TP-LinkDual-Band BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Router Archer BE230 | 4-Stream | 2×2.5G + 3×1G Ports, USB 3.0, 2.0 GHz Quad Core, 4 Antennas | VPN, EasyMesh, HomeShield, MLO, Private IOT | Free Expert Support

TLDR: I think Tom's Hardware Guide said it best "Bringing Wi-Fi 7 to the masses... The TP-Link Archer BE3600 is cheap, but you also don’t get the full spec of features or performance of “true” Wi-Fi 7 routers". If you’re not big into gaming and just want a no-frills router to support your 1 Gbps or lower internet connection, there’s nothing wrong with the Archer BE3600. I personally, am very happy with my purchase and it's probably the best solution for 85% of people out there/ non-enthusiasts. NOTE: I paid $83 for this Wifi router using an Amazon coupon. Which I think is a very fair price for something I only plan to upgrade every 5-7 years, and only if I have to. I also live in a townhouse, so it's not like the signal has to go 60+ft.Details:Upgrading from a TPLINK AC1750 (Archer A7) [release ~2018], using Comcast internet (Fast plan; up to 600 mbps down) and a Netgear AC1200 WiFi USB Adapter 802.11ac Dual Band, USB 3.0 (on my computer but in a USB 2.0 port) which was about 7 feet away from the wireless router and I saw a measurable increase in my download speeds (~45% from ~260mbps to ~380 mbps using Ookla speed test).Purportedly the TP-Link BE3600 which was released in the 2024/2025 timeframe uses the same frequency bands (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands) as the older TPLINK AC1750 (Archer A7), but uses the newer and faster WIFI 7 (802.11be) vs the older WIFI 5 (802.11ac) protocols. The TP-Link BE3600 advertises up to 3.57 Gbps (aka 3570 Mbps; 2882 Mbps in 5 GHz band + 688 Mbps in 2.4 GHz band) whereas the Archer A7 only 1.75 Gbps (1300 Mbps in 5GHz + 450 Mbps in 2.4 GHz bands).Practically speaking the internet says anything above 100 Mbps should be able to run multiple devices pretty well streaming. But I'm upgrading anyway, because my mother needs a new router so she doesn't have to pay $10/mo for one from the cable company.I have no complaints. Easy to setup and connect to. I realize I'm now probably being gated by my older Netgear AC1200 WiFi USB Adapter which is using a USB 2.0 port (max speed 480 mbps) but my speeds are enough for me; my newer gaming PC which sits about 10 ft away from the router and uses a built-in WIFI card (Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax) manages ~500 mbps down.CAVEAT: I do want to note my older Netis WF2120 Wireless N150 Nano USB Dongle 802.11 b/g/n (aka WIFI 1/3/4) on an older computer was not able to see the 2.4 GHz signal from the BE3600 whereas it could from the AC1750; so I replaced it. I ended up using a spare Wavlink 600M dual-band connectivity (2.4GHz and 5GHz) USB WiFi adapter which uses 802.11ac WIFI 5; and had to update the drivers on my older windows PC in the process (to recognize the Wavlink adapter).

This router is a great way to get WIFI 7 going inexpensively in a home. Especially when they on sale for around $85 and are running a 20% cash back bonus when purchased with your Amazon Visa. That made the net cost to be around $68 each.I am not using them as routers, but as wireless access points, and leveraging off of the two 2.5gbit ports to upgrade my home wired network from gigabit to 2.5gbit speeds. This effectively has made my wired home network 2.5 times faster between the access points. So I have a central 2.5gbit switch connected to my router, then I have that 2.5gbit switch connected to one of the 2.5gbit ports on each of my new routers acting as access points. One upstairs, one downstairs. So while 3 of the remaining ports are 1gbit, there still is an additional open 2.5gbit port and the connection from the main switch is no longer a bottleneck.They have been running for the last two weeks flawlessly.Unlike some of the older TP-Link routers, these routers when put in access point mode have ALL their wired ports available as switched ports, including the 2.5gbit wan port. So you have all 5 ports available.

I needed an inexpensive router for a remote location. I have used TP-Link products before, so for the price I would give it a try. It was easy to set up and mount. It is impressive on how well it's working. The location I have it at controls wireless cameras and when I tested the signal distance I have great connectivity for at least 200 feet. The environment it is in is an old house without A/C. It is hooked up to Starlink satellite and might get a bit warm inside the house. The unit is sleek in size.

no 6GHz so wireless speeds are not a whole lot different than Wifi 6e. WiFi 7 clients are still fairly rare but I installed a Wifi 7 card in my laptop just to test it and, as expected its pretty similar to Wifi6e @ 80MHz channel width. At 160MHz its a bit faster but not really anything worth upgrading for on its own and this basically requires interfering with your neighbors/DFS/other APs you may have. Consider 6GHz equipped APs if you want significantly more wireless throughput than Wifi 6e.I mostly bought this because it has 2 2.5GbE ports. So I can have a 2.5GbE link between my modem/router in the livingroom and this AP in my gaming dungeon. Between my desktop (connected to this AP @ 2.5Gb) and the dozen wifi 5/6/7 clients in the dungeon, I can actually make use of the 2.5Gb backhaul to the modem, which is what I wanted. When you have a gigabit+ internet connection, 1GbE LAN starts to be an issue.as with every other TP-Link AP i've owned, it is extremely solid on the wireless side. Connects fast, hardly ever have issues. Reboot maybe once or twice a year solves any issues. I have a small-ish house so I don't really know if range is good or bad. It easily covers the area I need it to at less-than full-power so I assume its relatively good.First time i've used the newer TP-Link admin panel and it is much improved vs. the Archer C7 days. The TP-Link Tether app is generally useful as far as quick settings changes go. Nothing on the software sides is obviously broken.Might be spying on me but at this point I'm kinda glad its CCP instead of my own govt.My one actual complaint is that it seems way larger than it needs to be. For a low-end Wifi7 AP, it is larger than any AP i've owned before and the location of the antennas makes it even wider. Had to clear out some extra space on the shelf for it (-1 star).

Easy to set up blink cameras and Alexa devices on 7G WiFi. It has a separate 2.4 mode that keeps your secure home 7G network apart from the 2.4 accessory network.When I changed providers and upgraded to 7G WiFi. It was very difficult to carry over 2.4 camera etc. on their router. I was able to use both routers together. The 2.5 Gibit router works great with the 1 Gibit my new service provides.