I’ve been a hardware editor since time imfed, and the first 20 years of this have been spent crying about network problems. But when I started using TP-Link’s Archer series three years ago, my problems were solved. So it’s debatable how objective I am, but I think the technology that’s going to help with the problem of crowded wireless networks has finally come to our house. Moreover, with a device that is affordable for its capabilities such as the Archer AX20, we are able to switch to this technology today.
Wi-Fi 6, formerly known as 802.11ax, is actually a technology that we are too late to pass. Because behind this technology lies a very important question, “how to manage their traffic, while the number of devices using Wi-Fi in our home increases at an incredible rate”. So how does a single router meet the traffic needs of 20 devices at the same time? To date, our response has been to use “more force.” So we used devices that could do five times what a standard router could. For example, the TP-Link Archer C5400X I used changed my life because it was more powerful than most computers when it was released.
Although it may seem lighter and simpler than my monster, with the Support of the Archer AX20’s Wi-Fi 6, our answer to this important question is changing, the goal is no longer more power, but to manage this traffic with smart methods. This means that the router can understand each device and their data needs, manage traffic much smarter (OFDMA) and simultaneously talk to more devices (the new MU-MIMO).
Truck truck data transport
I can give you an example. In our previous routers, four trucks carried the data (if they all support MU-MIMO). If you had five or more devices in your house, the others would wait until these first trucks transmitted their data and returned. So small devices such as smart sockets, smart scales or watches would lock our computers. Although good routers can “device prioritise”, there would be a solution up to a point when the number of trucks was 4.
With Wi-Fi 6, we now have eight trucks, but more importantly, you can load 4-5 small devices into one truck and tell them to go around and distribute them. In this way, let’s say that while the two devices pull a deterred bus, the 25-30 devices in the back regularly get data.
That’s why, as with our transition to technologies like 802.11n/ac, it not only increases signal space and data rate, but Wi-Fi 6 changes efficiency dramatically. On networks with 30+ devices connected like mine, Wi-Fi 6 is now a must-have technology. That’s why the Archer AX20 has the potential to operate 5-6 times more efficiently than the monster router of the previous generation.
Our data loads from the past
But as I say, we are late for this technology, because in order for the system to work healthily, not only the router but also the devices need to support Wi-Fi 6. For example, if you bought an 802.11g printer years ago, it will always be at the feet of your network. Since most of your current devices have Wi-Fi 5 and earlier technologies, you won’t get proper efficiency from Wi-Fi 6 until they change over time.
So what we need today is not only a “smarter” router, but also a “both smart and powerful” solution that can support older devices. Now that you put it like that, did Pink Floyd, Money’s cash register bells start ringing in the background? Yes, Wi-Fi 6 is a technology you should never skip, but if you’re not getting the best, it’s a technology you won’t see for yourself today.
That’s what the Archer series shines at, because the AX series uses very powerful processors for a router on devices TP-Link. So when you look at the Archer AX20 in appearance, features and interface, it may seem very simple compared to its high-end siblings, the C5400X or the AX11000, but the processor and memory inside are not so different. Of course, you can’t expect the AX20, which is only 750TL, to be one with a 4,000TL router. For example, it does not have very advanced QoS features or third tape. But the main thing that will keep you going until the devices in the house go to little Wi-Fi 6; it has a quad-core 1.5GHz processor. That’s what sets it apart from 300-500TL Wi-Fi 6 modems.
And other features
Thanks to its powerful four antennas and beam forming technology, the AX20 also has very good coverage. But even better, the AX20 comes with TP-Link’s OneMesh technology for more affordable devices. With OneMesh, you can set up a Mesh network using different routers and distance extenders. This means that with additional devices, you can increase coverage over the same network as much as you want.
As always, TP-Link has done a very good job with the software. Providing both web interface and mobile management, tether app is incredibly convenient, stylish and hassle-free. The only thing I found in the software was not being can see which device is connected with which technology in the list of connected devices. After all, it would have been nice to take a look at all of them and do some cleaning when switching to Wi-Fi 6.
When you put it all down, the Archer AX20 is an ideal price/performance product for switching to Wi-Fi 6.
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