Once the hardware is setup (plugged into the modem/antennas attached, it’s time to setup the AC1750 onto the network.

I found that pre-built images from the download site worked better than some of my custom builds - I recommend staying with those.

The C7 was able to stay connected to a Surface 3 from 130 feet away, 5 feet farther than the Netgear R6220's range and about average for a router today. Management settings are plentiful, but the web console is slow to respond and lacks user-friendly icons to help you navigate the menu system.

I didn’t include the C7 V1 results in this comparison because it was tested with a different test process and results are not directly comparable.This technology enables simultaneous transmission and reception of multiple data streams, increasing overall throughput and improving the Wi-Fi performance. On the bottom of the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750, we have mountings to enable the end user to attach it to a surface or wall mount, 4 small rubber pads to allow air to vent underneath the router and an information sticker which has information regarding the make, model, serial and even the default information required to log into the network for the first time. GHz antennas and rear position of the 5 GHz external antennas, I centered the router body on the octoBox chamber turntable.

I’ve been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). Once the guest network is set up on your TP-Link Archer C7 router, your guests can connect to it using the specified SSID and password. OpenWrt Sysupgrade Firmware: Use this file to upgrade an OpenWrt “system” to a newer OpenWrt version. We tested at short, medium, and long distances, doing both an obstructed and unobstructed test for the short and medium distances. mix, the salad days of (relatively) high margins are coming to a close and router makers will now engage in the race to the bottom that comes with all new technology.

TP-LINK has thoughtfully included a wireless on/off switch for folks who like the extra security that comes from shutting wireless completely off when you don’t need it. However, I was very (positively) surprised to see Software flow offloading (Network → Firewall → General Settings) work so well, almost three times the bandwidth of Default routing. There is also a USB port which you can use to connect external drives and share them across the network. Design-wise, the C7 hasn't changed from the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router we reviewed back in 2014.