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TP-Link Archer A9 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price in UK:~£90Avg. price in US:~$90Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi speed:1900 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:no

TP-Link Archer A9 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.4

Overall score

Score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the router's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best routers on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 66% of models
Score components

90%

7.2

Technical Score

10%

9.1

User score

â–²Better than 66% of routers
7.2

Technical Score

Technical score
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 61% of models
Score components

26%

5.8

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

9.2

Networking

14%

9.5

Security

12%

6.2

Hardware

10%

8.0

Management

â–²Better than 61% of routers
9.1

User score

User score
9.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
★ Better than 96% of models
Score components

70%

8.8

User reviews

30%

10

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.4
(8154)
amazon
4.2
(768)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.2
(768)
Amazon_logo.png
4.4
(391)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

★Better than 96% of routers
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Best prices in UK

Best rankings

Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Verdict

The TP-Link Archer A9 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router offering combined AC1900 speeds of up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. It features a Qualcomm quad-core CPU, 128MB of RAM, and is equipped with three external antennas and one internal antenna to support 3x3 MU-MIMO and Beamforming for efficient data streaming and expanded coverage. Main pros include its support for WPA3 security, Smart Connect for automated band steering, and full Gigabit connectivity with one WAN and four LAN ports alongside a USB 2.0 port for media sharing. However, cons include the use of non-removable antennas, an older USB 2.0 standard rather than USB 3.0, and reported performance inconsistencies on the 2.4 GHz band for some users.

Technical Specifications of router TP-Link Archer A9

Technical Score
Technical score
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of the router's technical performance, covering key areas such as Wi-Fi performance, wired connectivity, security, software features, coverage, and design.
When it matters
When you want to compare routers based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 61% of models
Score components:

26%

5.8

Wireless

20%

5.8

Ports

18%

9.2

Networking

14%

9.5

Security

12%

6.2

Hardware

10%

8.0

Management

7.2
TP-Link Archer A9 has a technical score of 7.2 points, which is higher than that of 60.5% of products in this category.
User score
User score
9.1/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
★ Better than 96% of models
Score components

70%

8.8

User reviews

30%

10

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.4
(8154)
amazon
4.2
(768)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.2
(768)
Amazon_logo.png
4.4
(391)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

9.1
TP-Link Archer A9 has a user score of 9.14 points, which is higher than that of 95.6% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
10.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the router.
When it matters
When you prefer to choose a router reviewed and selected by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
★ Better than 92% of models
Popularity:
TP-Link Archer A9 has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than that of 91.9% of products in this category.
10
TP-Link Archer A9 has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than that of 91.9% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
8.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 70% of models
Score components:

60%

7.4

Overall score

40%

10

Price

8.2
TP-Link Archer A9 has a value-for-money score of 8.2 points, which is higher than that of 70.1% of products in this category.
Brand name
TP-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
â–² Better than 39% of models
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is more advanced than 39.5% of routers and equal to 25.3% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
â–² Better than 25% of models
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.8% of routers and equal to 68.1% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
1900 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
1900 Mbps
â–² Better than 63% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 1900 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 63.2% of routers and equal to 2% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
â–² Better than 41% of models
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 40.9% of routers and the same as 31.6% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X
â–² Better than 70% of models
This router supports WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 70.4% of routers and equal to 0.7% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
DoS protection
yes
â–² Better than 13% of models
This router includes DoS protection. 12.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
SPI intrusion protection
yes
â–² Better than 6% of models
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 6.1% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
MAC address filtering
yes
â–² Better than 2% of models
This router supports MAC address filtering. 2.2% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
URL filter
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router supports URL filtering. 3.4% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
IPv6 support
yes
â–² Better than 12% of models
This router supports IPv6. 11.5% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
Dynamic routing
yes
â–² Better than 48% of models
This router supports dynamic routing. 47.8% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
yes
Inter-VLAN routing
yes
â–² Better than 77% of models
This router supports inter-VLAN routing. 76.7% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
yes
VLAN tagging
yes
â–² Better than 38% of models
This router supports VLAN tagging. 38.2% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
QoS
yes
â–² Better than 3% of models
This router includes QoS controls. 3.2% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
4
N. of LAN ports
4
â–² Better than 24% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 4 LAN ports, which is more than 23.7% of routers and the same as 69.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
â–² Better than 27% of models
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 27.1% of routers and on par with 59.9% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
1
N. of WAN ports
1
â–¼ Worse than 9% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 WAN ports, which is more than 1% of routers and the same as 90.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
N. of USB ports
1
â–² Better than 39% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 39.5% of routers and the same as 39.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
Category Benchmark
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 0.5% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI, App
Management interface
Web UI, App
â–² Better than 33% of models
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 33.4% of routers and equal to 57% of routers.
Tether app
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App, Automatic
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App, Automatic
â–² Better than 79% of models
This router supports Web UI, App, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 78.9% of routers and equal to 19.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
Traffic monitoring
yes
â–² Better than 18% of models
This router includes traffic monitoring. 18.1% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
â–² Better than 9% of models
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 8.6% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
Captive portal
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not offer captive portal features. 23.5% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
?
RAM capacity
128 MB
RAM capacity
128 MB
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 128 MB of RAM, which is less than 51.6% of routers and the same as 17.1% of routers.
Internal storage
0.015625 GB
Internal storage
0.015625 GB
â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.015625 GB of internal storage, which is less than 58.6% of routers and the same as 13.8% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
Hardware acceleration
yes
â–² Better than 31% of models
This router offers hardware acceleration. 31.4% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
3
N. of external antennas
3
â–² Better than 58% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 3 external antennas, which is more than 58.4% of routers and the same as 13.3% of routers.
Show more

