Gadget

Dual Band Router with Powerful Security

The advantages of the Archer C60 model include support for the modern 802.11ac standard and the ability to simultaneously work in two frequency bands — 2.4 GHz (up to 450 Mbps) and 5 GHz (up to 867 Mbps).

The first thing you notice when you unpack the box with the router is the unusual design of the device. The case has impressive dimensions, its upper part is slightly concave with a texture in the form of glossy triangles. The lower part and walls have openings for ventilation and protection against overheating of components.

Five antennas are located on the side faces of the case: three of them are for 2.4 GHz, and two are for 5 GHz. Such a constructive solution had a beneficial effect on the quality of the signal: a consistently high transmission rate is maintained even through capital partitions in the apartment.

On the back side there are all the main communication ports, a button for pairing mobile devices using the WPS protocol, a power button and a connector for connecting a power adapter. The manufacturer has provided four Ethernet ports and one for connecting to the external Internet.

It is noteworthy that the speed through the Ethernet ports is limited to 100 Mbps, but for a wireless connection, this bar is not the limit. As testing showed, the speed within the Wi-Fi network reached 120–150 Mbps. True, from many mobile devices Internet access was performed at speeds of 40–48 Mbps, which is due to the limited bandwidth of the Wi-Fi module of smartphones and tablets.

It was somewhat disappointing that the device does not have USB ports, which means that the user will not be able to connect a portable HDD to the router and organize network storage. Yes, and you won’t be able to connect a USB modem from a cellular operator, which is important for rural areas where there are no cable Internet providers yet.

But this is perhaps the only gap in the equipment of the TP-Link Archer C60. Despite the low cost of the device (about 3000 rubles), the manufacturer has integrated a very powerful filling into the case. The router uses a Qualcomm Atheros QCA9561 processor with a frequency of 775 MHz and provides ample opportunities for configuring the network. For example, you can limit the Wi-Fi signal strength and change the channel width.

The router has a convenient browser-based control interface, but you can also configure settings from your smartphone through the Tether application. When establishing a VPN connection, you can use the OpenVPN/PPTP VPN protocols.

Among the useful settings, we note the advanced features of the software in the field of parental control (you can create black and white lists, specify allowed DNS), as well as the function of organizing a guest network, which can be useful both at home and in the office.

Advanced users will like options for setting the priority for outgoing and incoming traffic, as well as the formation of priority rules for various types of data.

It is noteworthy that in the «Advanced Settings» section there is a function of protection against DoS attacks and blocking of source hosts.

In general, the TP-Link Archer C60 router impressed me as a reliable device with high data transfer speed and easy setup from a PC and smartphone.

A photo: manufacturing company, Andrey Kireev