Plenty of times when you are facing unstable and slow WiFi connection, it is due to the slow wireless router you are using. The wireless router that comes from your Internet service provider are often basic router with really low specs to reduce cost.
You can always buy a third party router and replace the router provided from your ISP which will help your connection greatly. Today, we will be looking at TP-Link Archer C80 AC1900 dual-band MU-MIMO wireless router. This is an affordable entry level router but with decent specs.
TP-Link Archer C80 is now available for sale in Malaysia at just RM269 at the time of writing this article. It comes with a 3 years one to one exchange warranty from TP-Link.
Hardware and Specs
| Wireless 2.4Ghz | 3×3 up to 600Mbps |
| Wireless 5Ghz | 3×3 up to 1300Mbps |
| Wireless Features | MU-MIMO, Beamforming, Guest WiFi |
| CPU | Mediatek |
| RAM | 128MB RAM |
| Ports | 4x Gigabit Ethernet LAN + 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN |
The Archer C80 comes with Wireless AC1900 and it can support a maximum WiFi speed up to 1300Mbps on 5Ghz channel and 600Mbps on 2.4Ghz channel. It supports Wireless AC MU-MIMO and Beamforming feature for a better WiFi performance.
MU-MIMO technology will let it to have better performance when having more devices connected to your wireless router. It allows the router to achive Multi User, Multiple Input Multiple Output simultaneous connection which will result in better speed.
TP-Link also added beamforming function to the Archer C80, something which TP-Link Archer C7 does not have. This will provide a stronger WiFi signal for your device by carefully adjusting the anenna power to steer the signal towards your WiFi clients.
It has 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port that can support up to 1Gbps on these port. This is a really important factor to consider when shopping for an affordable router. Some routers can only support up to 100Mbps.
Design wise, I think it looks fine. The new design looks kinda clean as it doesn’t show dust easily. There are 4 non-removable high gain external antenna. See the full specs of the Archer C80 on TP-Link website here.
Under the router, you will find the default WiFi name (SSID) and the default WiFi password. I also notice there are 2 holes which make it possible to wall mount or ceiling mount this wireless router.
Archer C80 Setup Process
Replacing your old wireless router with the Archer C80 is really simple. Just unplug your old router, connect to this new router and do some basic setup process. The steps may be slightly different depending on what Internet Service Provider you use.
Once you switched on the new Archer C80, use your computer to connect to the default WiFi of this router then navigate to the setting spage to perform the initial setup process. The default settings page of the router is tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.1.1.
Most users will use the PPPoE mode and you will need to request the PPPoE username and password from your Internet Service Provider. For users in Malaysia, you must select the ISP profile if you use Unifi or Maxis. You can refer to my TP-Link Unifi setup guide over here.
It is also compatible to the Unifi TV box and you must connect your Unifi Hypp TV box to the LAN 1 port. The port is labeled as LAN 1 on the back of the wireless router.
WiFi Performance Test
I highly recommend enabling the smart connect function. This will merge the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz band under a single WiFi name (SSID). It will provide a more seamless connection as the router will intelligently steer your devices to the best band best on signal quality without you having to switch between the 2.4Ghz WiFi and 5Ghz WiFi manually.
I am getting pretty good WiFi speed out of the Archer C80 when testing it with my laptop with a Wireless AC1200 WiFi adapter. The speed is close to 600Mbps on a short distance. I am really surprised by how fast and stable is the WiFi network of this affordable wireless router.
When I am on further distance after 2 walls, the 5Ghz WiFi speed dropped to just slightly below 400Mbps. This is still a really good performance that I did not expect from this router. I did not notice any disconnections when using this router.
You will need a device that support Wireless AC in order to enjoy fast WiFI speed. Most devices sold after 2018 should already support Wireless AC technology. If you are using an older computer, you can upgrade the WiFi receiver by buying a new Wireless AC WiFi adapter.
On a wired LAN connection, I can reach a maximum download speed of up to 871Mbps on TP-Link Archer C80.
Firmware and Features
If you use the Archer C80, you will want to download the TP-Link Tether app on your phone as it compliments the experience of owning this wireless router. The app will show you many information and let you to manage your home network easily as it is link to a TP-Link account.
Personally I feel TP-Link router settings interface is the prettiest and most user friendly in the market now. Everything is really easy to understand and things are shown clearly. You can see how many devices and how they are connected in real-time.
