If you're looking for a high-end Wi-Fi 7 gaming router but don't like the aesthetics of spider-style routers from companies like Asus, TP-Link wants your attention. The new Archer GE800 is the company's latest Wi-Fi 7 router, aiming to deliver performance and plenty of physical ports to also cater to all your wired networking needs.
Unlike routers like the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro and RT-BE96U, the Archer GE800 looks more mundane in comparison, and that's a good thing. Instead of eight poseable antennas, you get twin vertical blades that are much more elegant. Sure, you get RGB lighting effects to liven things up a bit, but it's by no means an "in your face" design like the competition.
This is a tri-band router, supporting up to 1,376 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, 5,764 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and 11,528 Mbps on the 6 GHz band (19 Gbps aggregate). If you need a refresher, Wi-Fi 7 doubles the 6 GHz channel width compared to 5 GHz, which helps to improve performance significantly. In addition, multi-link operation (another Wi-Fi 7 addition) allows for lower latency and greater reliability with dozens of wireless devices on your network.
You also won't be left wanting when it comes to physical ports; the Archer GE800 features four 2.5 Gbps LAN ports and two 10 Gbps LAN ports, putting it on equal footing with the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro. Both 10 Gbps ports can be used for WAN, which will be a boon for those lucky enough to have multi-gigabit fiber connections to your home. One of the 10 Gbps ports also supports the high-speed SFP+ interface.
On the user interface side, TP-Link provides plenty of features to protect your router and connected devices, including real-time protection for IoT devices, a home network scanner (to identify and quarantine infected devices), and a malicious site blocker (among other enhancements). There are also gaming-specific features, which allow you to dedicate a single band for your gaming devices and provide network acceleration for specific games. You can also set up an FTP, media, or Samba server using the single USB 3.0 ports on the back of the router.
Given the performance and features provided by the Archer GE800, it shouldn't be a surprise that it's pricey. The router has an MSRP of $599, which undercuts the RT-BE96U and ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro by $100 and $200, respectively. $599 is still a hefty price for a router, especially when you can find decent Wi-Fi 6E routers for under $300 or less. But for those who want to be on the bleeding edge, the TP-Link Archer GE800 is available now for preorder from Amazon. There's even a $100 instant discount currently available to sweeten the deal, taking the price to $499 if you're in the market for a router upgrade.
