TP Link Vs Asus Router – Which is more reliable?
Choosing the best router for your home is important especially if you have a large home. Two of the biggest known names in the routers world are the TP Link and Asus Companies. In this article, we are going to look at some of their best routers and see which brand to go with depending on your needs.
Whether you are looking for a regular budget router or a full on gaming router, there is a high chance you have stumbled upon either of these two routers: TP Link or Asus routers. This is because they are two of the biggest router manufacturers in the world today. The two brands not only make router but also other networking devices as well such as switches, hubs, network cables, among others. TP link has produced some of the best regular and mesh routers in the market today such as: TP Link M9, Deco M5 and TP Link M4. The Asus, which was first manufacturing PCs and laptops, also got into the router business and now have a wonderful line up of top performing routers such as: the Asus Zyra, and the Asus RT series. The more reliable router for you depends on your needs. But you need to know their differences before picking the better router
Table of Contents
What are the differences between TP Link and Asus?
Brands |
TP Link |
Asus |
Specialty |
Routers, modems and switches |
PCs, laptops, routers |
Operating system |
TP-Link OS |
Asus OS or DD-WRT |
Internal Antennas |
13 |
7 |
LED Light Position |
Around the top |
Bottom front |
Guest Networking |
Yes |
Yes |
Default username |
admin |
admin |
TP Link vs. Asus – How do these router brands compare?
Asus and TP Link are two of the biggest router companies today. To compare them, we are going to look at some of the key factors you consider when looking for a router.
Performance
Both the Asus and TP-Link brands have released some top tier routers over the years. In terms of performance, the TP Link takes the cake due to one main reason. TP Link are mainly focused on creating mesh extender routers compared to Asus. Mesh routers on the other hand are known to be high performance routers for extensive internet users such as online gamers. Therefore, TP Link has a long list of mesh routers that are perfect for any heavy internet users. However, if you’re looking for a regular or ‘prosumer’ router, Asus would be the better choice. And this is because, Asus manufactures balanced in all its functionalities and features from the processor to the quality and positioning of the internal antennas. It also has rich settings and a wonderful interface.
Operating system
The companies both implement different operating systems into their routers. TP Link routers come with the TP Link Operating System while the Asus comes with Asus Operating System. Comparing these two operating systems, we found that the TP Link OS works much better and seamlessly compared to the Asus. A few factors were used to gauge this performance and one of the key factors was the speed and efficiency of their respective mobile app connectivity. Since mesh routers are controlled using a mobile app, it was found that the TP Link OS and Deco app were quick to connect and had better ‘chemistry’. The Asus was tested under similar conditions and although the app connected and worked totally fine, the speed of connectivity was slightly less compared to TP Link
Area coverage
The area coverage refers to the maximum area or distance a router can cover. With many different routers from both companies, it was difficult to determine which company produced longer range routers. However, a lot of the Asus routers were found to provide a wider coverage per router. While some TP Link routers performed extremely well, Asus had the edge over TP Link mainly due to their preference for manufacturing mid to top level routers.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, both companies cater for all budgets from entry level to top level premium priced routers. With all key factors considered when choosing a router from hardware capacity to range, TP Link was found to be more affordable. Two routers from different performance levels, with similar specs and features from the different companies were used as reference point for this. Asus was found to cost more by just a few dollars which is quite acceptable since they are the bigger name of the two
TP Link vs. Asus – A comparison Overview
TP LINK – Overview
The TP Link Company is one of the first companies to get into the router making business. And not only routers, but also almost all other networking devices from hubs, switches to modems. They have made some of the best routers in the market today at an affordable price. This is why you will find a TP Link networking device everywhere from homes to offices. Their router offer the perfect balance of price, performance, features and hardware specs.
Another wonderful feature by TP Link routers is the fact that they come with strong and powerful security systems. TP Link is also known to move with the times by releasing the most recent trendy devices. Some of the most recent technology in the router industry has been wireless routers for gamers, also referred to as mesh extender routers. TP Link has a long list of these routers, all top performance and reasonably priced. TP Link router are also versatile a user friendly as their OS can be flashed in a simple process if need arises. We picked two of their many high level routers as case study
TP Link Archer A20
- Tri Band Wireless Internet Router for 4K video, streaming and gaming with incredible high speed, 1625...
- Archer A20 V3 with Powerful 1. 8 GHz 64-bit CPU, three co-processors and 512 MB of RAM powers your home...
The Archer series is one of the most popular lines of routers released by TP Link. The A20 is wonderful recently released router with modern features and functionalities. The router is fitted with Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11AX that provides very high throughput speeds and wonderful coverage. Although few devices support this, the router works well with older devices. It is a great investment in the future which is something TP Link is known for. The router boasts outrageous speeds of 1625 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 750 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. Like all other TP Link routers, it comes with ports for physical or wired connections. The TP Link Archer A20 feature four gigabit Ethernet ports and one WAN Ethernet port all located at the back of the router.
