TP-Link Archer C8 AC1750 Dual-Band Wireless Router

7 reviews for TP-Link Archer C8 AC1750 Dual-Band Wireless Router

1. Rated 5 out of 5

   Andrea Polk – October 5, 2014

   Super easy to setup and use, this dual band wireless AC Gigabit router by TP-Link is a winner for home and small office use. I’ve been able to get consistent performance and stability, exceeding the performance of similarly featured products by D-Link and Netgear, which cost more than this router.SETUP:The setup on this one couldn’t be easier. The included Quick Installation Guide is one sheet of paper with clear instructions. The only thing I think might be a tad confusing to those not familiar with setting up a router would be that you need to attach the three antennas to the router prior to use. The diagram shows that, but the instructions don’t explain it.USE:My Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs connected automatically, as they are wired. The wireless devices simply asked for a password (provided both on the back of the router) to connect.I easily connected 10 devices, both wired and wireless, and all were streaming along nicely without a hiccup in no time. I use TP-Link’s extenders in my home to provide a wired connection to a Sharp Smart TV, and this router seemed to boost that speed as well with the NAT feature enabled. (This setting is enabled by default, to provide the fastest performance.)Since I use my wireless and wired internet to supplement my cord cutting lifestyle (I don’t have satellite or cable TV), I depend upon a stable connection that’s also very fast. I also work from home. I use internet for work and play, so a quick, stable, secure router is essential to keeping me productive and happy.I’ve also tried out the D-Link Wireless AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router (DIR-880L), which while easy to setup and use, is actually slower than this TP-Link product, despite having faster specs on paper.Prior to using the D-Link and now this TP-Link product, I went through months of using the NETGEAR AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band WiFi Router (R8000) and the NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router (R7000), which were awfully frustrating to use and very expensive. Both Nighhawk routers failed to satisfy due to consistently bad performance (frequent resets needed) and hardware failures. Poor customer service from Netgear was also an issue.Thankfully, this TP-Link product came as a blessed relief from internet grief and provided a fast, stable connection for both wired and wireless devices in my home and office.FEATURES:This router has so much going for it, and little to disappoint.It’s super-fast (capable of the latest AC wireless protocol speeds…) with the dual-core 800Mhz processor and it works with the newest ac wireless standard as well as being backwards compatible with n/g/b/a standards. You can setup a guest network, use it as a bridge to extend your network’s range, add an external storage device via USB 3.0 to have it act as a media server to the network.Little things that I like include the ability to easily turn off the wireless radio signal on the device itself, and one button WPS security are clearly marked and easy to deploy.I wish that there was a simple Parental Control interface, but this is a tad complicated to use and not as comprehensive as I would like. Using software from other sources for this purpose is possible however.To date, I’ve yet to find a router from any brand with Parental Controls I like, but I’ll keep looking and wishing for better in the future.CONCLUSION:This TP-Link Gigabit WiFi Router is a very good choice for home and small office use. It provides a faster than expected wireless and wired connection, with very good range and stable performance.Being easy to setup and use, it’s a good choice for those non-techy types of folks who just want a secure wired or wireless connection that works for streaming media as well as basic internet use.I recommend this router for households with multiple wireless devices, as well as those seeking fast wired connectivity. It can be used successfully with the TP-LINK TL-WPA4220KIT ADVANCED 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender, Repeater, AV500 Powerline Edition, Wi-Fi Clone Button, 2 LAN Ports too, as I’ve done in my home.NOTE: If you’re interested in cutting the cord with cable and using streaming media via this TP-Link WiFi router to supplement your over air TV, please consider checking out my books Simple Guide to Over-the-Air Free TV and Simple Guide to Sling TV which can show you step by step how to determine if cord cutting is the right choice for you and explain how to setup a flat antenna like the Mohu Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna and Sling TV service.—————————————-UPDATE: 3/8/15I have been using this router for some time now and have had ZERO issues with it. A rarity! It’s working seamlessly in the background and providing speedy performance to 15-20 wireless devices on my home network at any given time.I highly recommend it for its ease of setup and use, performance and features. After being mightily disappointed with Netgear Nighthawk products, this product was a refreshing change. I recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade to the newest AC technology and get great performance with all their wireless devices.
2. Rated 1 out of 5

