Archer c4000 vs. c5400 – Which one offers the fastest file transfer performance?
When it comes to quality and affordable routers, tp link routers are one of the best. They include a router that can be used by one or two users that covers a small house or apartment to high-end routers for HD streaming and gaming in large homes. The archer c4000 vs c5400 comparison will show you the differences and what makes each unique.
Living in a story house has been causing problems with my wifi connection, especially when I move to the back bedroom. The wifi connection drops to and my devices can’t get enough speed to stream or surf. I decided to look for a better router that will provide a stronger wifi signal that will cover my entire house.
However, with so many router brands in the market, I didn’t know which brand has the best router that would work for me. During my search, I came across two tp link router reviews, the Archer c4000 vs. c5400 comparison that has helped me to make a more informed decision.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between archer c4000 and c5400?
Model |
Archer c4000 |
Archer c5400 (Winner) |
Processor |
1.8 GHz quad-core processor with 512 MB of RAM |
1.4 GHz dual-core processor with 3 co-processors |
Antennas |
6 external antennas |
8 external antennas |
Throughput speeds |
2.4. GHz – 750 Mbps
5 GHz – 1625 Mbps 5 GHz – 1625 Mbps |
2.4 GHz – 1000 Mbps
5 GHz –2167 Mbps 5 GHz – 2167 Mbps |
Archer c4000 vs. c5400. How do they differ?
Processor capacity
The Archer c4000 is a tri-band that operates on a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor with 512 MB of RAM that can deliver fast, lag-free connections for your devices when gaming, surfing, or streaming. This ultra-fast processing can reach theoretical throughput speeds of 4000 Mbps while the 3 additional processors support the router’s main CPU to help balance the wifi demands from your network and keep it running at top speed throughout.
On the other hand, the Archer c5400 router is powered by a powerful 1.4 GHz dual-core and 3 co-processors. The co-processors will handle the wifi demands of each of the bandwidths while the dual-core CPU handles the demands for the rest of the network. This results in a good balance system that runs smoothly with no interruptions in all your connected devices.
Antennas
The number of antennas in a router help in strengthening the wifi signal to your devices and reach a wider area. The Archer c4000 has 6 external antennas that you can’t detach from the router but you can fold them out to provide a better signal for the surrounding rooms in your house. The Archer c5400 on the other has 8 high-powered antennas that will send strong wifi signals to your phone so you can surf or game from any room in your home. The wifi signal can even reach your basement or backyard without dropping and spoiling your fun.
Wireless connection speeds
The c4000 is a fast AC wifi router with top speed connections that can deliver 1625 Mbps on each of the 5 GHz bands and 750 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. On the other hand, the Archer c5400 router has quite impressive wifi speeds on its band frequencies. The 2.4 GHz band delivers 1000 Mbps while the two 5 GHz bands deliver speeds of 2167 each.
Archer c4000 vs. c5400. A comparison review
Archer c4000 (A20)
- This refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process...
Tp link c4000 archer a20 is a tri-band router whose aim is to improve the capacity so that it can handle more devices connected. It has a rugged industrial look with non-removable external antennas that can fold out at the top of the router and perforations at the top to keep the router cool. There are nine small LED lights at the front edge that indicate internet, power, Ethernet, WPS activity, the 3 bands, and 2 USB ports. You will also find buttons for turning on and off the LED lights, wifi, and WPS. At the back of the router are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports (2 for link aggregation), a WAN port, reset button, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, a power button, and a power jack. This Archer c4000 router operates with a Broadcom 1.8 GHz quad-core processor with 512 MB of RAM. It can reach maximum speeds of up to 750 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 1625 Mbps on each of the two 5 GHz bands. It supports MU-MIMO for simultaneous data streaming, smart connect for automatic band steering, and beamforming.
You can install and manage this router from your computer using a web console or the tp link tether app on your phone. You just connect your router to your modem using a LAN cable and turn it on. Then type http://tplinkwifi.net on your browser to launch the quick setup wizard. Name your SSIDs and create administrative and wifi passwords. The web console displays a network map that shows you the router’s IP address, number of wireless and wired devices, and speed test results. At the top are tabs for basic settings, quick setup, and advanced settings. On the left side is detailed information for basic and advanced settings. The basic settings include USB sharing, guest network, internet, home care, wireless, and tp link cloud, while the advanced settings include parental controls, VPN server, network, QoS, system tools, NAT forwarding, etc.
You can also configure your router to work with Alexa voice command and interact with other smart devices. Home care has a malicious content filter and an intrusion prevention system that keeps your network and the connected devices safe from viruses and malware and also quarantines the infected devices.
The OpenVPN server allows you to monitor your network and configure your router through tp link cloud while the QoS settings allow you to network prioritize devices and apps that need more data speed for gaming, streaming, surfing, or chatting. You can use the parental controls to block access to social media, websites with bad content, gaming, and file-sharing sites and also monitor web activity and pause internet access for a specific device.
