TP Link AX6000 vs. AX3000 – what AX router should I consider for an upgrade?
After penetrating the router market through the development of wireless routers, the TP Link Company is now venturing into the AX router market, such as through the AX6000 and AX3000. However, how do you know which one between these two to select? Are they even the same?
Before we begin the comparison of the TP Link AX6000 and AX3000, it is a good idea to know what the AX routers are. For many years, the connectivity standard that routers and client devices have used is the AC standard, also known as Wi-Fi 5 or 802.11ac. However, technology rarely remains still – and now there is an emerging standard known as the Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax. Not many client devices support 802.11ax, although they are still under development and will likely come through in future months.
Since client devices are set for upgrades in Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, it is probably best to think of upgrading your router; and the best way to do so is getting an AX type. These Wi-Fi 6 routers promise better connection reliability, higher speeds, and better levels of security – but that does not mean they are all equal. It is important to do your homework when making a choice, especially because most of them are quite expensive.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between the TP Link AX6000 and AX3000?
TP Link AX6000 (Winner) |
TP Link AX3000 |
|
Dimensions (inches) |
10 x 12 x 4 (larger router) |
10.2 x 5.3 x 1.5 (more compact design) |
Weight (lbs.) |
3.5 (bulkier design) |
1.24 (portable and easy to handle) |
Average throughput speeds (close proximity) |
124 Mbps (2.4GHz), 775 Mbps (5GHz) |
124 Mbps (2.4GHz), 925 Mbps (5GHz) |
Upload speeds |
500 Mbps |
295 Mbps |
Download speeds |
1.1 Gbps |
470 Mbps |
TP Link AX6000 vs. AX3000 – how they compare
Design and appearance
The TP Link AX6000 measures 2.4 x 10.3 x 10.3 inches, which makes it one of the largest options in the market today. It comes in the form of a black enclosure with eight antennas (all foldable and non-detachable). It also has a square LED indicator: pulsing blue when firmware is upgrading, solid blue when everything is normal, and solid red when the internet connection is absent.
Its setup is that of an 8-stream, dual-band router (this means it has 4 streams on each band), and each band uses the latest the latest 802.11ax technology. The only drawback it has is the lack of Wi-Fi certification due to the lack of support for the new WPA3 encryption protocol.
Considering the AX3000 supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, the appearance is surprisingly simple. In many ways, it is a contradiction of what you would expect a Wi-Fi 6 router to be, as it is lightweight and small, and appears similar to a typical router with four antennas (all non-removable) at its rear. It also uses an Intel Wi-Fi WAV654 chipset, and the setup is of a 2×2 router.
However, it does have a few setbacks in the design. One is the lack of a USB 2.0 port to handle the NAS function, while the others are lack of a multi-gig port, link aggregation, and dual-WAN. It does include the other important slots though, since it has one gigabit WAN port and four gigabit LAN ports.
While the TP Link AX3000 is smaller in design, the TP Link AX6000 is more efficient in its specs and supports higher performance as a result.
Management software
Both the AX6000 and AX3000 use the Tether mobile app and web console for installation and use the Wi-Fi 6 standard that has been around since 2013 and promises better speeds and connectivity. However, the AX6000 will need the comprehensive web console in order to help you configure advanced options such as IPv6, DHCP, VPN, and NAT Forwarding settings.
In the case of the AX3000, you can access the web user interface through the default IP address of tplinkwifi.net. The setup process is also the same as what you would expect from any router, and the good thing is that the Tether mobile app has a comprehensive set of settings.
It also has an in-built VPN server that supports both the PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, and the Home Care section has extensive settings that handle QoS and Parental Controls. Its most impressive feature is the Wi-Fi customization, where you can change the settings of the channel width, the Wi-Fi channel, or the router mode. The only thing it misses is the in-built online protection.
Both the TP Link AX6000 and TP Link AX3000 have the same management system, but the AX3000 is better because it offers more management options.
