C2300 is a powerful, fast and very powerful router. It is much cheaper than the flagship models, which most likely makes no sense to overpay. Unless you are a very advanced and demanding user, and clearly understand why you need such an expensive router. The Archer C2300 will be sufficient for the most complex tasks (online games, downloading files, transferring files on the local network, watching videos in 4k, etc.), even if these tasks are performed on several devices at the same time. A regular $ 20 router will just freeze. Or, in the best case, the speed and ping will drop dramatically, and the Archer C2300 will work. This was the answer to the question "Why do you need an expensive router?"
