TP-Link Archer C5400
The C5400 has a snazzy web interface and great parental controls, but Wi-Fi speeds are unexceptional
SCORE PRICE £213 (£256 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/288tpl
With its slim, square design and eight flip-up antennae, the Archer C5400 certainly looks the business. And internally, it boasts two 5GHz radios, each with a maximum bandwidth of 2,167Mbits/ sec, for a huge total throughput that’s matched only by D-Link and Linksys this month.
Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in this Labs, such figures don’t always translate to real-world performance. Over a same-room connection, the Archer C5400 gave us distinctly
slower download speeds than its rivals, and while that headline speed didn’t falter as we moved to the bedroom, the TP-Link slumped far down the table when we moved away to the bathroom.
It’s a shame, because the Archer is otherwise a rather snazzy router. The web portal is one of our favourites – it’s easy to navigate, perfectly responsive and even fairly tasteful, with a gentle blue background. The Status page is detailed yet clear, and the links down the side provide quick, logical access to all the core settings.
There’s a good set of features too. File-sharing and print server functions let you make good use of the unit’s twin USB ports, and the TP-Link Cloud service allows you to access your files over the internet too. Set up the built-in OpenVPN server and you can connect directly to local shares and NAS appliances while you’re out and about – and to make this as easy as possible, TP-Link offers its own dynamic DNS service (although no-ip. com and dyn.com are supported, too).
TP-Link’s parental controls meanwhile are among the best we’ve seen. You can easily set up devicespecific usage limits and schedules with a few clicks, and TP-Link’s HomeCare service provides three years of free category-based restrictions. The company hasn’t yet decided how much it will cost to continue the service after that – but by then you may well be ready to replace your router anyway.
When you’re paying this much, you’re entitled to expect top-class performance, and based on our experience the C5400 sadly doesn’t deliver that. Nevertheless, it’s an undeniably likable router, especially if you have kids; if coverage isn’t your top priority, it’s well worth a look.