After setting up and configuring your router, you can test the speeds of your router to see its performance. The Archer c4000 has excellent throughput performance scores. On the 2.4 GHz at close proximity, it scored speeds of 101 Mbps, but at 30 feet it dropped to 75 Mbps. On the 5 GHz band at close proximity, it scored speeds of 465 Mbps and 191 Mbps at 30 feet.
Transferring a 1.5 GB folder with documents, photos, music, and video between a USB 3.0 drive and your computer gave the router a score of 80 Mbps on the write speed and 90 Mbps for the read speed. Although Archer c4000 has a very impressive throughput performance, its long-range speeds on the 5 GHz band was middling.
Pros
- Very fast and easy to install
- A very customizable router
- Fast processor with excellent speeds
- Has a detailed and user-friendly interface
Cons
- The 5 GHz band has middling performance
- It’s bulky
Archer c5400
- BATTLE TESTED Enjoy 4K video and play online games simultaneously with ultra fast 802.11ac Wave 2 MU MIMO...
- LIGHTNING FAST WIFI AC5400 Tri Band with 4 Stream and NitroQAM technology delivers up to 5400Mbps Wi Fi...
The tp link Archer c5400 is a tri-band gigabit router that uses MU-MIMO and beamforming technologies and advanced features to give you super-fast wifi speeds. This router has a compact design with 8 antennas that fold outward from the base of the router. It’s not a very big router so you can place it in a corner of your house or mount it on your wall. You can also carry it on the road with you without any issues something that you can’t do with most wireless routers. It has 3 bandwidths that deliver 1000 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 2167 Mbps on each of the two 5 GHz bands. This router uses a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor with 3 core processors with 512 MB of RAM and 256 MB flash storage, 802.11n/b/g on the 2.4 GHz band, and 802.11ac/n/a on the 5 GHz band with MU-MIMO and beamforming capabilities. At the back of the router are 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, a power switch, reset button an internet port, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, and a power jack. At the front are LED lights for power, USB, wifi, and activity.
To set up this router, you use the tp link tether app that is available on your Android and iOS devices. This app provides you with an easy setup and quick access to your wifi settings that will allow you to configure different settings like updating the latest firmware, parental controls to restrict or block devices from accessing different sites of files in your network and limit access to the internet for some devices, set up guest networks, and manage your network from your phone.
Other helpful features include the option to redirect all traffic from your router to a VPN server of your choice, setting up a printer server, and installing a 4-G connected USB modem if you’re going to travel with your router. The QoS settings let you prioritize which devices and online activities deserve fast wifi speedslike surfing, gaming, and HD streaming so that your other connections don’t drop when you’re online.
You can use Alexa voice controls to share the guest wifi password and manage your network using voice commands. The home care feature comes with antivirus protection that automatically protects all your connected devices from hacking, viruses, or malware. This will keep you and your family safe from cyber-attacks whenever you’re online.
Having such a small frame, you would think the Archer c5400 would disappoint when it comes to performance, but it can match the bigger ones. It can deliver excellent performances across the board with only slight drops when transmitting data over 30 feet. On the 2.4 GHz band at 5 feet, it scores a downloading speed of 108.11 Mbps and 103.86 Mbps uploading speed.
At 30 feet the downloading speed drops to 84.31 Mbps and 61.92 Mbps for upload. On the 5 GHz band at 5 feet, this router scored 459.58 Mbps on its downloading speed and 369.84 Mbps for uploads. When the range was moved further to 30 feet, the downloading speed dropped slightly to 269.54 Mbps and 231.07 Mbps for the uploading speed.
Pros
- Excellent wifi coverage
- Nice UI on desktop and mobile apps
- Excellent performance on the 5 GHz band
- Enhanced network protection with the home care feature
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Could use more wired ports
Conclusion
Tp link routers are designed to offer the best wifi speeds and performance in both short-range and long-range. Depending on your home or office space, you can get a tp link router that will suit your needs. Both Archer c4000 and c5400 routers use MU-MIMO technology that allows the routers to handle multiple devices at the same time and boost the performance of their band frequencies and create super-fast connections. While c4000 has 6 antennas, c5400 has 8 antennas which help in boosting the wifi coverage.
So, which one is better. Archer c4000 or c5400?
The winner is Archer c5400 because it’s a tri-band router with 6 dual-band antennas that extend the range of the wifi signal throughout your home. It combines MU-MIMO and a powerful 1.4 GHz dual-core processor with 3 co-processors to connect to more devices at the same time to provide super-fast speeds throughout your home. It also has a great balance of speed and features and tri-band connectivity for all your devices so there’s far less congestion.
FAQ
Is tp link a good router?
Tp link is one of the leaders in the industry when it comes to quality and affordable routers. It has routers that can suit a small home with one or two users and high-end pricey routers for HD streaming and gaming in large homes.
Does Archer c5400 need a modem?
Archer c5400 doesn’t come with a built-in modem which means you can’t use it without an internet connection. You will need to have a separate modem that you can connect to your router using the USB 2.0 port or USB 3.0 port.
