TP-Link Archer C5400X AC5400 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Gaming Router

amazon TP-Link Archer C5400X AC5400 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Gaming Router reviews

If you are a professional online gamer, you need to combine a super-fast gaming system with a wifi router that allows you to optimize your bandwidth to reduce or eliminate network latency. TP-Link Archer C5400X, a massive 802.11ac device equipped with multiple LAN ports, built-in malware protection provided by Trend Micro, parental controls, and set user-friendly QoS. The C5400X scores very quickly in our transfer speed tests.

Big Gaming

At 2.2 x 9.5 x 9.5 inches (HWD), the C5400X is roughly the same size as the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300; that is to say, it’s huge. It has eight oversized red and black external antennas that are removable but not adjustable. It is equipped with eight gigabit LAN ports, two of which can be configured for link aggregation to provide speeds of up to 2GBbps to compatible NAS devices connected to the router.

The status LEDs on the top of the router are solid white when the router is working properly, red when the internet connection is lost, orange when wifi is off, and white when updating the firmware. The front of the router houses the WPS, wifi On/Off, and LED On/Off buttons, and there are two USB 3.0 ports on the right side. In addition to the LAN ports, the back of the router has a WAN port, a power button, a power jack, and a reset button.

The C5400X is a 4×4 router powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, three coprocessors, and 1GB of RAM. It has three radio bands and uses 1024QAM (Quad Amplitude Modulation) technology to achieve maximum data rates of up to 1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2,167Mbps on each of the 5GHz bands. It supports 802.11ac technologies, including MU-MIMO data transmission, direct-to-client (beam) transmission, Smart Connect, which allows choosing the radio band to optimize based on network traffic (you can turn it off to allow three separate radio bands).

The router can be managed using the TP-Link Tether mobile app for iOS and Android devices or a more traditional web-based control panel. The console opens to a Status screen that shows wired and wireless connected clients and Ethernet settings.

There’s also a Speed ​​Test button to measure upload and download speeds, and there’s a menu on the left with Basic and Advanced settings tabs for Internet, Wireless, USB Sharing, Home Care, Guest Network, and TP-Link Cloud. Internet Settings allows you to configure how the router will connect to the internet (Dynamic IP or Static IP, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP) and has DHCP Server, Static Routing, Dynamic DNS, and Link Aggregation settings. In the Wireless settings screen, you can change the SSID and Password, adjust the Channel Width, set up wifi scheduling, and enable/disable Smart Connect.

In the Home Care settings, you can configure Parental Controls using the Child, Teen, and Adult presets to prevent or allow access to social networking, gambling, sex education, and other adult content and apply them to specific content connected devices. Here you can specify QoS (Quality of Service) settings that allow you to prioritize the network for specific applications and clients using the Standard, Game, Surfing, Streaming presets online, Chat and Customize. Also in Home Care are Trend Micro’s Malicious Content Filters, Intrusion Prevention System, and anti-malware utilities Isolating Infected Devices. TP-Link Cloud allows you to manage your router from anywhere via the internet.

The C5400X’s settings lack the player-centric options you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300. Such as Game Boost, which analyzes your network and prioritizes traffic gaming on Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Xbox A game console and Game Radar, allowing you to view worldwide servers for specific games, country locations, and their ping status.

It also lacks native support for the Player’s Private Network (GPN), which provides a private and secure connection to gaming servers. It offers low latency and optimal performance for over 1,000 titles compatible games. However, like its mesh-based sibling, the Deco M9 Plus Mesh wifi System, the C5400X supports Alexa voice commands such as turning on the guest network and turning off the LEDs at night. It also supports IFTTT apps that alert you when a device connects to your network or prioritize a device when activated.

Remarkable performance

You can install the C5400X using the Tether mobile app or by typing http://tplinkwifi.net into the URL bar of the connected PC. I connected the router to my desktop PC and the modem and used the web control panel to configure the time zone and IP type. I made sure Smart Connect was turned off, noted down the SSID and password for each band, and was ready to test the router’s transfer speed capabilities.

The C5400X delivered impressive scores in our transfer rate performance tests. Its 113Mbps score on the 2.4GHz proximity test (same room) is faster than both the Netgear R9000 and the D-Link DIR-895L/R but not as fast as the Asus GT-AC5300 Capture. On the 30-foot 2.4GHz test, the C5400X’s 76Mbps score was faster than the competition, but only slightly.

The C5400X’s 586Mbps score on our 5GHz proximity test is the highest we’ve seen but can’t beat our all-time leader, the Asus GT-AC5300. However, its 306Mbps score at 30 feet was a bit behind the rest, with the Netgear R9000 taking the top honors.

Our MU-MIMO tests used three identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm’s QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry; the C5400X managed 220Mbps in the proximity test outperforming the Netgear R9000, but not the Asus GT-AC5300 and the D-Link DIR-895L/R. On the 30-foot MU-MIMO test, the C5400X’s 106Mbps score trails behind the pack, but not by much.

Good for Gamers

Fast transfer-rate performance and plenty of ports make the TP-Link Archer C5400X a solid, albeit pricey, the choice for gaming enthusiasts and anyone with multiple wired and wireless clients connection at the same time. Its 5GHz near-range transfer rate performance is among the highest we’ve seen, as is its near-2.4GHz range performance. Management settings are extensive and include anti-malware tools, powerful parental controls, and user-friendly QoS settings.

where can you get a TP-Link Archer C5400X AC5400 MU-MIMO Tri-Band Gaming Router online

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