The new Archer AX72 from TP-Link is a high performance WiFi 6 AX5400 wireless router that promises to deliver strong WiFi coverage and lightning fast performance. It’s basically the Archer AX73 that’s slightly watered down so it can be sold at a more affordable price.
The Archer AX72 is strange as it is pretty much the same with the Archer AX73 with mostly similar specification. I fact, the performance is very similar performance to the Archer AX73 that I’ve reviewed in the past here. It makes me wonder why such a product exist in TP-Link lineup.
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Let’s face it, the Archer AX72 has the same design as the Archer AX73. Thankfully, the design is great. There are plenty of ventilation holes on both side of the product which will provide really adequate cooling. There are still 6 external antennas on the router for stronger WiFi coverage.
The Archer AX72 retails for RM399 with 3 years hardware warranty in Malaysia. It is compatible with TM Unifi, Maxis, Celcom, DiGi, TIME Fibre and more.
Archer AX72 Hardware and Specs
The Archer AX72 is powered by Qualcomm IPQ0518 SoC which contains a 64-bit ARM A53 dual-core 1Ghz CPU and a dedicated single core NPU to accelerate network tasks. This is supported by a 512MB RAM. Stay tuned for future comparison with the Broadcom BCM6750 on the Archer AX73.
Wireless 2.4Ghz | Wi-Fi 6 up to 574Mbps (40Mhz 2×2) |
| Wireless 5Ghz | Wi-Fi 6 up to 4804Mbps (160Mhz 4×4) |
| WiFi Features | OFDMA, MU-MIMO, Beamforming, WPA3, OneMesh |
| CPU | Qualcomm IPQ0518 SoC with 512MB RAM |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x Gigabit WAN port + 4x Gigabit LAN port |
| USB | 1x USB 3.0 port |
In additional to the usual LAN ports, the Archer AX72 comes with a USB port which can be used as a file sharing server via Samba, DLNA, FTP and TimeMachine protocol. It will work with most devices in the market including most smart TVs.
It’s possible to wall mount or even ceiling mount the Archer AX72 with two mounting holes on the bottom of the router. However, the screws are not included with the package. The default WiFi name and password is labeled on the bottom of the router as well.
Looking inside the Archer AX72, it’s good to see that TP-Link is not cheaping out despite being a cheaper product. There’s still a decent sized heatsink for heat dissipation on the product. The surface of the router is only slightly warm to the touch even after stress test the product.
Archer AX72 WiFi Performance
The star of the show will definitely be the WiFi performance of the Archer AX72. I have no issues obtaining more than 800Mbps consistently on my iPhone 12 Pro when running speed test on my 1Gbps Internet connection.
Moving on to the long distance speed test, the Archer AX72 shines with really good WiFi speed when testing on my laptop with the Intel AX200 WiFi 6 adapter. Granted, it’s slightly slower than the more expensive Archer AX73 but the difference is really small here.
I will be testing the 2.4Ghz signal this time. Like the 5Ghz test, the Archer AX72 performs decently with good 2.4Ghz WiFi speed and great stability even when the signal is weaker. That’s because I am using a laptop with WiFi 6 as well and on my older laptop, the speed will be much slower.
OneMesh and EasyMesh Compatibility
Staying in a bigger property? You can expand the WiFi signal by adding TP-Link OneMesh Extender. The Archer AX72 is a mesh router and it can communicate with TP-Link OneMesh Extender wirelessly and work as a mesh WiFi system. Check out my full review of the RE505X OneMesh Extender here.
Unlike normal extender mode, TP-Link OneMesh has many benefits such as seamless roaming, universal WiFi name and centralized control. However, it doesn’t work directly with Deco mesh system. If you wish to use Deco, you still need to connect one unit of Deco to the router.
The Archer AX72 also comes with the EasyMesh feature which can be used to link other EasyMesh supported routers to form a wider coverage area. I’m able to do this by linking 2 units of the Archer AX72 wirelessly without having to use Ethernet LAN cable.
Firmware and Features
TP-Link firmware is generally stable and pretty reliable in our test. TP-Link doesn’t try to squeze too much features into the firmware which could be a good thing. The firmware is really fast and it is really easy to operate and setup the router. You can refer to my Unifi setup guide here.
While there’s a web interface, I prefer to use the Tether app since it is more convenient. The app can control most of the settings and it does work really well. It can show all the connected devices and let you to change the WiFi settings on the router.
HomeShield Pro Parental Control
I really like TP-Link upgraded HomeShield Pro parental control feature as it is really robust. The system is able to block website based on category like most routers in the market. The categories are pretty comprehensive and include most mainstream websites.
It is also able to perform the Internet usage scheduling function and bedtime limit. TP-Link even lets you to decide the daily Internet usage quota based on hour for selected device which is something I’ve never seen on other router brands.
The best part of the system is the reporting capability. It can show the top blocked and top visited websites. The system is even able to show hourly network usage history for each device which is a great tool to monitor the network usage of minors in the family.
HomeShield Pro Security
The new HomeShield Pro security feature is now powered by Avira’s database. It is able to prevent your device from accessing a website containing malware with other features such as DDOS protection and IoT device security.
