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TP-Link Archer AX12 Review | 77 Data compared

Avg. price:~£35Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi speed:1501 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:yes

TP-Link Archer AX12 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

7.6

Overall score

Score
7.6/ 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 72% of models
Score components

90%

7.4

Technical Score

10%

9.1

User score

â–²Better than 72% of routers
7.4

Technical Score

Technical score
7.4/ 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 70% of models
Score components

26%

7.3

Wireless

20%

4.9

Ports

18%

8.5

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.0

Hardware

10%

7.5

Management

â–²Better than 70% 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 95% of models
Score components

70%

9.4

User reviews

30%

8.6

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.7
(2191)
amazon
4.2
(94)
amazon
4.1
(6)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.7
(2192)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

★Better than 95% 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 AX12 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router offering AX1500 speeds, delivering up to 1201 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. It features a 1.5 GHz triple-core CPU (or 1.8 GHz quad-core depending on the version), four high-performance external antennas with Beamforming technology, and support for OFDMA and MU-MIMO to handle multiple devices efficiently. Main pros include its affordability, easy setup via the Tether app, and enhanced security with WPA3. However, some users have reported relatively weak signal strength on the 5 GHz band and a lack of a USB port for storage sharing.

Technical Specifications of router TP-Link Archer AX12

Technical Score
Technical score
7.4/ 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 70% of models
Score components:

26%

7.3

Wireless

20%

4.9

Ports

18%

8.5

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.0

Hardware

10%

7.5

Management

7.4
TP-Link Archer AX12 has a technical score of 7.4 points, which is higher than that of 69.6% 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 95% of models
Score components

70%

9.4

User reviews

30%

8.6

Popularity

User score:
United Kingdom
amazon
4.7
(2191)
amazon
4.2
(94)
amazon
4.1
(6)
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.7
(2192)

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

9.1
TP-Link Archer AX12 has a user score of 9.14 points, which is higher than that of 95.3% of products in this category.
Popularity
Popularity
8.6/ 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
â–² Better than 76% of models
Popularity:
TP-Link Archer AX12 has a popularity score of 8.6 points, which is higher than that of 76% of products in this category.
8.6
TP-Link Archer AX12 has a popularity score of 8.6 points, which is higher than that of 76% of products in this category.
Ratio quality/price
Value for money
8.3/ 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 75% of models
Score components:

60%

7.6

Overall score

40%

10

Price

8.3
TP-Link Archer AX12 has a value-for-money score of 8.3 points, which is higher than that of 75.5% of products in this category.
Brand name
TP-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
â–² Better than 65% of models
This router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is more advanced than 65% of routers and equal to 26.7% 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
1,501 Mbps
Wi-Fi speed
1,501 Mbps
â–² Better than 51% of models
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 1,501 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 51.4% of routers and equal to 0.8% 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, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA
â–² Better than 86% of models
This router supports WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 86.5% of routers and equal to 0.3% 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
no
Dynamic routing
no
â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
This router does not support dynamic routing. 52.5% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
Inter-VLAN routing
no
â–¼ Worse than 24% of models
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 23.5% 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
3
N. of LAN ports
3
â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 3 LAN ports, which is fewer than 76.6% of routers and the same as 14.5% 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
0
N. of USB ports
0
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 0 USB ports, which is fewer than 60.8% of routers and the same as 39.2% 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.
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
3x 1.5 GHz
CPU clock speed
3x 1.5 GHz
â–² Better than 72% of models
This router runs at 3x1.5 GHz, which is faster than 72.3% of routers and on par with 3.8% of routers.
RAM capacity
256 MB
RAM capacity
256 MB
â–² Better than 49% of models
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 256 MB of RAM, which is more than 48.7% of routers and the same as 15.4% 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
4
N. of external antennas
4
â–² Better than 72% of models
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 4 external antennas, which is more than 71.9% of routers and the same as 17.5% of routers.
Show more

