Dual Band TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router Review Specifications & Setup

In this article, going to do a TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi router review based on our initial impressions. The TP-Link brand has grown a considerable mindshare over the last couple of years making high-quality networking products with cost effective pricing. When it comes to Wireless networking, the 801.11ac has become the de facto standard for all WiFi routers. TP-Link has a comprehensive portfolio of Dual-Band routers servicing both 802.11ac and 801.11a,b,n clients at 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz respectively.

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Also Read: Top Dual-Band WiFi USB Adapters for PCs & Laptops

The TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router is not the cheapest Dual-Band router, but not expensive either. With a price tag of about $50, it is definitely within reach of the masses.

Here is a quick snapshot of the Archer 60 router specifications:

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TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router Review Unit Highlights

• Fast Dual-Band Wi-Fi simultaneously at both the 2.4GHz band @450Mbps and the 5GHz band @867Mbps
• MU-MIMO Technology allows it to send data to two devices simultaneously
• By beamforming, the WiFi router optimises better coverage for connected devices
• There are three 2.4GHz antennas and two antennas for the 5GHz band to create superior Wi-Fi coverage
• The router software provides useful Parental Control functions and a separate Guest Network
• Tether app for Android and iOS offers easy router-management using your phone

The omnidirectional antennas do a decent job of WiFi network coverage for a mid-sized apartment. However, the network coverage was not exceptional. It is advised “not-to” get carried away with the five large antennas. Since the 2.4 GHz band gets three sets of antennas, the WiFi reach is a little better over the 5 GHz band.

Especially, behind thick walls, the signal breaks apart. A WiFi signal booster might come handy in these scenarios. We got the best performance when we kept the router in the middle of the room and the WiFi repeater closer to the primary router. However, we found the 5 GHz to be particularly useful when there is a lot of interference in the 2.4 GHz band. Here is a quick analogy between the two groups on a 24 Mbps broadband connection.

The extra bandwidth is useful only when you transfer files between computers within the WiFi network. We find it particularly useful while connecting to our home NAS (Network attached storage) device which we use for storing media files.

Remote Management – TP-Link Tether App Cloud-Service

You can easily manage your home network remotely via the “Tether app” from your smartphone or tablet. The App also gives you timely upgrade notifications for the latest firmware updates, ensuring your router stays secure and updated. In case of multiple deployments, you can manage multiple “TP-Link Cloud devices,” all from a single TP-Link ID. You will need to setup the cloud functions via the Tether app or through the web management interface page, available at http://tplinkwifi.net

See the App screenshots below:

TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router Review Unit Setup

Setting up the TP-Link Archer C60 is easy as any other WiFi modem. The device itself does not have a modem functionality and you would need to have a separate DSL modem from your service provider. If your internet connection is through an Ethernet-cable directly from the wall instead of through a DSL-Cable or Satellite modem, connect the Ethernet cable to the router’s Internet port.

Here is a snapshot from the TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router user guide.

Source: TP-Link Archer C60 User Guide

As you can see from the illustration above, the setup is easy, and you should be up and running in no time.

Once the physical installation is complete, you would need to complete the software configuration. You can configure the router in three ways. They are as follows:

1. Wired Method: Using an RJ45 wire to directly connect the router to your PC or Laptop (which has an Ethernet port)
2. Wireless Method: Using the “Tether” mobile app or a mobile browser. First, you need to connect wirelessly to the Router SSID and use the mobile app (or browser) to setup your network. See the illustration below:
3. Using the WPS button: Wireless devices that currently support WPS, including Android phones, tablets, and most USB
   network-adapters, can be connected to your router through this method. Tab the WPS icon on the device’s screen. Take an Android phone for instance. Within two minutes, press the WPS-Wi-Fi On/Off button on your TP-Link C60 router.

Quick Note: WPS is not supported by iOS devices

We found the web based interface to be the best option to setup the wireless router’s initial setup. You can use any desktop or mobile browser to open the setup page. From the browser window, type http://tplinkwifi.net, and log in using the default password.

Quick Note: The default username/password For all TP-Link routers is “admin”

See the screenshots below:

In our scenario, we are using an India based Airtel broadband connection which provides their Router/Modem. We simply used an RJ45 Ethernet cable to connect it to the “Internet” port of the TP-Link C60 router from the service providers modem. There is no further configuration necessary. Using the “Quick Setup Wizard,” we were able to complete the setup within 2 minutes.

Here are the screenshots below:

If you would like to enable remote router management, you would need to setup the TP-Link Cloud settings.

How to register TP-Link Cloud and Setup TP-Link Cloud

• Go to http://tplinkwifi.net and log-in with your username & password that you had set for the router earlier.
• Go-to Basic – TP-Link Cloud.
• Click on “Register Now” and follow the instructions provided to register a TP-Link ID of your choice.
• After completing and activating your TP-Link ID online, you can come back to the TP-Link-Cloud page to log-in.
• The TP-Link ID that is used to log in to the router for the first time will be automatically set as an Admin on the router.

What You Will Like:

• Reasonable WiFi Coverage for a 1500 SQFT apartment.
• Low price for a Dual Band 802.11ac router.
• Loaded with features like Guest Network, Mobile Apps for Management, and Remote monitoring

What You Will Not Like:

• Given the 5 Antennas, the coverage could have been better especially behind walls.
• The 5 GHz coverage is inferior when compared to the 2.4 GHz band.
• WiFi dead zones still exist after the upgrade.

Conclusion:

Overall, we found the TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router to be a great device for home users who like to stream HD media content, along with a wider area coverage requirements. However, we would like TP-Link to provide an even number of antennas for both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz bands. We found the 5 GHz coverage to be technically inferior to the 2.4 GHz one.

Given the price, the device exceeded our expectations, and we would recommend it to anyone who wants to update their home WiFi networks on a reasonable budget.

We hope you like our TP-Link Archer C60 WiFi Router Review. For comments or suggestions, please use the comment section down below.