Aimed squarely at gamers, the new TP-Link Archer GX90 (AX6600) is a tri-band router that supports Wi-Fi 6 and boasts a tempting and impressive list of the latest features. The striking design and “fast lane” to prioritize gaming on a dedicated 5-GHz band that tops out at 4.8 Gbps clearly state its intentions, but you don't have to be a gamer to appreciate this router. TP-Link sweetens the deal by bundling in some software options, like antivirus and parental controls, that most manufacturers charge a monthly subscription for.
Coming in at $250, the TP-Link Archer GX90 (AX6600) is a sizable investment, but this router outperformed many similarly priced alternatives in my testing, including some expensive mesh systems.
This bulky beast bristles with eight large antennas and sports an eye-catching red and black paint job that screams “evil robotic spider.” There are practical benefits to this design. It can cover a wide area and easily bathe an average four-bedroom house with Wi-Fi. But you may prefer to hide this router away, because it is unlikely to blend in with your decor, unless you are a Sith lord.
The 8-inch-square body has a 2.5-Gbps WAN/LAN port, a Gigabit WAN/LAN port, three Gigabit LAN ports, and two USB ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0) that can connect backup or media servers. A small triangular light on top lets you know that it is working.
Setup is a breeze. Slot the antennas into place, plug into power, connect your modem to the 2.5-Gbps port, and install the Tether app on your phone (can also be set up in a browser). I was up and running in less than five minutes, making this one of the most painless router installations I have experienced.
The Tether app is easy to use. The main screen shows connected clients at a glance, and you can choose to turn on the antivirus protection powered by Trend Micro, which offers a malicious-content filter, intrusion prevention, and infected-device quarantine. There is a Game Accelerator option, giving you access to the quality-of-service (QoS) controls. You can prioritize online activity by Gaming, Streaming, Surfing, or Chatting, or set up a custom rule. The fast lane doesn't have to be reserved for gamers.
The Clients tab shows the band for each device connection. You can tap on individual devices to see more data and make them a high priority, which is handy if you have a busy household and limited bandwidth.
The HomeCare tab offers parental controls, where you can create individual profiles for your kids, assign preset age filters, and set time limits and bedtimes. The Insights entry for each profile gives you a complete history of your child's online activity for the previous week.
The final tab in the app is for tools. This is where you can set up a guest network, split your network bands, schedule reboots, dig into diagnostics, and access other advanced settings. If you want to delve deeper into things like DHCP server or NAT settings, you can do it via the web-management page in a browser.
There is a lot to think about when shopping for a router, but everyone wants a device that comes as close as possible to delivering Wi-Fi throughout the home at the top speed their ISP offers. The TP-Link Archer GX90 delivers.