The parental control function lets you to perform keyword blocking to block specific content for selected devices. It also lets you to configure daily Internet usage limit and bedtime Internet limit. They are all really easy to configure on the web interface.
TP-Link Archer C80 also comes with a built-in access point mode. I think this is great as the C80 have great WiFi capabilities, it is a great model to consider for access point. TP-Link also included a guest WiFi function on this router.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Archer C80 is a great affordable wireless router that performs beyond expectation. It is a a good upgrade to improve your WiFi coverage and stability especially if you still using the default wireless router provider by your service provider. It is stable and pretty fast which seals the deal for a budget router like this.
TP-Link Archer C80
8.6
Tubi Rating
Good Stuff
- Easy to setup
- Stable WiFi performance
- Good value for money
Bad Stuff
- No USB port
Hi Alvyn – Thank you for the review, a nicely done review too. I have 2 question.
What is the dBi on the external antennas?
and
What is the type of Mediatek Chipset it’s using?
Thanks ya
Antenna dBi doesn’t matter, period. No idea about the Mediatek chipset it actually uses.
Compare tu Asus RT-AC66U, which one better?
Archer C80 is much better. ASUS RT-AC66U is a 5 years old product.
Hi Alvyn – I’m really not sure what to get. I’m on an old TP-Link TL-WR1043ND (ver1 I think) that is 10 years old. I want an upgrade, but also better wifi coverage through my house. Can a range extender be added to this router? If so, what do you recommend? I’m in South-Africa, it seems like my options are: AC5400 or AX6000 (both crazy expensive) Archer C7 (AC1750) C80 (AC1900) Deco M5 – 2 pack is about 70% of the price of the AC5400 but double the price of C7 and almost triple C80 I’m considering… Read more »
Hello there, I believe the Deco M5 will be a good fit for you if you stay in a bigger house.
Thanks for the review. The CPU is from MediaTek. Is the brand in good reputation for stability? A new comer in router CPU?
Yea, it’s powered by Mediatek CPU. This is why it offers such a great value for money. Generally it was okay, I didn’t notice any significant issues.
Thank you for your review. I need help in choosing between the Archer C80 and Asus RT-AC58U because of asus quad core chip. Which do you suggest? Thanks again
Get the Archer C80, it is so much better than the aging RT-AC58U.
Hi Alvyn, I have a 4 bedroom house with 13devices with ac and 2 old devices with only n connections with 100mb download/20mb upload connection rate. I am between c80, c2300 and ax10 (prices of these models are very close in my country). I cannot afford devices like ax6000 or above).
I don’t need high speed since my connection rate is only 100mb and I do not need usb port and I do not network within devices at home..
But I need stability, range and performance to handle multiple devices at the same time.
which device would you reccommend.Thanks.
Archer C2300 is a good choice for you.
Hi there, thanks for good reviews,have you tested this router Wired Wan Port can support Max speed download for unifi turbo speed 800mbps
Thanks
Yup, no problem on the Ethernet LAN port.
Just wondering if there’s firmware update for mesh in the future.
I doubt OneMesh will come to this model
This model has onemesh and the latest easymesh support
Appaently, TP-Link added these features in a recent firmware update. I do not test them at the poing of writing this article.
Hi, would like some opinion, I’m currently using the provided unifi router, c1200. My unifi plan is 500mbps and I feel the need to match my router with my plan since I’ve been experiencing some wifi dropouts as well as slow speed. My usage consists of multiple phones and tv (2). Living in double storey, and I’ve known about the Deco M5 being recommended but it’s a bit outside my price range and I don’t see any pros over a standalone router. From my research, I’m considering these listed below :- 1) TP-Link Archer C80 2) TP-Link Archer A9 3)… Read more »
Go for Archer C80 or Archer AX10. If you don’t have Wi-Fi 6 devices, get the C80.
Anyone having problem connecting to unifi account using this router?. Attempted many times using same username and password. Also have upgraded recent firmware but still to no avail.
Do you select the Unifi profile during setup? Make sure you got the right PPPOE details from TM.
Hello, would you say the archer c80 is superior to the archer a9? Because a9 has Usb port… for the exact same price where i am not that i need it but still what are the pros/ cons..
Will the ax10 have better performance for wifi ac?
The A9 is a better product with greater WiFi performance but it is priced higher as well.
awaiting mine to arrive since 18th April…gonna use it as an AP .. Good review!