TP-Link Archer C5 V4 is a router that is just perfect for creating a home Wi-Fi network. This does not mean that this router cannot be used in an office, shop, and other places. It's just that the Archer C5 V4 has everything you need for home use, and even with a backlog for the future. I have to enter that this router will be relevant for a long time. Primarily due to the support of Wi-Fi 5GHz and the 802.11ac standard. Well, gigabit WAN / LAN ports and the presence of USB will definitely not be superfluous.
It is the support of the 802.11ac standard and the presence of gigabit ports that makes it possible to unleash the full potential of the connection (provider) and router. And get the maximum internet connection speed. Especially if your speed is higher than 100 Mbps. There are simply routers with support for the 802.11ac standard, but without gigabit ports (speeds up to 100 Mbps). With this, TP-Link Archer C5 V4 is all right. I think there won't be any problems with the connection speed. And the performance is enough to connect all your devices at the same time.
By the way, if you cannot decide on the choice of a router, in terms of taking a regular or dual-band one, then you can read my article: Wi-Fi speed in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Real speed, measurements, difference. There I showed measurements of the speed of an Internet connection in real conditions, in each range and at different distances from the router.
Let's go back to the technical characteristics of TP-Link Archer C5 V4:
- Simultaneous broadcast of two Wi-Fi networks. At 2.4 and 5 GHz. Support for the new 802.11ac standard.
- Wi-Fi network speed: up to 867 Mbps in the 5 GHz range and up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz range. Therefore, the box says AC1200. This is the aggregate speed of the wireless network across the two bands.
- 1 WAN and 4 LAN ports with a speed of 1 Gbps.
- USB 2.0 port for connecting storage devices (wrote about this here) and printers. On some sites, I saw the declared support for 3G / 4G USB modems in the specifications. But as I understand it, TP-Link Archer C5 V4 which are supplied to Ukraine and Russia do not support USB modems. If you need a router with support for 3G / 4G modems, you can look at TP-Link TL-MR3420, TP-Link Archer C2, TP-LINK Archer C20, etc.
- 4 non-detachable antennas for maximum coverage and stable connectivity.
- There is support for IPTV.
- Parental control function, bandwidth control, IPv6 support, Multi SSID, etc.
- There is also support for the TR-069 protocol. With which the provider can remotely configure your router. However, I don’t know if our Internet providers use this opportunity.
TP-Link Archer C5 V4 router external view
The new TP-Link Archer C5 V4 comes in a beautiful and stylish box. The box itself contains almost all the information about the router. Specifications and its capabilities.
In the kit, besides the router itself and instructions, I found a power adapter and a network cable.
The shape of the body of the Archer C5 V4 router is similar to other models from TP-Link. The antennas and the bottom of the router are gray. And the upper part is made of white glossy plastic with an interesting relief. The company logo looks very cool. The indicators are located on a strip of shiny gray plastic.
The antennas can be folded.
The router itself can be hung on the wall. The required holes are present. There are also many holes on the bottom for cooling the router and a sticker with the necessary factory information.
There are 4 LAN and 1 WAN port on the back. 1 USB port. Reset, Wi-Fi / WPS and On / Off buttons. And the POWER connector.
The quality of the plastic is excellent. As well as the assembly of the case itself.
Control Panel
It was pleasant to find that the manufacturer has installed a new, modern control panel on the TP-Link Archer C5 V4. It looks like this:
There is a section with advanced settings.
The quick setup wizard is very useful.
Very cool control panel. Much better and prettier than the old version. I will not dwell on the settings in more detail, as I plan to make a separate setup manual. Where I will show and tell you everything in detail.
If you want a true dual-band router with gigabit ports and USB, then the Archer C5 hardware version 4 is a very good option. There is also a new control panel as a nice bonus.
I would be glad to see your feedback on TP-Link Archer C5 V4 in the comments.
