Wi-Fi 6E for Just Two Benjamins
The Archer AXE75 uses the same 1.9-by-5.8-by-10.7 inch (HWD) black enclosure as the Archer AX75. The only way to tell between the two is by the Wi-Fi 6E badging on the AXE75. The router sports a textured top and six non-removable adjustable antennas, and has seven small LED indicators along the front edge. The indicators show the status of power; 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz radio band activity; internet activity; Ethernet activity; and USB activity.
The AXE75 doesn’t have any multi-gig ports like the ones you get with more expensive Wi-Fi 6E models such as the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E and the Netgear RAXE500, but it does have four 1GbE LAN ports and one 1GbE WAN port, both of which are located on the back panel. None of these ports currently supports link aggregation, although the company says this advanced feature, which enables speeds in excess of 1Gbps using two Ethernet cables, will arrive in a future firmware update. The rear panel is also home to a Reset button; LED, WPS, and Wi-Fi On/Off buttons; a power jack; and a power button. A single USB 3.0 port is embedded in the left side of the router.
Like many of TP-Link’s current routers, the AXE75 is OneMesh compatible, which means you can pair it with other OneMesh devices to create a seamless whole-home mesh network.
Similar Products
Synology WRX560
Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro
TP-Link Archer AX10 (AX1500) Wi-Fi 6 Router
TP-Link Archer AXE95 AXE7800 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router
eero 6+
Asus ROG Rapture GT6 Wi-Fi 6 Gaming Mesh System
Wyze Wi-Fi 6E Mesh Router Pro
TP-Link Deco BE63 BE10000 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System
TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro
As with the AX75, the AXE75 uses a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and 512MB of memory, but this router also contains Wi-Fi 6E circuitry that allows it to operate on the 6GHz radio band as well as the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This is an AXE5400 router, which means that it can (theoretically) achieve data rates of up to 574Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 2,402Mbps on the 5GHz band, and 2,402Mbps on the 6GHz band. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 technologies such as OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiple access) transmissions, direct-to-client beamforming, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, 160MHz channel bandwidth, Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), and WPA3 encryption.
The AXE75 comes with a free HomeShield Basic plan, which provides strong parental controls and basic network security tools. The included parental controls let you block internet access for individual users, apply age-based filtering, and see how long a user has been online. If you want the ability to set time limits and create Time Rewards that give your kids extra internet time for a job well done, you’ll have to subscribe to the HomeShield Pro plan, which goes for $5.99 per month or $54.99 per year. The Pro plan also adds enhanced security features with malicious-content filters, Denial of Service protection, and network security reports.
Managing the AXE75 is easy, whether you use the TP-Link Tether mobile app or the web console, but there are a few differences between the two methods. You’ll need the web console to access advanced settings such as NAT forwarding and DHCP server settings, and you’ll have to use the Tether app to access the HomeShield QoS, parental control, and network security settings.
When you first launch the Tether app, you’re taken to a Home screen that displays a network map panel with the router name, its connectivity status, and how many clients are currently connected. When you tap the Router icon, you’ll be able to view the firmware version, the IP address, and the model number of the router. Tap the Clients icon to see which devices are currently connected to the router. When you tap a client name, you can see to which radio band it's connected and its total traffic usage, and you can also give the device bandwidth priority.
Below the map panel is a list of regular network and guest network SSIDs with their associated radio bands. Tap any band to edit the SSID and Wi-Fi password and to share Wi-Fi credentials with other users. Here you can also enable Smart Connect if you prefer to use a single SSID for all three bands.
Along the bottom of the Home screen are Home, Clients, Security, Family, and Tools buttons. Tap the Home button to return to this screen from wherever you are in the app. Tapping the Clients button opens a screen that displays a list of all of your connected devices. When you tap a client name, you can view information such as the client’s IP and MAC addresses. You can also enable parental controls, block internet access for that client, and enable QoS settings that give the client device bandwidth priority.
Use the Security button to perform a network scan and view scan details that tell you if your Wi-Fi passwords are too weak, and if there are any basic router security risks that need to be addressed. If you are subscribed to the Pro plan, you can block access to malicious websites, enable Intrusion Prevention to identify potential threats, and protect your smart home (IoT) devices from hackers.
To access Parental Controls, tap the Family button. Here you can create profiles, block websites, assign age-based filters, and set Bedtime time rules. Pro plan subscribers can set online time limits and create custom Offtime schedules that prevent Internet access.
When you tap the Tools button, it takes you to a screen where you can configure Wi-Fi settings, analyze channel selection, create a guest network, and configure internet connection settings. Other settings allow you to create a OneMesh network, configure device notifications, share Wi-Fi credentials, and update firmware.
