TP Link Archer C7 Vs C8 Vs C9

The Internet has become universal. A record number of people are now using the Internet on a daily basis.

From businesses to homes, everyone needs internet. While many require an internet connection for business and work purpose, many also use it for mobile internet usage.

Either way, in days of rapid internet usage, it’s essential to have a good router. Without the right router, your internet connection is limited and patchy.

As a matter of fact, internet speeds have increased drastically when compared to the past few years.

So it’s important that you have a compatible and an updated router for making the most out of your internet connection.

There are various routers available today. Their technical specifications are jargon most don’t follow.

TP-Link is one of the most reliable tech company that manufactures routers. Also, most people like buying these routers as it is widely known they are the best for high-quality wireless connections.

While offering all the modern features, these routers are relatively inexpensive when compared to other routers from leading manufacturers.

Here is a comparison table which sums up the technical specifics and features in one place for easy reference and understanding.

TP-Link’s Archer C7, C8, and C9 are some really good routers available in the market.

While each of these models has it’s own clear distinctions, they are often confused with each other. Similar shapes, sizes, and colors are the reason for the confusion.

This article will discuss the features, differences, pros, and cons followed by a comparison chart. It will help you get a clear picture of what router is most suitable for you.

These routers are listed in ascending order of their release and features. While Archer C9 is the latest router, C7 is the relatively older one.

#1. Archer C7

Archer C7 is a robust router that supports a fast internet connection. Released earliest relative to the others on the list, this router comes with many new features when compared to its predecessors.

This router comes with the 802.11ac generation of Wi-Fi. In IEEE, there are various versions of Wi-Fi stands. As of now, 802.11ac is the latest and the fastest version. This router supports both IPv4 and IPv6 as well.

This router can support speeds up to 1700MBPS wirelessly and is three times faster when compared to an 802.11n standard router.

It can support up to 1300MBPS through the 5GHz bandwidth and up to 450GHz through the 2.4GHz band.

While the 5 GHz bandwidth can be used for streaming HD content, gaming, and movies, the lower bandwidth can be used for general internet browsing.

It also comes with six antennas out of which three are external, and three are internal. Due to this setup, a higher speed can be maintained across a huge area.

You can set up your FTP server using this router and facilitate file transfers among your private network. It comes with two USB 2.0 ports which are multifunctional and support printers, and media devices.

This router comes with 4 Gigabit LAN Ports and one Gigabit WAN port. The Gigabit ports achieve a speed which is ten times greater than those achieved by the standard Ethernet connections.

You also have a Wi-Fi On/Off switch which helps you monitor and control your Wi-Fi better. While a lot of websites are using the IPv4 address, the IPv6 will soon be the norm.

This router comes future-ready by being IPv6 compatible.

Also, this router features the Guest Network option through which you can shield your private data and files from the guests using your network. The setup and configuration of the network is relatively easy.

Another great feature of this router is the fact that it supports all the devices that support 802.11a,b,g and n standards.

This router comes with a Quality of Service option which lets you control the bandwidth allocated to various devices that are connected to your network.

The main downsides of this router are the fact that it does not come with the USB 3.0 ports.

Also, this router is seriously underpowered in terms of the CPU speed when compared to the other two models C8 and C9. It comes with a single-core 720MHz of processing power only, it doesn’t let multiple users stream at once and has become nearly obsolete with C9’s entry into the market.

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#2. Archer C8

There are quite a few similarities between this router and its predecessor, the Archer C7. Both these routers come with 802.11ac standard and come with a 1.75GBPS bandwidth.

While 5GHz of bandwidth facilitates speed of 1300MBPS, the 2.5GHz facilitates speed of 450MBPS.

This router comes with three bands as well which are detachable and produce a maximum coverage and reliability as well. While C7 does not support USB 3.0, C8 does support 3.0. It comes with a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.

The USB ports thereby help in setting up and using an FTP with greater ease. This router comes with a slightly enhanced CPU speed when compared to its predecessor thereby making it quicker.

This also comes with Gigabit Wi-Fi making it ideal for HD content streaming, movie streaming, and intense gaming as well. Archer C8 makes use of a special wireless technology known as the Beamforming.

This ensures that the router has a great coverage and an entirely reliable Wi-Fi signal setup. As this amplifier also features amplifiers alongside antennas, the signals are sure to reach your devices quickly, strongly and efficiently.

This router also features the Guest Network feature like its predecessor and comes with Parental Control as well.

Through this feature, parents or guardians can monitor their children’s internet usage and restrict unwanted URLs. Setting up a black list and a white list is easy with this router.

Similar to C7, this router also supports IPv6 version as well. As time is passing by, there is a dire need and demand for IPv6 addresses. A few years from now, all the new websites will come in IPv6 address only.

This router provides Tether APP which helps in managing your router around your smart devices. It also comes with Quality of Service which helps you monitor and allocate the bandwidth to various devices.

While C7 comes with a single core processor, C8 comes with a dual-core processor which increases the stability of the network.

While this router gets a slight design update, the main winner is its great performance in 5GHz bandwidth.

One of the main issues with this router is the fact that it is a tedious job to set up parental controls. Apart from this, there aren’t any issues when it comes to this router.

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#3. Anchor C9

When compared to the given routers, this is the most sophisticated and the latest addition to the line of Anchor routers. Like its predecessors, it supports the 802.11ac IEEE standard as well.

The main difference when it comes to this router is the fact that it is quicker than both the routers C8 and C7 as well.

While the other mentioned routers come with a 1.7GBPS of bandwidth, this router comes with a 1.9GBPS bandwidth.

While 1300MBPS is facilitated through the 5GHz channel, the other 600MBPS is facilitated through the 2.5GHz channel.

Like the other models, this comes with three dual-band antennas which are detachable. As mentioned, these help in boosting the wireless connection speed to the next level.

Like its predecessor C8, this router also comes with Beamforming technology. While C7 and C8 came with 750MHz and 800MHz processors, this router comes with 1 GHz processor making it quicker and faster as well.

This router has greater bandwidth and is much faster when it comes to the signals and connection it can host. Like C8, this model comes with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports as well.

These USB ports help in printer and storage sharing as well as setting up a media server or an FTP server.

This model comes with Guest Network and Parental Control as well. Both these features are an excellent addition to the range of services provided by this router.

Like the other two routers, this router supports IPv6 addresses as well. It is easy to setup too and features the Tether APP feature like its predecessor C8.

It also gives navigation option through software as well as an iOS application.

The pricing and the easy installation alongside the elegant design are the main upsides of this router. As it is quicker than the other two, that is also an edge. However, there are few downsides.

This router has average storage performance and has one design issue. It can only stand, and you cannot position this router any other way.

Also, many routers providing the features that C9 does, tend to enable VPN as well.

However, C9 does not come with an inbuilt VPN. Apart from these, this router is an amazing device.

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Conclusion

As these three models are upgrades over one another, it is relatively easy to pick a clear winner. If we’re looking at modern features and excellent speed, C9 is the clear winner.

However, if you consider value for money and you don’t have a heavy internet usage scenario, C8 is the right choice.

Overall, C8 and C9 are both the clear winners. C7 is outdated and has poor specs when compared to the other routers from the competitors.

If you are a business or an office that might seem to have a heavy internet usage, C9 should be your pick.

If you’re a household or a small business that does have high internet usage but not too high, then C8 is for you.