Comparison TP-LINK Archer BE900 vs TP-LINK Archer BE800

The number of wireless bands and channels supported by the router. Specified only for models that work with more than one range.

— Dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). Devices that simultaneously support two popular communication bands — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz — in the "one communication channel per band" format. This ensures compatibility with most Wi-Fi standards (see above), and in some cases also has a positive effect on the quality of communication. For example, a Wi-Fi adapter (see "Device Type") with this feature may provide the ability to evaluate the load on both bands and automatically select the less loaded one.

— Three-channel (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz in 2 channels). An improved version of the dual-band operation format: in the 5 GHz band, communication is carried out on two channels. This allows, for example, to “raise” three wireless connection channels on one router at once (three visible networks in the list of wireless networks) and achieve even higher throughput. The advantages of this format are especially noticeable when the router works simultaneously with several wireless devices.

— Tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz). The most "omnivorous" type of modern Wi-Fi equipment, compatible with all popular standards — from the outdated 802.11 b / g to the relatively new 802.11 ad. Also, the abundance of ranges contributes to an increase in spee...d, especially when working with multi-range devices.

The maximum speed supported by the device when communicating wirelessly in the 5 GHz band.

This range is used in Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E as one of the available bands, in Wi-Fi 5 as the only one (see "Wi-Fi Standards"). The maximum speed is specified in the specifications in order to indicate the real capabilities of specific equipment - they can be noticeably more modest than the general capabilities of the standard. Also, in fact, it all depends on the generation of Wi-Fi. For example, devices with Wi-Fi 5 support can theoretically deliver up to 6928 Mbit (using eight antennas), with Wi-Fi 6 support up to 9607 Mbit (using the same eight spatial streams). The maximum possible communication speed is achieved under certain conditions, and not every model of Wi-Fi equipment fully satisfies them. Specific figures are conditionally divided into several groups: the value up to 500 Mbit is rather modest, many devices support speeds in the range of 500 - 1000 Mbit, indicators of 1 - 2 Gbps can be attributed to the average, and the most advanced models in class provide a data exchange rate of over 2 Gbps.

In this case, LAN means standard network connectors (known as RJ-45) designed for wired connection of LAN devices — PCs, servers, additional access points, etc. The number of ports corresponds to the number of devices that can be directly connected to wired equipment. way.

In terms of speed, 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) and 1 Gbps (Gigabit Ethernet) are the most popular options today. At the same time, thanks to the development of technology, more and more gigabit devices are being produced, although in fact this speed is critical only when transferring large amounts of information. At the same time, some models, in addition to the standard speed of the main LAN ports, may have a 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps and even 10 Gbps LAN port with increased bandwidth.

The number of USB 2.0 ports provided in the device design.

In this case, USB serves as a universal interface for connecting peripheral devices to the router. The specific supported USB devices and their use cases can vary. Examples include working with a flash drive used as storage for FTP mode or file server operation (see "Features/Capabilities"), connection to a printer in print server mode (see there), connection of a 3G modem (see "Data Input (WAN-port)"), and so on.

Specifically, USB 2.0 allows data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps. This is noticeably less than more advanced standards (starting with USB 3.2 gen1 described below), and the power supply of such connectors is low. However, even such specifications are often quite sufficient, considering the specifics of Wi-Fi device applications. Additionally, a USB 2.0 port can also connect peripherals with newer versions — as long as the power supply is adequate. Therefore, although this standard is considered outdated, it is still widely used in modern wireless equipment. There are even models that provide for 2 or even more USB 2.0 ports, allowing multiple external devices to be used simultaneously — for example, a 3G modem and a flash drive.

The total number of antennas (of all types — see below) provided in the design of the device.

In modern Wi-Fi equipment, this indicator can be different: in addition to the simplest devices with 1 antenna, there are models where this number is 2, 3, 4 and even more. The point of using multiple antennas is twofold. Firstly, if there are several external devices per antenna, they have to share the bandwidth among themselves, and the actual communication speed for each subscriber drops accordingly. Secondly, such a design may also be required when communicating with one external device — to work with MU-MIMO technology (see below), which allows you to fully realize the capabilities of modern Wi-Fi standards.

Anyway, more antennas, usually, means a more advanced and functional device. On the other hand, this parameter significantly affects the cost; so specifically looking for equipment with numerous antennas makes sense mainly when the speed and stability of communication are critical.

Note that antennas intended for mobile communications may also be considered in this clause. So when choosing a model with support for mobile networks, it's ok to clarify this point.