   ForesterNY – March 19, 2015

   Not so much the reliable choice like their slogan says. This is the Third TP-Link I try and had the same issues with all three of them. I previously ordered the the 3500 and the 3600 before deciding to pay more money and get this AC1750 Archer 8. I thought if it was AC it would work a lot better. I was so wrong. Not sure if it’s my two bedroom apartment but my speeds through TP-Link routers are horrible. Out of the box, it was an easy setup. No CD Needed. Basically plug and play. I configured the wireless, both the 5GHz and the 2.4GHz and did the firmware upgrade.My internet speed is 200Mbps and I was able to get that speed with a wired connection. Now, when I tried the wirelesses speed my results where extremely poor. I was getting no more than 25mbps. (1/8) of my top speed and this is about 1 foot away from the router. I kept doing speed test all over the house bith on 5GHz and 2.4GHz and both results where poor. Through the weekend my friend bought the Asus RT-AC56u AC1200 and that router worked perfectly in my house with speeds up to 216 MBPS everywhere in my apartment. So I know some router are capable of getting that speed, just not TP-LinkI really really really wanted to like TP-Link and gave it 3 tries but I just will have to buy a different brand and I will switch to Asus. The Asus AC1200 is lower in price and works way better than TP-Link. I have aadded some pictures of internet speed test. It’s a comparison of TP-Link Archer 8 and Asus RT-AC56U with TP-Link getting the lower speeds.UPDATE: I gave this router a second chance and it worked better than the first one but it’s still failed at times. It would work great after changing the channels but when I left the house and came back home speeds would drop again. I would need to change the channel again. Vey unstable. Stay away
3. Rated 5 out of 5

   OE – July 21, 2015

   ———————–QUICK REVIEW———————–I never actually used or had a TP-LINK router before. I’ve used their range extenders/repeaters with great success in the past and currently use one of their TP-LINK RE210 AC750 and love it, so when I was offered the opportunity to test the TP-LINK Archer C8 I was excited!Setup was as easy as any other router I’ve setup before, I set it up manually by connecting the Archer C8 directly to my Motorola Modem, then hard wiring my Windows Laptop to the router, basic setup took me less than 10 minutes. After basic setup, I adjusted some more advanced settings such as port-forwarding and IP scheme (192.168 or 10.1.0) with ease. I was able to get some ports forwards to my Synology NAS, Xbox One and a few static-IP addresses on my network with no issues. The UI was very easy to use, very well layed out which makes it very easy and intuitive.Testing out the USB3.0 feature with an external 1TB 2.5″ USB3.0 drive was easy. Allowing for file sharing with share access via Windows and OSX was a breeze. My only complaint with this issue, like a lot of other routers is share permissions need to be more granular.I’ve had this router up and running for well over a month no issues, no hiccups and absolutely no reboots. It’s actually replaced my Netgear AC1200 router because my speeds are more consistent with the TP-LINK and I have not had to reboot the router once yet, so it’s been very stable and reliable for me.Devices Connected:- Macbook Pro 13″ Retina- Samsung Windows Laptop- 2 x iPhone 6- iPad Mini- Kindle- Xbox One- 2 x Roku 3- Canon Wireless Printer- Synology NAS- Xbox Gen1- Few other random devicesThe only CON or ISSUE for some would be that there is No OpenWRT Support, other than that no issues with the TP-LINK Archer C8, very highly recommended.———————–OVERVIEW———————–TP-LINK Archer C8 comes with the next generation 11ac Wi-Fi standard, offering total data transfer speeds achieving up to 1.75Gbps, with 1.3Gbps over the clearer 5GHz channel, and 450Mbps over the 2.4GHz Channel. Ultra-fast 800MHz dual-core CPU function as a great ‘heart’ for fast, stable and responsive performance with Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB devices. Whole home coverage with excellent Gigabit Wi-Fi are ideal for bandwidth intensive applications such as HD video streaming and online gaming, allowing you to enjoy a super-fast connected home.———————–FEATURES———————–* Supports 802.11ac, the next generation of Wi-Fi* 1.75Gbps of total available bandwidth* Simultaneous dual band networks, 2.4GHz (450Mbps) and 5GHz (1300Mbps)* 3 detachable dual band antennas for maximum wireless coverage and reliability* Beamforming technology locates wireless devices to create a stronger connection* 800MHz dual-core processor handles simultaneous wired and wireless connections without interruption* TP-LINK Live 24/7 technical support for assistance with setup and configuration* USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports to easily share printers, files, and media across your network———————–PROS———————— Next-Generation Wi-Fi (B, G, N, AC) Provides Future Longevity!- High Performance External Antennas That Work!- Gigabit Wired Speeds for High Speed Gaming & Streaming!- Detablable dual-band antennas for better coverage- USB 3.0/2.0 Ports for Storage & Printer Sharing- 2TB Maximum External Storage- Fast, Sleek, Intuitive UI- 192.168 or 10.1.0 Scheme- Parental Controls———————–CONS———————— No OpenWRT Support———————–DISCLOSURE———————–I was supplied a sample for test and evaluation, and I promised that my review is fair and honest with no bias.
4. Rated 4 out of 5

