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Scored using Routers Methodology v3.0
Routers Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Routers Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Routers Methodology v3.0

TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro review: 77 specs compared

Avg. price:~£95Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)Wi-Fi speed:5400 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:yes

TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and 2 expert and video reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro
7.7/10

Overall score

Score
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 65% of models
Score components

40%

7.9

Technical score

25%

7.9

Reviews score

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 6.9, the mark of a weaker model in this category

â–²Better than 65% of routers
8.4

Value for money

Value for money
8.4/ 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 74% of models
Score components

70%

7.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–²Better than 74%
7.9

Technical score

Technical score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 76% of models
Score components

26%

8.5

Wireless

20%

5.5

Ports

18%

8.7

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.4

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

â–²Better than 76%
7.9

Reviews score

Reviews score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 56% of models

7.9

Mark 7.9 is below the typical mark 8.1 of this category, so it cannot lift the score above the technical score

80%

8.3

Average grade

20%

6.3

Popularity

Grades by review (2)
2 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
â–¼Worse than 56%
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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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Routers model ranking

Ranked #143 of 524 models in Routers (Overall score)

Technical Specifications of router TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro

Technical score
Technical score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 76% of models
Score components:

26%

8.5

Wireless

20%

5.5

Ports

18%

8.7

Networking

14%

10

Security

12%

7.4

Hardware

10%

7.1

Management

7.9
Reviews score
7.9
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
8.4/ 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 74% of models
Score components:

70%

7.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

8.4
Brand name
TP-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
This router uses Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is more advanced than 58.5% of routers and equal to 25.9% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.2% of routers and equal to 65.6% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
5,400 Mbps
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 5,400 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 80.2% of routers and equal to 3.7% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz channel width options, which is more than 66.5% of routers and the same as 27.4% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA3, WPA2, WPA
This router supports WPA3, WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are more advanced than 85.7% of routers and equal to 14.3% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 9.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 4.7% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 1.7% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 2.6% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
This router supports IPv6. 8.8% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
no
This router does not support dynamic routing. 46.2% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
?
VLAN tagging
yes
This router supports VLAN tagging. 33.6% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 2.4% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
3
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 3 LAN ports, which is fewer than 66% of routers and the same as 18.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 25.7% of routers and on par with 56.1% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
2
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 2 WAN ports, which is more than 90.4% of routers and the same as 7.1% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 40.1% of routers and the same as 41.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 1.7% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI, App
This router uses Web UI, App for management, which is more advanced than 29.7% of routers and equal to 60.9% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Automatic
This router supports Automatic firmware update methods, which are less convenient than 72.7% of routers and equal to 2.7% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
This router includes traffic monitoring. 13.9% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 7.3% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 22.4% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
2x 1 GHz
This router runs at 2x1 GHz, which is faster than 49.1% of routers and on par with 7.3% of routers.
RAM capacity
512 MB
Market range: <0 MB – >1k MB
This router has 512 MB of RAM, which is more than 61.4% of routers and the same as 21.4% of routers.
Internal storage
0.125 GB
Market range: <0 GB – >0.5 GB
This router has 0.125 GB of internal storage, which is more than 47.9% of routers and the same as 23.8% of routers.
Hardware acceleration
yes
This router offers hardware acceleration. 24.9% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
?
Show more

TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • 3.09x faster Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (5,400 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    5,400 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 45.2% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • Supports OFDMA
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 41.5% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    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 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 3 more spatial streams
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (6 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    6 vs 3
  • Wider channel widths
    This router has a higher supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • More capable NAS services
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server, time machine NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, media server.
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine vs SMB, media server
  • 3.09x faster Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (5,400 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    5,400 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 45.2% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • Supports OFDMA
    This router supports OFDMA, while the average router does not. 41.5% of routers support OFDMA.
  • Newer Wi-Fi version
    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 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 3 more spatial streams
    This router has more spatial streams than the average router (6 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    6 vs 3
  • Wider channel widths
    This router has a higher supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz + 160 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • Supports TWT
    This router supports Target Wake Time (TWT), while the average router does not. 42.6% of routers support Target Wake Time (TWT).
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA3, WPA2, WPA, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA3, WPA2, WPA vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • More capable NAS services
    This router includes SMB, FTP, media server, time machine NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, media server.
    SMB, FTP, media server, time machine vs SMB, media server
  • 2x more RAM
    This router has more RAM than the average router (512 MB vs 256 MB). The average router has 256 MB of RAM.
    512 MB vs 256 MB
  • 4 years newer release date
    This router was released more recently than the average router (2023 vs 2019). The average router release year is 2019.
    2023 vs 2019
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    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 WAN ports
    This router has fewer WAN ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 WAN ports.
    2 vs 1
  • 93.2 mm thicker design
    This router is thicker than the average router (147.2 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    147.2 mm vs 54 mm
  • 79.5 mm wider width
    This router is wider than the average router (272.5 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    272.5 mm vs 193 mm
  • Narrower DFS range
    This router has fewer supported DFS channels than the average router (52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144). The average router supports 52-64 + 100-144 DFS channels.
    52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144
  • 53.3% heavier weight
    This router is heavier than the average router (690 g vs 450 g). The average router weighs 450 g.
    690 g vs 450 g
  • Narrower DFS range
    This router has fewer supported DFS channels than the average router (52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144). The average router supports 52-64 + 100-144 DFS channels.
    52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    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 WAN ports
    This router has fewer WAN ports than the average router (2 vs 1). The average router has 1 WAN ports.
    2 vs 1
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Automatic, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Automatic vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • 93.2 mm thicker design
    This router is thicker than the average router (147.2 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    147.2 mm vs 54 mm
  • 79.5 mm wider width
    This router is wider than the average router (272.5 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    272.5 mm vs 193 mm
  • 53.3% heavier weight
    This router is heavier than the average router (690 g vs 450 g). The average router weighs 450 g.
    690 g vs 450 g

Video reviews

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

9.0
Dmitry Lambert
≈ estimated
26/01/2025
Personal use review · Wi-Fi coverage in a concrete home
Verdict
TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro gives solid Wi-Fi coverage across a concrete home, a good pick if you want to skip mesh.
8.0
Techsmart
≈ estimated
04/08/2023
Unboxing and performance review · speed tests at several distances
Verdict
TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro is worth considering for high-speed internet and many devices, though speeds drop noticeably at range.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro

  • AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 with 4804 Mbps on 5 GHz
  • One 2.5 Gbps port for a NAS or multi-gig line
  • USB 3.0 port with SMB, FTP and Time Machine
  • Dual-core 1 GHz CPU and six antennas
  • VPN server and client plus HomeShield
  • EasyMesh support and guest network

What customers don't like about TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro

  • Only one 2.5 Gbps port, the rest are gigabit
  • No 6 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6 only
  • No built-in modem, an external modem is needed
  • Only 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band

Verdict

Multi-gig on a mid-range budget is the draw of the Archer AX72 Pro, a Wi-Fi 6 router with one 2.5 Gbps port. AX5400 speed splits into 4804 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, over six antennas. The other ports are one gigabit WAN/LAN port and three gigabit LAN ports. A USB 3.0 port shares storage through SMB, FTP, media server and Time Machine support, and the CPU runs two 1 GHz cores. It also includes a VPN server and client, HomeShield, EasyMesh and WPA3. There is no 6 GHz band and no built-in modem, and setup runs through the app or a web page. It suits families with a fibre line, a NAS and many devices that want strong Wi-Fi 6 for a mid-range price.

Compare TP-Link Archer AX72 Pro with other routers

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