TP-Link Archer AX50 is the latest wireless router from TP-Link. Unlike conventional TP-Link routers, it is powered by the latest next generation Wi-Fi technology that promises to enhance Wi-Fi connection with lightning fast Wi-Fi speed by introducing Wireless AX.
TP-Link Archer AX50 supports Wi-Fi 6 or better known as Wireless AX. This is the latest version of wireless technology promise to make WiFi much faster compared to Wireless AC. It is already available on some devices such as the Apple iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S10 series.
Wireless AX will greatly improve the Wi-Fi speed but to enjoy this benefit, you need to have a device that supports Wireless AX and of course, a router with Wireless AX technology. Right now, they are extremely expensive but TP-Link Archer AX50 is developed to bring Wireless AX to the mass.
The design of TP-Link Archer AX50 is totally new. It has a rectangular shape with plenty of vents to help with cooling down the router. There are 4 external non-removable antennas and multiple LED indicators to show the status of the router.
Hardware and Specs
TP-Link Archer AX50 comes in a 2×2 configuration and it supports both OFDMA and MU-MIMO. Both of these are standard feature on Wireless AX but they can be disabled if required. Besides, the router can support 5Ghz DFS channels with up to 160Mhz support.
| Wireless 2.4Ghz | Wireless AX up to 574Mbps (40Mhz) |
| Wireless 5Ghz | Wireless AX up to 2402Mbps (160Mhz) |
| WiFi Features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, 2X2, Beamforming |
| CPU | Intel AnyWAN GRX350 |
| RAM | 256MB |
| Ports | 1x Gigabit WAN port + 4x Gigabit LAN port |
| 1x USB 3.0 port |
The hardware of the Archer AX50 is powered by Intel WiFi chipset with an Intel AnyWAN GRX350 SoC combined with Intel WAV654 for the 5Ghz radio. Coupled with 256MB RAM, it should perform pretty decently. It do get a little warmer during operation but it wouldn’t affect the performance. The router can be cooled by a cheap laptop cooling pad if you feel uncomfortable with the heat.
The Archer AX50 also comes with a Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. There’s also a single USB 3.0 where you can share files on the network or use it to share a printer on the network. You can view the full specs here.
Archer AX50 Setup
The setup process of the Archer AX50 is very simple by just connecting the router to the modem from your ISP. The default WiFi name and password is labeled below the device and you can setup the router using the web interface on a computer.
The setup process is really simple and it takes around 10 minutes to get everything up and running. If you use Unifi, remember to select the Unifi profile during the setup procedure and connect the Unifi Hypp TV box to the LAN 1 port.
You can refer to our Blacktubi TP-Link Unifi setup guide here.
Performance Testing
WAN to LAN Speed
First, we tested the WAN to LAN performance of the Archer AX50 to verify that this router can actually support full Gigabit speed. This test is done by running a Speedtest on our Internet connection with 1Gbps download speed and 500Mbps upload speed.
Wireless AX Speedtest
To test the Wireless AX capabilities of this router, we will need a computer with Wireless AX ability. This means we added the TP-Link TX3000E WiFi Adapter to our computer. Next, we will run several speedtest using Speedtest.net with our Gigabit Internet connection.
On the Wi-Fi speedtest with my laptop that support Wi-Fi 6 with an Intel AX200 wireless adapter, I manage to get over 800Mbps over the Wi-Fi network. However, I noticed that the upload speed is slower.
Faster than Wireless AC
Of course, nothing is relevant without a proper comparison. This is why we compared the Archer AX50 against the previous Archer C2300 also from TP-Link using a Wi-Fi 6 laptop.
Firmware and Features
TP-Link firmware been really stable and modern lately. They are really easy to use and even able to support TP-Link Tether app for cloud monitoring of the status of your wireless router.
The router firmware interface is very clean and easy to understand. The homepage can show all the connected devices on the network. It is also able to show the Ethernet port speed of each connected devices.
The Wireless AX ability of the Archer AX50 is enabled by default and you can disable them if required. TP-Link also included the Smart Connect band steering feature which combine both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz band into a single WiFi name. I recommend keeping it enabled and the router will automatically steer your devices to the best band depending on the signal condition.
The Archer AX50 can also be controlled using TP-Link Tether app and linked to a TP-Link cloud account. The app can let you to do almost everything on the web interface and it is very easy to use. You can view connected devices and their current connection speed on the app.
TP-Link also included an Antivirus function as part of their Homecare suite. The router can block any websites containing a virus or malware from being accessed. The database of the Antivirus is maintained by TrendMicro and it is updated frequently.
Archer AX50 also comes with Homecare parental control feature. The parental control let you to select which categories of website you wish to block based on a database maintained by TP-Link. It also have the ability to configure internet usage time restriction based on hour or usage time limit.
Both Homecare feature works really well and they can only be enabled on the TP-Link Tether app for now. Right now, TP-Link is giving users 2 years of free database update and can be subscribed on the app if required.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Archer AX50 is a really great wireless router. It offers Wireless AX at an affordable price and good WiFi performance for users with Wireless AX devices. While it is affordable, TP-Link also provided their Homecare Antivirus and Parental Control feature which is a great value.
