TP Link Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9

You might have already heard that TP Link Archer routers are the best in terms of fast wireless network connections. Because of that, you could have already known that the three major TP Link Archer models: Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9. But it can be challenging to try to make the best choice between the three that will work well for your home or your office. We are here to help you with that.

TP Link (and its Archer C7, C8, C9) is well-known for its wireless routers, often compared to other brands, including Asus, Linksys, and Netgear, but at a more economical price. The majority of the TP Link routers support fiber broadband, as well as cable and DSL, making them work with many different service providers.

Difference Between Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9

We're going to compare the TP Link Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9 and show you what the biggest differences between Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9 are. We will also show you the similarities between each product as they are sometimes confused with each other and are often shown together in stores both online and brick and mortar. The price between each router is often similar as well, making it hard to determine if you are getting the newest or the ideal router for your needs. If you look at the boxes alone, the routers are packaged identically. The routers even look the same, meaning you need to look a little harder to see what the real differences between the three routers are.

Check out what we have found out about the differences between these TP Link Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9 routers as well as which router really is the best bang for your buck.

1. TP-Link Archer C7 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (AC1750)

It may be priced on the low end – but don’t let that fool you, read on why this is a popular choice. Widely regarded by many to be a top favourite, the Archer C7 offers many features which will sway you in its directions – like the Guest Network Access for the privacy of your home or office, better control over bandwidth for connected devices, simple set up process and more.

Archer C7 Performance

Offering theoretical speeds of 1750 Mbps from both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, this router did live up to our expectations. We tested it in a large home and it delivered a strong signal all throughout. We faced no dropped connections and delivered a stable and strong data stream to all our connected devices. There were many management options, which is great but even though we thought it was lacking a little in user-friendliness, it’s good for its price point!

Archer C7 Best Use:

The TP Link Archer C7 router is best used for light internet use and may not be great for a home or business that has multiple users operating the internet at the same time. While the router does have parental controls as well as IPV6 support, it is not ideal for multiple devices to be streaming at the same time.

Archer C7 vs C9. Does It Make Sense To Buy Archer C9 over C7?

YES! Not only has the Archer C7 been replaced by the C8, with the introduction of the C9, the Archer C7 has essentially become obsolete. Between its inability to support multiple users at the same time as well as its low-speed functionality, the C7 is just not up to keep up with the average users’ internet needs any longer. The Archer C7 may be a more economical price, but the price point between the Archer C7 vs Archer C9 is not enough to make a case that the C7 is more affordable. Additionally the C7 was widely reported to have issues with Apple devices, making it harder to connect and stay connected; this was corrected in the next model of Archer routers. Additionally, the lack of USB 3.0 port on the C7 also further proves how obsolete the router has become, limiting users’ abilities to connect to devices at a higher transfer speed. It makes far more sense to purchase the TP Link Archer C9 vs C7.

2. TP-Link Archer C8 Wi-Fi Gigabit Router AC1750

While the C8 definitely is a better option over the older C7, the next generation design shows how far they’ve moved away from the Archer C7 internally. While it does not offer state of the art features, it is a great buy for its price point. One of the lower priced 802.11ac routers in the market, the C8 has several features like beamforming support, three removable antennas, four port gigabit switch and a dual core 800MHz CPU.

Archer C8 Performance:

Offering theoretical speeds reaching 1.75 Gbps on its dual band networks, the Archer C8 makes streaming fast and smooth and even though we have many neighbors providing significant interference, we found we received high performance from the C8. We could connect multiple devices with no problems, with all of them running simultaneously. We did find that the configuration is a huge improvement from the previous C7. While before we would get only 2 bars in the basement, we now had a five bar signal all throughout our property!

Archer C8 Best Use:

The beamforming technology helps you in boosting the signal strength to specific devices, meaning you get no interruptions when you’re gaming or watching videos on Netflix. Even if all your family members are doing their own thing on the internet at peak hours, the C8 will keep you sailing smoothly through the internet seas.

Archer C8 vs C9. Does It Make Sense To Buy Archer C9 over C8?

Most definitely. On the surface, the Archer C8 and the Archer C9 look identical. Not only are their boxes identical, but their outward design is also identical, making it easy to assume that there is not much of a difference between the two routers. In truth, there is a great deal of difference between the Archer C8 vs Archer C9. Compared side by side, the Archer C9 offers a much greater transfer speed than the Archer C8, making the router more effective for online gamers or users who would like to stream videos at a higher speed.

They both do offer the same USB ports and are capable with many different ISPs, but the speeds are the biggest differences. The Archer C9 has a combined speed of 1900 Mbps while the Archer C8 has speeds of 1750 Mbps. Considering the extra about of speed you get with the TP Link Archer C9, the small price difference between the two models is not enough to justify buying the TP Link Archer C8 vs C9.

3. TP-Link Wireless Wi-Fi Router Archer C9 (AC1900)

The C9 ranks amongst one of the best and cheapest AC1900 routers you can find on the market and even though it is priced so affordably, it does not skimp on many features. 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB support for Drive sharing and speeds up to 1900Mbps makes this nifty gadget worth a second and third look. Sleek and elegantly designed, find out why this is such a great buy and our preferred router in the C7 vs C8 vs C9 comparision.

Archer C9 Performance:

The area we tested it in doesn’t allow for super speeds, and earlier we could receive only 73Mbps. Wanting more, we tried out the C9 for a period of two weeks, and found that our speeds had nearly tripled, and with the 5GHz band, it actually quadrupled to deliver 430 Mbps! The 5GHz network worked like a dream and the wired performance actually rivalled its nearest higher priced competitors. We did find that at a distance of 30 feet through two brick walls, the connection dropped to half of what we were receiving.

Archer C9 Best Use:

Ideal for households that need high-speed streaming, the TP Link Archer C9 can handle all you throw at it and more. Play whole day with HD online gaming, stream all the videos you want without breaking the bank. The C9 is built to deliver.

Final Verdict: Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9

The bottom line when it comes to the TP Link Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9 is that you should put your money with the Archer C9. Not only is the price point between the three routers minimal, the amount of speeds that you are able to get with the C9 put the other routers to shame. The Archer C9 is the only among the three Archer routers that offers the 4K HD streaming capability, which is essential for online gamers or users who would like to have high-speed video streaming without interruption. The Archer C7 vs C8 just proves that the C7 has been made obsolete. Not only does it only allow one device to stream at a time, but its single core processor is not high-powered. That leaves the Archer C8 vs C9. While the C8 does have many capabilities and is known for working well, it still lacks the HD video streaming ability that the Archer C9 has. When it comes to picking between Archer C7 vs C8 vs C9, the answer is simple: go with the Archer C9.