TP-Link Archer AX12 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA
    â–² Better than 86% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    Mesh Wi-Fi
    yes
    â–² Better than 64% of models
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 36.4% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • Supports OFDMA
    OFDMA support
    yes
    â–² Better than 65% of models
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 35% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
    â–² Better than 65% of models
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 4.6 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    3.5 W
    â–² Better than 86% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (3.5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    3.5 W vs 8.1 W
  • 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.
  • Higher CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    3 x 1.5 GHz
    â–² Better than 72% of models
    This router has a higher CPU clock speed than the average router (3x1.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    3x1.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 8 newer release date
    Release date
    2023
    ★ Better than 93% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This router was released more recently than the average router (2023 vs 2015). The average router release year is 2015.
    2023 vs 2015
  • 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 AX12
    the average router
    ★ Better than 97% of models
    TP-Link Archer AX12 has a higher user score than the average router (9.14 vs 8.000).
    9.14 vs 8
  • 2.57x cheaper
    TP-Link Archer AX12 is cheaper than the average router (£35 vs £90).
    £35 vs £90
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    Mesh Wi-Fi
    yes
    â–² Better than 64% of models
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 36.4% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • Supports OFDMA
    OFDMA support
    yes
    â–² Better than 65% of models
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 35% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi version
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
    â–² Better than 65% of models
    This router supports a newer Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 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.
  • Supports TWT
    Target Wake Time (TWT) support
    yes
    â–² Better than 64% of models
    This router supports Target Wake Time (TWT), while the average router does not. 36.4% of routers support Target Wake Time (TWT).
  • 1 more spatial streams
    N. of spatial streams
    4
    â–² Better than 68% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (4 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    4 vs 3
  • 64 more connected devices
    Maximum connected devices
    128
    â–² Better than 68% of models
    Market range: <0 – >250
    This router supports more connected devices than the average router (128 vs 64). The average router supports 64 connected devices.
    128 vs 64
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    Wi-Fi security protocols
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA
    â–² Better than 86% of models
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
  • 4.6 W lower power consumption
    Power consumption
    3.5 W
    â–² Better than 86% of models
    Market range: <3 W – >18 W
    This router uses less power than the average router (3.5 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    3.5 W vs 8.1 W
  • Higher CPU clock speed
    CPU clock speed
    3 x 1.5 GHz
    â–² Better than 72% of models
    This router has a higher CPU clock speed than the average router (3x1.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz). The average router has a CPU clock speed of 2x0.5 GHz.
    3x1.5 GHz vs 2x0.5 GHz
  • 8 newer release date
    Release date
    2023
    ★ Better than 93% of models
    Market range: <2k – >2k
    This router was released more recently than the average router (2023 vs 2015). The average router release year is 2015.
    2023 vs 2015
  • 2 more external antennas
    N. of external antennas
    4
    â–² Better than 72% of models
    Market range: <0 – >10
    This router has more external antennas than the average router (4 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    4 vs 2
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    3
    â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    none
    â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    none vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No dynamic routing
    Dynamic routing
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 52.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • No DLNA support
    DLNA support
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 54% of models
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 54% of routers support DLNA.
  • 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
  • No dynamic routing
    Dynamic routing
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 52% of models
    This router does not support dynamic routing, while the average router does. 52.3% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    N. of LAN ports
    3
    â–¼ Worse than 77% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • 1 fewer USB ports
    N. of USB ports
    0
    â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
    Market range: <0 – >5
    This router has fewer USB ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 USB ports.
    0 vs 1
  • Less capable NAS services
    Built-in NAS services
    none
    â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access.
    none vs SMB, FTP, time machine, NFS, web access
  • No DLNA support
    DLNA support
    no
    â–¼ Worse than 54% of models
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 54% of routers support DLNA.
  • 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

Graphic comparison of TP-Link Archer AX12 and other routers

No results found

Third-party reviews

United Kingdom
amazon
4.7
2191 Reviews
amazon
4.2
94 Reviews
amazon
4.1
6 Reviews
United States
Amazon_logo.png
4.7
2192 Reviews

(Reviews last updated: May 2026)

What customers like about TP-Link Archer AX12?

  • High value for money as an affordable entry-point for Wi-Fi 6 technology
  • Extremely easy setup process using the TP-Link Tether app
  • Stable and fast 5GHz performance for gaming and streaming
  • Effective beamforming and four antennas provide reliable coverage for medium-sized homes
  • Compact and sleek design that is less obtrusive than high-end models
  • Good security features including WPA3 and multiple VPN passthrough options

What customers dislike about TP-Link Archer AX12?

  • 2.4GHz band lacks Wi-Fi 6 technology, leading to slower speeds for older or smart home devices
  • Noticeable signal drops when transmitting through thick walls
  • Downgraded single-core CPU compared to the older Archer AX10 model
  • Intermittent disconnection issues reported by some users requiring firmware updates or restarts
  • Limited number of LAN ports (only three compared to the standard four)
  • Reported speed reduction on devices connected via 100 Mbps Ethernet ports

Video reviews

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

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