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TP-Link Archer 550 Wi-Fi 7 Networking sku-3339006219

Name: TP-Link Archer 550 Wi-Fi 7 Networking sku-3339006219
Brand: TP-Link
SKU: prod_2c802031d11ae3a784426c85
Price: 222.50 USD
Availability: InStock

4.3(19 ratings)

TP-Link Archer 550 is a Black Networking router (sku-3339006219; UPC 840030710728). The Archer BE9300 uses Wi-Fi 7 with 6-stream tri-band connections. Aggregate wireless speed is rated up to 9.2 Gbps: 5760 Mbps on 6 GHz, 2880 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz.

The source describes higher throughput, lower latency, improved efficiency and resistance to interference for streaming, AR/VR gaming and downloads. Wired connections include a 2.5 Gbps WAN port, a 2.5 Gbps LAN port, three 1 Gbps LAN ports and one USB 3.0 port. The 2.5G ports are rated at up to 2.5 times standard Gigabit port speed.

Six positioned antennas, Beamforming and Wi-Fi optimization support coverage and stable connections. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is intended to improve throughput, latency and reliability. The Tether app handles setup and remote network management.

HomeShield offers network and IoT security scans, basic parental controls, QoS, usage reports and IoT device identification; its Basic Plan is free and the Pro Plan has fees. The router works with major ISPs, including Comcast, Charter, AT&T, Verizon, Xfinity, Spectrum, RCN, Cox, CenturyLink and Frontier; most require a modem.

It supports EasyMesh routers and range extenders, VPN access for devices on the home LAN without a client on each device, and Alexa or Google Assistant voice control for functions such as guest Wi-Fi and basic troubleshooting.

Maximum signal rates follow IEEE 802.11 physical-rate specifications, and actual throughput, coverage and device capacity vary with clients, building materials, obstacles, traffic, location, cables, port rates and ISP conditions. The claim of support for up to 120 devices comes from same-room laboratory tests using concurrent applications across the 6 GHz, 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands.

Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 320 MHz bandwidth, 4K-QAM, OFDMA and MU-MIMO require compatible clients. The 320 MHz bandwidth works only on 6 GHz; simultaneous 320 MHz on 6 GHz and 160 MHz on 5 GHz may be restricted by region. The double-channel-width comparison is against 160 MHz on Wi-Fi 6 routers.

The lower-latency claim comes from tests comparing maximum latency under the same interference, with MLO-enabled Wi-Fi 7 clients connected to the router's 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands simultaneously versus Wi-Fi 6/6E routers without MLO. EasyMesh connections between vendors may fail because of firmware conflicts, and some functions remain in development.

Software updates may be needed for full IEEE 802.11be feature availability. HomeShield plan details are at tp-link.com/homeshield.