Testing the Archer AXE75: Acceptable Performance
I used the web console to install the AXE75, but you can use the Tether app if you prefer. Either way, installing and configuring this router is very easy. I powered off my modem and connected the AXE75 to it using the included LAN cable, and then powered up the modem and the router. I opened a web browser on my desktop PC (which was connected to the router) and typed 192.168.0.1 in the address bar to launch the TP-Link web console. Following the onscreen instructions, I created an administrator password, selected my time zone, and selected a connection type (options are Dynamic, Static, PPPoE, L2TP, or PPTP). I used the default MAC address and disabled Smart Connect in order to create separate SSIDs for each radio band. Next, I created a Wi-Fi password, let the software perform a quick internet connection test, and updated the firmware to complete the installation.
Reflective of its affordable price, the AXE75 delivered solid but not class-leading throughput performance in testing. Its score of 121Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity test was faster than the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (106Mbps) but just a tad slower than the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (128Mbps) and the Netgear RAXE500 (127Mbps). Results were similar on the 30-foot test: The AXE75 managed 63Mbps, beating the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (33Mbps) but not the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (75Mbps) or the Netgear RAXE500 (71Mbps).
On the 5GHz close-proximity test, the AXE75 garnered 918Mbps. That was faster than the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (750Mbps) but came in right behind the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (938Mbps) and the Netgear RAXE500 (936Mbps). On the 30-foot test, the AXE75’s score of 360Mbps topped the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (303Mbps) but was significantly slower than the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (521Mbps) and the Netgear RAXE500 (530Mbps).
The AXE75’s 6GHz throughput performance was pretty much in line with its 5GHz performance. It scored 921Mbps on the close-proximity test, while the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E managed 927Mbps. At a distance of 30 feet, the AXE75 delivered 397Mbps, beating the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (379Mbps) but trailing the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (401Mbps) and the Netgear RAXE500 (427Mbps).
To test file transfer performance, we gauge write and read speeds by moving a 1.5GB folder containing photos, video, music, and office document files back and forth between a USB 3.0 drive and a desktop PC, both of which are connected to the router.
The AXE75’s write speed of 44MBps was a tad slower than the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (48MBps) and 11MBps slower than the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (55MBps). The Netgear RAXE500 beat them all with 70MBps. On the read test, the AXE75 (46MBps) edged past the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (45MBps) but couldn’t keep pace with the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (57MBps) or the Netgear RAXE500 (68MBps).
Finally, to test wireless signal strength, we use an Ekahau Sidekick Wi-Fi diagnostic device and Ekahau’s Survey mobile app, which generate heat maps that illustrate the router’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal strength throughout our test home. Our Sidekick does not currently support 6GHz signal measurements. (Note: Ekahau is owned by Ziff Davis, the publisher of PCMag.com). The circle on the map represents the location of the router, and the colors represent signal strength. Dark green areas indicate the strongest signal, and lighter yellow areas indicate a weaker signal. Gray areas indicate no measurable signal reception.
The heat maps show that the Archer AXE75 was able to provide a relatively strong 2.4GHz signal throughout our test house, but the signal became weaker in parts of the garage. The router’s 5GHz band also weakened in the garage but showed slightly better range.
Verdict: Savings Today, Great Performance Tomorrow
Fast performance, ease of use, and 6GHz Wi-Fi make the TP-Link Archer AXE75 a smart choice for users looking for a future-proof mainstream Wi-Fi router. Granted, it doesn’t offer multi-gig networking ports or link aggregation, but these features are typically found on more expensive routers. The AXE75’s impressive throughput and good signal range, combined with strong parental controls and a user-friendly mobile app, are enough to merit an Editors’ Choice award for the nascent category of affordable Wi-Fi 6E routers.
What makes the Archer AXE75 an even better choice is that while there are now quite a few Wi-Fi 6E routers with more throughput muscle that offer all the bells and whistles, they're much more expensive. Consider the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 (also an Editors’ Choice winner): You’ll have to part with $700 for this beast, though you do get stellar performance, lots of gamer-friendly settings, and several multi-gig networking ports. Likewise, you'll find models at the bottom of the budget router category that cost around half the Archer AXE75's price, but don't offer 6GHz support. That makes the Archer AXE75 ideal for reliable Wi-Fi well into the future without draining your wallet today.
The TP-Link Archer AXE75 is a pioneering, reasonably priced tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router that lets you connect to the uncrowded 6GHz radio band. It’s a solid performer and ideal for future-proofing your network on a budget.
Like What You're Reading?
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
About John R. Delaney
Contributing Editor