However, bear in mind that this new HomeShield Pro will require a subscription of RM24.90 per month. The HomeShield Basic tier comes with less function and TP-Link will provide a free 30 days trial to try the Pro service. Refer to more info on TP-Link website here.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Archer AX72 is a great product with really good performance and strong signal strength. It turns out that it is exactly 10% slower than the Archer AX73 while being 10% cheaper. For most people, I reckon the Archer AX72 is more than enough especially for those with 500Mbps Internet subscription.
TP-Link Archer AX72
9.0
Tubi Rating
PROS
- Strong WiFi coverage with consistent performance and EasyMesh support
- HomeShield security services
- User-friendly and easy to operate
CONS
- HomeShield Pro requires a subcription
- EasyMesh doens’t support Ethernet backhaul
Hi Blacktubi,
Would AX72 be okay for us?
We’ll be directly connecting TP-Link AX23 as an access point via a 25-meter pure copper CAT6 cable.
For 4-5 adults and 2 kids, and 2 wireless PCs and 5 phones/tablets.
Great and very useful blog, thank you!
Yup, the Archer AX72 is a great product. HomeShield feature is very helpful for young kids as well.
does this router AX72 support 4g dongle as backup network?. im trying to upgrade my Archer C5v. any recomendation?
All TP-Link routers do not support this feature unfortunately. The USB 4G modem backup function is customized for Maxis only.
Hi which should I buy since its on sale now in my country. Tpl Ax72 or asus tuf ax3000? My current router is an old asus ac68u. Tnx
I would recommend TP-Link Archer AX72 as the performance will be better than ASUS TUF-AX3000. The Archer AX72 is a 4×4 MIMO router while the TUF-AX3000 is just 2×2 MIMO. The performance difference would be rather significant.
this is weird, i live in Taiwan, the AX72 is like 35USD more expensive than the AX73 and it is pretty hard to find, the only source is the TP-Link official shopee site and nobody is buying it, 1800+ AX73 units sold, 0 AX72 units sold.
The fact that the AX72 even exists is an interesting business decision from TP-Link. However, with all the chipset shortage going on, I wouldn’t be surprised that TP-Link is playing safe and dual-sourcing the chipset.
Hi, I am contemplating if I should get AX72 or AX20.
Not considering the other aspects, Dual Core or Quad Core?
Price Diff in my country (PH) is just 1k.
Also, why can’t I find the Qualcomm IPQ0518 SoC on google?
Get the AX72, the performance is much better. The CPU performance is better although it is dual-core. ARM A53 architecture is much faster than ARM A7.
IPQ0518 is a customized IPQ5018 for TP-Link.
any plan for reviewing the TP-Link EC220-g5?
No, it’s a model that’s not sold on the market.
Please do review for TP-LINK AX55
Will be buying one and test it soon. Stay tuned.
How about AX56U? Is this better or AX72?
Hi Blacktubi,
Now I’m considering purchasing either TP-Link AX72 or Asus RT-AX55. My router is separated by two walls. Which one is the most suitable for my situation for stable and fast internet? Currently, subscribe 500 mbps Time Fibre.
Or else you can suggest any suitable router at a similar price range.
Thanks
TP-Link Archer AX72 will give you better signal than ASUS RT-AX55 for sure.
Thanks a lot Blacktubi
Hi Blacktubi,
I am currently subscribing 300Mbps Unifi Biz package with 5 Fixed IP. Can you recommend a suitable router which can support PPPOE connection and able to do 1 to 1 NAT on WAN LAN port or Dual LAN setting like TP Link AC1200?
Current router Fiberhome SR120-A
Thank you.
Unfortunately, for this special scenario with 5 fixed IP, I afraid you can only use the router provided by TM. I don’t think any consumer routers support this special scenario. Technically you can use any enterprise grade router such as Mikrotik but those are not easy to configure.
Hi Blacktubi,
Currently i am using TPLINK C3150. Im not sure what the issue is, but i seem to have to reboot the device more frequently than normal, so i guess its as good a time to ‘future proof’ and go with wifi 6.
Would i find that the AX73/72 will improve my coverage and performance or will there be no noticeable difference since most of my devices are still only wifi 5 compatible?
Thanks and keep up with the great reviews!
I guess it’s time to replace the aging router. You will see some minor improvement in signal.
Hi Blacktubi,
Great review.. 25/8 another discount coming..
still in between to get AX 73 or AX 72… what do you think?
before this i was thinking to get TUF AX3000 but there is so much cost saving on AX 73..
your review helps a lot..
the extra RM can goes to RE505X WiFi 6 Mesh Extender if required later..
Thank you and stay safe.
Personally, I actually prefer the Archer AX72. It’s slightly slower than the AX73 but it’s more consistent and stable.
OK, thanks for the tip. Really appreciate it.
Interesting that you say the AX72 is more consistent and stable than AX73. What is this due to?
Also, are comparing against AX73 with the newest firmware, which is supposed to improved stability?
I guess it really depends on how each chipset vendor optimize their product. On the Archer AX72, the speed is more consistent than the Archer AX73 although the peak speed is definitely slower.
hi there, i am also in the middle of choosing between AX72 vs AX73, can i ask both model support OneMesh? as i don’t quite understand when you wrote the con for AX72 “OneMesh does not works with another router”, does it means AX72 is not supported by OneMesh?
TP-Link OneMesh concept is you can form a mesh WiFi network with their OneMesh Extender. You can’t do AX73 > AX73 currently.