I recommend the TP-Link Archer AX50 for users looking for a new router today. Wireless AX will be common starting from 2020 and getting a Wireless AX router now is a good time.
TP-Link Archer AX50
8.8
Tubi Rating
Good Stuff
- Fast WiFi 6 connection
- 160Mhz and DFS Support
- HomeCare Antivirus Support
Bad Stuff
- No OneMesh feature
Can I use this for 500mbps plan? I’m looking for a budget Wi-Fi 6 router
Yup, this is perfect for 500Mbps I guess.
Hi Blacktubi, my friend recently upgraded to AX50. However, his mobile phones are having wifi connection issue – “Ready to connect when network quality improves”. Smart Connect is turned on at router, phone is Android 11, and only able to detect 2.4Ghz wifi signal. Any idea on how to resolve this issue?
Disable the 160Mhz mode on the router.
Hi what does disabling the 160MHz mode mean? And how do i change it?
Go to advanced wireless settings and change the 5Ghz channel width to 80Mhz. 160Mhz causes more harm than good in some situations.
I was using ax50 and I didn’t get close to my 500mbps unifi plan. Even after TM resets from their side, I only get around 200mbps when using direct cable to test. Unifi technician came and tried using tplink c1200 and they showed it can go to 500mbps on direct cable test. Do you know what went wrong? Any advice would be great. Thanks
Make sure you are running latest firmware on the Archer AX50 and perform a reset.
Archer ax50 or Asus Rt-ax55? Same price using
300mbps
The Archer AX50 got a better specs than RT-AX55 and performs better as well.
Hello I’m planning to get Celcom Home Fibre 300mbps. I live in a double storey house and I am planning to install my router in ground floor living room. Do you think TP Link AX50 wifi range is excellent for gaming if my PC is upstairs ? My house is about 2000 sq.ft.
Thanks in advance
Make sure your gaming PC is having a WiFi 6 wireless adapter as well.
Hello..
Please Advise : AX3000 vs C3150 Which Is Most Recommended For My Unifi 500 Plan ?
Already Add Mesh M9 Plus.. Just Wanna Upgrade My C1200
Thanks In Advance
Make M9 Plus to be the main router.
Hi,im Plaining to upgrade my router which one is better Ax50 or Ax 20?im using 500mbps time fibre and my house 1000sqt only
Archer AX50 performs better than Archer AX20.
Just moved into double storyy hse about 3400sqft. USING TIME 500mbps with given router. Decided on a few options :
1. Deco m9 plus
2. Deco X60
3. AX50 As main and use given router as AP upstairs
Dont really have any wifi 6 device at the moment. Please advice . Tq
Go for Deco M9 Plus.
hello , how long is the reboot time ?
2 minutes
Hi, do you have issues with signal or connectivity especially the range? for 5ghz? The 5ghz is totally unusable when I’m downstairs (router is upstairs) and i have previously used a tenda ac18 which has worked better than this .
Thanks
Make sure you update to the latest firmware and do watch out for overheat issues. The AX50 runs hot, if it overheats, it will throttle down the performance.
Hi, I enjoyed the article and am considering getting the AX50. I was a little confused by the statement in the review that: “It does get a little warmer during operation but it wouldn’t affect the performance.”, verses the statement above: “Do watch out for overheat issues. The AX50 runs hot, if it overheats, it will throttle down the performance.” If it throttles down the performance then performance IS affected. I know you stated that: “The router can be cooled by a cheap laptop cooling pad if you feel uncomfortable with the heat.” But how much of a problem… Read more »
On the latest firmware, TP-Link seems to improved the situation significantly. Of course, like any high performance router, it’s best to use a fan to cool it down especially if you stay in a hotter climate.
Hi Alvyn.
Loved your reviews for adding WAN to LAN speed.
Are the antennas removable or fixed ?
The antennas are non-removable.
Hi Alvyn,
What is your recommendation between the Archer AX50 vs the Archer C4000.
Weighing, up the likely current performance benefits of the C4000, vs the potential ‘future proofing’ of Wifi 6 in the AX50.
If you were to choose a router that would possible last you the next 3-5 years, which would you lean towards?
I will still go with the C4000, it is a great product and certainly performs better than the AX50 now.
c4000 vs asus rt-ax3000 which one perform better wifi coverage and disctance n /ac ?
C4000 performs better than RT-AX3000.
Hi Alvyn, would you still recommend c4000 over ax50 now?
Get the Archer C4000 if you still can get it or you can consider TP-Link’s own AX6000.
Are there any flaws with the ax50 such that you’d recommend ac4000 over it?
I read that heat throttling is one major issue with the ax50.
The Archer C4000 still deliver a better performance in my test. Contrary to popular belief, high end Wireless AC router still outperforms mid range Wi-Fi 6 router to this date.