When it comes to design, the Archer A20 takes the signature rectangular look of TP Link routers and router in general. It comes in a black matte color for minimal accumulation of dust, easy wiping and to prevent fingerprints and marks from staining the surface. It also comes with six exterior antennas that are remarkably short. This was done to allow easy placement in the house and to reduce the already large size of the router. The router measures about 7.9 inches across. Other special features include: MUMIMO, a triband processor and AC4000 speed.
TP Link Archer C9
- 1 of wireless routers for Home which is compatible with all Wi Fi devices, 802.11ac and older
- Gigabit router with 4 gigabit LAN ports, fast Access to Multiple connected wired devices, also ideal as...
The TP Link Archer C9 is a 2020 release that features some of the best features you can find on a router today. This mid-level router is great for anyone on a budget who wants robust and balanced performance. It is great for office and home use alike. One of the best features of this router is the long range it provides. In fact it is considered a long range router. With a coverage of about 3500 square feet, this router will work perfectly for most homes and medium sized open offices. It has a throughput speed of 1.9 Gbps across its dual bands. This is enough bandwidth for anything from 4K streaming to online gaming. But perhaps the most outstanding feature of this router is the design. The C9 comes in a pristine white glossy white color made from toughened plastic material. At the back, the router has a lever support that holds it upright to stand on its own. The router also comes with three relatively long external antennas for receiving and sending signals. Furthermore, the router is perfectly sized for easy placement and to match any home interior décor you may have. Each piece measures 13.2 x 3.9 x 9.5 inches.
Asus – Overview
Asus has been in the IT industry for a long time with their main focus on high performance devices. From desktops to routers, the company makes high level devices for specialized and heavy use such as gaming. If you’re looking for a high performance router, then the Asus brand is something you should look at. However, this is not to say they do not cater for regular entry level and mid-level router. They have plenty of these too. To understand the brand better, we’ll look at two of their routers.
Asus RT-AC86U
- Connector Type : USB
- Dual-band (2.4 plus 5 GHz) AC2900 wireless router with the latest 802. 11AC MU-MIMO technology for data...
One of the best home router you can buy today is the RT AC86U. This router was released in mid-2019 and has since grown a lot in popularity. The main reason for this is the excellent speed and range offered by this little device. The router provides a total throughput speed of 2900 Mbps which is rather impressive from just a single router. It also provides a range of up to 4000 square feet which is ideal for most regular sized homes and small offices. The router is a performance router and lives up to this fete. On top of this, the Asus RT AC86U features a very techy and futuristic design, like you would expect from Asus. The router resembles a robot’s head with sharp edges and a lot of designs and layers on the exterior. It is also black in color with red colorings on each side of the front making it look like it has red eyes. Just by looking at it, you see that it is a performance router
The router supports wired connections with four LAN gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port and one WAN port. Other features include: MUMIMO, adaptive QoS and Traffice Analyzer. The only downside to this router might be the high price tag attached to it.
Asus RT-AC51U
- Dual-band AC750 Wi-Fi performance delivers 733 Mbps combined speed
- Intuitive 30-second setup Wizard via ASUSWRT web interface
We picked this router as it is much more affordable than the previous yet provides superb performance and coverage. In fact, this is one of the most affordable Asus routers in the market today and is perfect for anyone on a tight budget. The router was also released in 2019 and features some of the most recent technologies. On top of this, the router provides a total throughput speed of 1500 Mbps. Although lower than the 81U, this speed is high enough for all heavy internet use from gaming to live streaming. The speed is also consistent throughout use and it rarely suffers downtimes and lags. The router features four antennas that are placed on each corner of the router. For wired connections, the router comes with multiple ports including 4 LAN gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port. Other special features include Smart QoS, MUMIMO and beamforming capabilities. If you’re looking for a top router with superb performance, this is definitely a device you should consider.
Model |
TP Link Archer A20 |
Asus RT-AC86U |
Ports |
7 (four LAN, one WAN, two USB) |
7 (four LAN, one WAN, two USB) |
Antennas |
6 |
3 |
Special features |
MUMIMO |
MUMIMO, adaptive QoS and Traffice Analyzer |
Size |
7.9 inches across |
13.2 x 3.9 x 9.5 inches |
Color |
White |
Black |
Throughput speed |
2400 Mbps |
2900 Mbps |
Availability |
Conclusion
When it comes to high performance routers, it is hard to find one that is as good as Asus RT AC86U. The router has been built with heavy use and high level performance and has a price tag that goes along with this. The Archer A20 is however, almost as good and costs way less. So if you’re on a limited budget, the A20 would be a better choice.
