Setup is fast and simple with the Tether app. By default, the two.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands will seem as one, and the router will choose the very best connection. There’s additionally a separate 6-GHz community (appended “_6G”) that suitable Wi-Fi 6E or 7 gadgets can be a part of. The MLO (Multi-Hyperlink Operation) choice is new for Wi-Fi 7, and permits Wi-Fi 7 gadgets to attach concurrently on a number of bands.
Additional choices embrace visitor community, IoT community, VPN server or shopper, EasyMesh, and some different bits and items. All the pieces is accessible by the online interface, when you choose, and you may arrange distant administration. TP-Hyperlink’s HomeShield contains fundamental community safety, parental controls (profiles, bedtimes, content material filters), and QoS to prioritize gadgets. Enhanced safety and higher parental controls require HomeShield Professional ($6 monthly or $55 per 12 months). However I’m not a fan of the subscription mannequin with a router this costly.
Off to the Races
All the pieces I stated about TP-Hyperlink’s first Wi-Fi 7 mesh, the Deco BE85 (7/10, WIRED Review), applies to the BE800. In short, you might be paying a premium for Wi-Fi 7 proper now, and also you nearly actually don’t have the gadgets to take benefit. You’ll be able to anticipate quirks and bugs, and these pre-certified gadgets lack the Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) that can increase the vary of the 6-GHz band.
The Archer BE800 carried out admirably in most of my assessments. It topped the charts by shifting a 2.2-GB file from one PC on my community to a different in a single minute and 9 seconds, allowed me to obtain a 30-GB sport in underneath 5 minutes, and completed within the prime three for almost all of my pace assessments. It scored significantly properly on the iPhone 14 Professional (5 GHz) and the Pixel 6 Professional (6 GHz).
Even with concurrent film streams, on-line video games, and video calls, there wasn’t a touch of buffering or pixelation for my busy household of 4. The BE800 has blanketed my two-floor, 1,600-square-foot dwelling and yard with a persistently robust sign. Firmware updates have rolled out since I began testing, however I haven’t had any points with stability. Whereas my connection maxes out at 1 Gbps, this router can deal with multi-gig connections for the fortunate few which have one, and my inside community assessments recommend you’ll be able to anticipate speeds in extra of three Gbps inside just a few toes of the router.
Maintain Your Horses
Realistically, this router is overkill for most people. That gained’t cease you when you demand the most recent releases and have disposable money to burn. For those who suppose that splurging now will future-proof you, that’s true to an extent, however there are some issues to think about. With no Wi-Fi 7 gadgets and just a few Wi-Fi 6E gadgets able to connecting on the 6-GHz band, which continues to be very restricted in vary, you’ll battle to appreciate its full potential. It additionally has some flaws.
After I examined the Sony Xperia 1 V (7/10, WIRED Review), I used to be puzzled by speeds round a 3rd as quick because the iPhone and Pixel. I additionally seen some unusual outcomes on a desktop laptop upstairs. Additional investigation revealed that TP-Hyperlink’s Good Join, which is meant to select the very best band for gadgets, typically picks the two.4-GHz band when it ought to choose the 5-GHz band. You may all the time break up the bands, however this detracts barely from an in any other case spectacular efficiency. With a number of updates to come back, it is going to hopefully enhance.
You may have cheaper alternate options that can seemingly carry out equally properly within the brief time period. The Asus RT-AX86U ($250) is a wonderful dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. The tri-band Asus RT-AXE7800 ($280) is a Wi-Fi 6E router that delivered related outcomes, even beating the Archer BE800 in some assessments. Each embrace safety and parental controls at no additional value. You may additionally snag an excellent mesh system for lower than $600.
In the end, it’s too early for most people to purchase a Wi-Fi 7 router. Till extra gadgets can take benefit and certification is full, it’s prudent to chill your heels. Costs will fall whilst you wait. Early adopters with multi-gig connections will probably be sorely tempted, and I don’t suppose the BE800 will disappoint, however it’s a work in progress.
