TP-Link WDR7500 1750mbps 802.11ac Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (Chinese Archer C7) - $104.17 AUD Delivered @ AliExpress

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stephendt on 06/06/2016 - 19:58 aliexpress.com (184 clicks)
Last edited 08/06/2016 - 10:41

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So I was looking for a secondary router for media streaming and data transfer over the LAN, and came across this beauty. This is essentially the same as the Archer C7 with a smaller internal flash (8mb instead of 16mb) and Chinese firmware, but everything else is the same.

Due to the Chinese firmware you will probably want to follow this guide here to get it configured: http://www.cnx-software.com/2014/09/28/tp-link-tl-wdr7500-ar…

Luckily it is supported by OpenWRT, so you could probably flash that instead if you want some extra features: https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/archer-c5-c7-wdr7500

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• 

  allenhori on 06/06/2016 - 20:38

  +4

  As a user of this router, i strongly do NOT recommend it. I have tired both the Chinese and Archer C7 (English) firmware, it just randomly hang all the time. You can't even access the web interface, but have to power-off and turn it on again. Not recommended for everyday use. Happy to sell to anyone if you are interested in. OpenWRT does not support AC btw.

  • 

    stephendt on 06/06/2016 - 21:33

    You must have the earlier version, which was plagued with issues with the 802.11ac chip. It's well documented that the TP-Link Archer C7 V1 had all sorts of issues, and I had to RMA mine. I got a V2 in return, and it has been flawless, and 5Ghz Wi-Fi works great on Gargoyle and OpenWRT. This is the WDR7500 which is the same as the Archer C7 V2 so it should be OK.

    • 

      allenhori on 06/06/2016 - 21:37

      Lucky you. I purchased mine when traveled to China. I doubt they will ever do the RMA for me after so many years.

• 

  cyssero on 06/06/2016 - 22:03

  This is a great deal but the D7 is about $120 delivered with eBay's 20% off and can be used as a router if you don't want the modem. Also comes with 3 year Australian TP-LINK warranty.

  I personally just bought a C5 for $95 delivered from eBay, the extra bandwidth on the 7 wasn't needed and range should be just about the same in an apartment.

  • 

    stephendt on 07/06/2016 - 00:06

    Yes, but the D7 can't run OpenWRT. I don't even think the D7 has QOS. I agree though, the C5 is a good deal.

• 

  Russ on 06/06/2016 - 22:20

  Can someone tell me why these high-speed routers are so popular? Are there any laptops or phones that can actually receive at 1750Mbps? Or do you get (whatever speed your devices can do) over a longer distance, than with a slower router?

  • 

    dazweeja on 06/06/2016 - 23:09

    +1

    It's actually 1300Mbps in the 5GHz band and 450Mbps in the 2.4GHz band. If you use a NAS, you want all the bandwidth you can get. Likewise, if you're streaming media to a bunch of clients, the bandwidth helps too. Even though it's not strictly a bandwidth issue considering your internet connection is realistically the bottleneck, these routers do handle a lot of devices much better than older routers. It's not really that unusual for a household to have 10, 20 or more devices these days.

    • 

      tonyjzx on 06/06/2016 - 23:19

      -5

      You need to research. The max speed right now is up to 867Mbps on the 5ghz band.

      Its a very bad standard the way routers are advertised… see the plethora of AC3200 and that kind of thing.

      • 

        dazweeja on 06/06/2016 - 23:24

        No, it's 1300Mbps. AC3200 is 600 + 1300 + 1300.

  • 

    stephendt on 07/06/2016 - 00:07

    +1

    5Ghz goes a long way if you're streaming stuff and you live in an area with a lot of Wi-Fi interference. Also great if you like to do things like create backups to a NAS from a laptop or what-not. It's pretty easy to upgrade the Wi-Fi cards in most laptops as well if needed.

    • 

      syousef on 07/06/2016 - 07:41

      That's quite the ironic turn of phrase since 5GHz goes a shorter distance. That's one reason you will get less interference than 2.4 even when it does get more popular.

      http://www.speedguide.net/faq/is-5ghz-wireless-better-than-2…
      "Disadvantages of 5GHz:
      In general, the higher the frequency of a wireless signal, the shorter its range. Thus, 2.4GHz networks cover a substantially larger range than 5GHz wireless networks. In particular, the higher frequency wireless signals of 5GHz networks do not penetrate solid objects nearly as well as 2.4GHz signals, limiting their reach inside buildings with solid walls and floors. Recent 802.11ac devices, however, are able to mitigate some of this disatvantage by using beamforming."

      • 

        stephendt on 07/06/2016 - 17:23

        Hah, yeah, but you do know what I mean. Weak 5Ghz is a lot better than strong, but heavily congested 2.4Ghz.