If you’re in the market for a new wireless router, it might be in your best interest to consider going with the new Wi-Fi 7 standard to futureproof your network (and future wireless clients). Wi-Fi 7 has emerged as the faster successor to Wi-Fi 6E, and while the first devices introduced using the standard were wildly expensive, prices are now coming down to more sane levels.
One such offering is the TP-Link Archer BE800, which is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router that is big on features. The router offers a combined 19 Gbps of throughput, delivering 1,376 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band, 5,760 Mbps over the 5 GHz band, and 11,520 Mbps via the 6 GHz band. In addition, the Archer BE800 is EasyMesh compatible, allowing you to create a mesh network with other EasyMesh networks to expand coverage in your home.
All your wireless needs are covered with full compliance with the Wi-Fi 7 specification (unlike cheaper devices, including the TP-Link Archer BE3600), and the wired networking is also robust. You get four 2.5 Gbps ports for LAN, a 10 Gbps Ethernet/Fiber combo WAN/LAN port and another 10 Gbps port for WAN/LAN. In addition, you’ll find a USB 3.0 port for adding a storage device to your network for easy accessibility.
One rather odd (but still interesting) feature of the Archer BE800 is the inclusion of a dot matrix-style LED panel on the front. Using a series of white LEDs, it can display the time, weather, or even emojis to add a bit of fun to an otherwise normal-looking router.
