Review of Routers TP-LINK AX6000 WiFi

The only constant is the change. And this is nowhere more true in computer hardware and network. TP-Link is one of the material companies surfing advanced technologies and meet current needs. The AC5400X is one of the routers currently offered by TP-Link for hungry Internet users. This unit has already been reviewed by us and you can find it here. More importantly, continue reading to read our article on this Costaud networking equipment.

This time, we look at an offer of TP-Link that does not only meet the current network needs, but also for future. A future where the next standard WiFi is called WiFi 6, also called ax wifi. WiFi 6 is the continuous extension of the 802.11 WiFi standard, currently at 802.11ac or Wifi 5. Wifi 6 is the 802.11ax version. This simply means a new standard designed to handle more Wi-Fi devices while maintaining or improving the flow of the network.

To summarize a little more, WiFi 6 multiplies by four the amount of data that can be transported from WiFi 5 - 1024 QAM compared to the 256 QAM. The result is an increase in WiFi data rate 6 to 9.6 Gbps. On the other hand, WiFi 5 can only reach 6.9 GPS. WiFi 6 can easily support 4K 4K video but also 8k. Even with today s rapid technological rhythm, WiFi s video capacity 6 will prove it in the future for a few generations of technology. WiFi 6 can handle the WiFi data capacity four times, which means it can also handle more devices. You can find more information on WiFi 6 here - http: //www.tp-link.com/us/wifi6/. The specifications of this new generation of wifi are really impressive. Especially on paper, but how does it work in the actual use situation. This is the object of this magazine. It should be noted that all tests have been made with 5 or less wifi devices, so I have not been able to test all the possibilities of the TP-Link WiFi router - The AX6000.

Physically, the TP-LINK AX6000 presents itself as a modest version of the AC5400X. The AX6000 has the same basic shape with eight foldable antennas. This one will be much easier to mix with the decor of the house. The fully black unit is much easier to hide than the black and red striped antennas of the AC5400x. In terms of dimensions, the AX6000 is a much more slender unit and smaller 10.3 x 10.3 x 2.4 inches relative to the dimensions of 11.3 x 11.3 x 7.2 inches of AC5400X . The AX6000 comes with a WAN 2.5 GBPS port, eight LAN Gigabit ports, a C 3.0 USB port and a type A USB port to cover all your connectivity needs.

As its big brother, the unit is powered by a 64-bit 1.8 GHz Quad Core processor to manage all services and applications that the AX6000 is able to execute. The AX6000 supports two Wi-Fi channels - a 2.4 GHz and a 5.4 GHz. According to WiFi 6 specifications, the 5.4 GHz channel is almost 3 times faster than the current standard, while the Wifi 6 version of the 2.4 GHz band is almost double the WiFi version 5. All these specifications sound. Well, but there is a problem. Sure. To fully enjoy wifi 6, ideally, all devices in your home are WiFi compatible 6. Such devices have not yet resided here. My tests consisted of verifying the performance of the AX6000 compared to the AC5400x.

To summarize, we live in a multi-story home where we are connected to an ADSL modem. The wired connection is in the basement of my home office. My internet needs are satisfied but the rest of the family is not so lucky. The next floor is where my son is with his game computer; Then, the upper floor is the one where we look at most of our media. Finally, the last floor houses the desk of my wife and the master bedroom. It is not surprising that each floor suffers from a less and less good internet speed.

We have tried several solutions: a wifi booster in the basement and Cpl adapters have slightly improved the situation, but their number has remained relatively low and my son complained about the constant fluctuation of its ping and download speeds. It received an average ping of 34 ms and a download speed of 15.15 Mbps using WiFi. On the ground floor of the Android box, the numbers indicated a lamentable ping of 185 ms and a download speed of 17.93 MPBS. Things on the top floor were worse.

The AC5400X has solved network problems with plumb. The AX6000 therefore has bread on the board. How did it go? This table comparison summarizes it best:

As shown in the table, the two units were almost identical in almost all aspects, with the exception of the Ax6000 that surpassed the AC5400x in terms of download speed. This despite the fact that the 5400 has two channels of 5.4 GHz with respect to that of 6000. Thus, the assertion that WiFi 6 can handle more devices with a higher flow rate is corroborated by my conclusions.

TP-Link also provides a mobile application for Android and iOS devices that allows you to control the router from your smartphone. The Tether app allows you to remotely connect to the AX6000 via the cloud. You can see how many devices / clients are connected to the router and additional control is allowed. You can give priority to each client. Thus, for example, the iPad of my wife used thoroughly on the top floor is the first to take into account the internet bandwidth relative to other devices.

The Tether application is also supplied with a homeCare suite that allows you to adapt the Internet content to a user s profile. Parents can request parental control so that their children can not access inappropriate equipment. Antivirus protection is provided and can be activated or disabled. Then there is the QoS - Quality of Service. From this clever utility, you personalize how the TP-LINK AX6000 manages the use of the Internet. Priority can be given to game, streaming, navigation, downloading or discussion categories. Custom configurations can be arranged to assign each category a low, normal or high priority - very easy to use and very convenient. There is even an integrated Alexa Amazon compatibility. You no longer need to access a web browser from a device connected to your network to configure the router. There is also a complete suite of tools that even limit the number of hours during which a network user has WiFi access. Parents rejoice!

You should not judge a book by its cover or power of a router by its size. Despite the fact that his eldest has become a dwarf, the ax6000, thinner and more slender, held or beat the AC5400x, larger as a tank. And this without any device capable of supporting the standard WiFi 6. What improvement awaits us the flow of the network when such devices will be available? I can not wait to know it.