Performance
In both cases of the AX6000 and AX3000, we used an 802.11ac client with an 802.11ax adapter, as the number of 802.11ax clients in the market is very scarce and they are quite expensive. For the AX6000 in the 2.4GHz band test, the speed was 124 Mbps in close proximity, and dropped to 55 Mbps at 30 feet. On the other hand, the 5GHz band showed stronger performance, with a close-proximity score of 775 Mbps and a 30-foot score of 315 Mbps.
Its file performance speeds are also great, with a reading speed of 73 Mbps and a writing score of 76 Mbps – placing it among the top routers in the file transfer speed category.
As for the AX3000, it proves reliable during testing in connection stability. The coverage varies depending on the environment you use it in, but the speeds are a mixed bag. In close proximity, the 2.4GHz band speed is 124 Mbps and the 5GHz band is925 Mbps, while the 30-foot speed on the 2.4GHz band is 105 Mbps and 600 Mbps in the 5GHz band. The lack of a USB 3.0 port means its file transfer speeds are unimpressive, with a read speed of 33 Mbps and write speed of only 18 Mbps.
The TP Link AX6000 is the better choice in performance due to its higher speeds, and greater efficiency in file transfers.
TP Link AX6000 vs. AX3000 – A comparison review
TP Link AX6000 – Overview
- High Speed WiFi 6 Interent Router: AX6000 Dual Band Wi-Fi speed boosted by 1024QAM deliver wireless speed...
- Highly efficient: OFDMA increases average throughput by 4x in high density scenarios, compared with an...
This is among the latest Wi-Firouters to hit our testing labs, and comes fully equipped with the latest connectivity options and 802.11ax technology, such as one multi-gig WAN port, eight LAN ports, and two USB ports. It is also very easy to install, and you can manage it from a mobile device through the Tether app, although you will eventually find that the web console gives you more advanced controls.
Aside from that, the router will offer you solid file transfer performance and throughput speeds, but there is a disadvantage – it lacks support for WPA3 certification, which means it lacks official Wi-Fi 6 certification.
Pros
- Solid malware protection and parental controls
- Easy installation
- Fast performance in file transfer
- Good throughput speeds
- Plenty of I/O ports
Cons
- Lacks support for WPA3
- Expensive
- Very large footprint
- Limited controls on the mobile app
TP Link AX3000 – Overview
- Wi-Fi 6 Router: Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11ax) technology achieves up to 3x faster speeds, 4x capacity and 75% lower...
- Next-gen 3 Gaps speeds: 4-Stream Dual Band router reaches incredible speeds up to 3 Gaps (2402 Mbps on 5...
The AX3000 goes a long way to deliver the level of performance of existing clients you have or are in the market at high speeds, but it surprisingly comes at a cost you can afford. In fact, the average pricing we see for the AX3000 is about $130 to $150, making it much cheaper compared to the AX6000, and even cheaper compared to the premium-end Wi-Fi 5 routers.
Note that we are not saying the AX3000 is a cheap router, though it does offer you what you pay for. For instance, we noticed that it is quite sparse when it comes to Wi-Fi specs and power details, and delivers a modest performance throughout testing. It will still work well for you if you want to see what Wi-Fi 6 routers are about, without the risk of breaking the bank while doing it.
Pros
- Relatively affordable
- Wall mountable and lightweight
- Responsive mobile app and user interface
- Reliable Wi-Fi coverage
- Plenty of customization and network settings
Cons
- Lacks multi-gig and USB ports
- Middling performance specs
- Fluctuating speeds
Verdict: So what is better? The TP Link AX6000 or AX3000?
Looking at these two, you might think they are both great because of being AX routers, but we choose the TP Link AX6000 as our winner. This is because it offers you a chance to experience the high speeds that 802.11ax technology offers, even though you will need an 802.11ax device to get the full benefits.
FAQs
Dothe TP Link AX series of routers work with Fios?
Yes, and the activation is simple – you just need to connect the router to your ONT or Fios gateway, then follow the quick setup steps to complete the activation.
Is it possible to set one connected device as a higher-priority device in the AX6000?
Yes, and you can do this in the settings. You will not experience any slowdowns in the speeds either.