   B. nguyen – July 31, 2015

   Pretty amazing router as far as file copy bandwidth goes.I had a chinese made Tenda W1800R (AC1750) running Tomato Shibby firmware and I probably saw 1 time when I got 9MB/s during copying files from a system connected to a 450mbs 2.4Ghz N bridge to a system using 450mbs 5Ghz A, most of the time I averaged 6.5MB/s. This TP-LINK router consistently gives me 9.5-10+ MB/s using the same configuration (but I had to reposition the router couple times).Signal wise the 5Ghz band is a little stronger than the Tenda, 2.4Ghz signal is about the same. The UI is pretty robust, no more or less than any of the other brand names.The only thing I don’t like about this router is its default position which is standing vertically instead horizontally, if you it on a shelf there’s a chance you won’t be able to do that because its height exceeds the shelf spacing, to lie it down horizontally with its top facing down you have to place 4 feet underneath it so that it has enough ventilation because the top can get pretty hot, honestly I thought the design was pretty idiotic.
5. Rated 5 out of 5

   Rebirth – August 25, 2015

   The 2.4Ghz band range was good than the buffalo g450h and the asus ac68r :d.
6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Ike05 – September 26, 2015

   The reason I am writing this review is to share with other how easy it was to modify this router to mount to a wall. Modifying the router took about 10 minutes. First thing I did was remove the grey plastic stand using a handsaw. Then I attached two sawtooth picture hangers to the already present holes in the back of the router using about a few short screws There is quite a lot of clearance inside the router so you don’t have to worry about damaging any of the internal components. Finally I put two C hooks into the wall an placed the router onto the hooks. That’s pretty much it.I purchased this router about a year ago to use as a wireless access point for the second floor of my house. It has been working great for the past year in a location that was not optimal (essentially inside a wooden box). I just recently modified the router so that I could mount it to the wall and the results are excellent. With the router in a more optimal location, I now am starting to fully appreciate this router’s capabilities.
7. Rated 5 out of 5

   Lee – December 20, 2015

   I turned in my Comcast eMTA (voice modem/router) and bought this plus a Surboard SB6183 and an Ooma. I also have a Tivo. With the Comcast modem, my Tivo showed a (wireless) signal strength of about 92% (it sits about 10′ away). With the Archer, it always shows 100%. I get wireless throughput on my laptop that is exactly the same as the wired connection on my desktop. I don’t know how it could be any better than that.