TP-Link Archer A9 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X
    â–² Better than 70% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    Inter-VLAN routing
    yes
    â–² Better than 77% of models
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    â–² Better than 52% of models
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 28.8% faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    1900 Mbps
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1900 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    1,900 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • 14.2% higher user score
    User score
    9.1/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    TP-Link Archer A9
    the average router
    ★ Better than 97% of models
    TP-Link Archer A9 has a higher user score than the average router (9.14 vs 8.000).
    9.14 vs 8
  • 53% more popular
    TP-Link Archer A9 is more popular than the average router (10 vs 6.5).
    10 vs 6.54
  • 1 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    1
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (1 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    1 vs 0
  • 14.2% higher user score
    User score
    9.1/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the router.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how a router performs in daily use and how reliable it is for speed, coverage, and stability according to user feedback.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    TP-Link Archer A9
    the average router
    ★ Better than 97% of models
    TP-Link Archer A9 has a higher user score than the average router (9.14 vs 8.000).
    9.14 vs 8
  • 53% more popular
    TP-Link Archer A9 is more popular than the average router (10 vs 6.5).
    10 vs 6.54
  • Supports MU-MIMO
    MU-MIMO
    yes
    â–² Better than 52% of models
    This router supports MU-MIMO, while the average router does not. 47.7% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 28.8% faster Wi-Fi speed
    Wi-Fi speed
    1900 Mbps
    â–² Better than 63% of models
    Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1900 Mbps vs 1475 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1475 Mbps.
    1,900 Mbps vs 1,475 Mbps
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X
    â–² Better than 70% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA/WPA2, WEP, 802.1X vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Supports inter-VLAN routing
    Inter-VLAN routing
    yes
    â–² Better than 77% of models
    This router supports inter-VLAN routing, while the average router does not. 23.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
  • 1 more internal antennas
    N. of internal antennas
    1
    â–² Better than 56% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (1 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    1 vs 0
  • 50% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    128 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (128 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    128 MB vs 256 MB
  • 87.5% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.015625 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
    This router has less internal storage than the average router (0 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.015625 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 41.5 mm wider width
    Width
    243.5 mm
    â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
    Market range: <100 mm – >300 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (243.5 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    243.5 mm vs 202 mm
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine
    â–² Better than 80% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server, time machine NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine
    â–² Better than 80% of models
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server, time machine NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • 50% less RAM
    RAM capacity
    128 MB
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
    This router has less RAM than the average router (128 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    128 MB vs 256 MB
  • 87.5% less internal storage
    Internal storage
    0.015625 GB
    â–¼ Worse than 59% of models
    Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
    This router has less internal storage than the average router (0 GB vs 0.1 GB). The average router offers 0.125 GB of internal storage.
    0.015625 GB vs 0.125 GB
  • 41.5 mm wider width
    Width
    243.5 mm
    â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
    Market range: <100 mm – >300 mm
    This router is wider than the average router (243.5 mm vs 202 mm). The average router is 202 mm wide.
    243.5 mm vs 202 mm

Graphic comparison of TP-Link Archer A9 and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

United Kingdom
amazon
4.4
8154 Reviews
amazon
4.2
768 Reviews
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.2
768 Reviews
Amazon_logo.png
4.4
391 Reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about TP-Link Archer A9?

  • Excellent 5GHz band performance with speeds often exceeding 600Mbps in close range.
  • Very affordable price point, often cited as one of the best budget or mid-range routers.
  • Easy setup process using either the web interface or the TP-Link Tether mobile app.
  • Includes advanced features like MU-MIMO and Beamforming for improved device stability and coverage.
  • Reliable for online gaming with low latency and minimal lag reported by many users.
  • Supports modern security standards like WPA3 (via firmware updates in many regions).

What customers dislike about TP-Link Archer A9?

  • Mixed feedback on overall range; some users found it insufficient for larger multi-story homes.
  • USB 2.0 port is considered slow for modern file-sharing needs, with speeds described as 'potato standard'.
  • Technical support and forum assistance have been criticized as slow or unhelpful by some users.
  • Poor 2.4GHz performance in congested areas or at longer distances, with significant speed drops.
  • Reports of occasional connection drops that require manual troubleshooting or reboots.
  • IFTTT integration is noted by some users to be inconsistent or non-functional.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

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