Plenty of times when you are facing unstable and slow WiFi connection, it is due to the slow wireless router you are using. The wireless router that comes from your Internet service provider are often basic router with really low specs to reduce cost.
You can always buy a third party router and replace the router provided from your ISP which will help your connection greatly. Today, we will be looking at TP-Link Archer C80 AC1900 dual-band MU-MIMO wireless router. This is an affordable entry level router but with decent specs.
TP-Link Archer C80 is now available for sale in Malaysia at just RM269 at the time of writing this article. It comes with a 3 years one to one exchange warranty from TP-Link.
Hardware and Specs
| Wireless 2.4Ghz | 3×3 up to 600Mbps |
| Wireless 5Ghz | 3×3 up to 1300Mbps |
| Wireless Features | MU-MIMO, Beamforming, Guest WiFi |
| CPU | Mediatek |
| RAM | 128MB RAM |
| Ports | 4x Gigabit Ethernet LAN + 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN |
The Archer C80 comes with Wireless AC1900 and it can support a maximum WiFi speed up to 1300Mbps on 5Ghz channel and 600Mbps on 2.4Ghz channel. It supports Wireless AC MU-MIMO and Beamforming feature for a better WiFi performance.
MU-MIMO technology will let it to have better performance when having more devices connected to your wireless router. It allows the router to achive Multi User, Multiple Input Multiple Output simultaneous connection which will result in better speed.
TP-Link also added beamforming function to the Archer C80, something which TP-Link Archer C7 does not have. This will provide a stronger WiFi signal for your device by carefully adjusting the anenna power to steer the signal towards your WiFi clients.
It has 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet WAN port that can support up to 1Gbps on these port. This is a really important factor to consider when shopping for an affordable router. Some routers can only support up to 100Mbps.
Design wise, I think it looks fine. The new design looks kinda clean as it doesn’t show dust easily. There are 4 non-removable high gain external antenna. See the full specs of the Archer C80 on TP-Link website here.
Under the router, you will find the default WiFi name (SSID) and the default WiFi password. I also notice there are 2 holes which make it possible to wall mount or ceiling mount this wireless router.
Archer C80 Setup Process
Replacing your old wireless router with the Archer C80 is really simple. Just unplug your old router, connect to this new router and do some basic setup process. The steps may be slightly different depending on what Internet Service Provider you use.
Once you switched on the new Archer C80, use your computer to connect to the default WiFi of this router then navigate to the setting spage to perform the initial setup process. The default settings page of the router is tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.1.1.
Most users will use the PPPoE mode and you will need to request the PPPoE username and password from your Internet Service Provider. For users in Malaysia, you must select the ISP profile if you use Unifi or Maxis. You can refer to my TP-Link Unifi setup guide over here.
It is also compatible to the Unifi TV box and you must connect your Unifi Hypp TV box to the LAN 1 port. The port is labeled as LAN 1 on the back of the wireless router.
WiFi Performance Test
I highly recommend enabling the smart connect function. This will merge the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz band under a single WiFi name (SSID). It will provide a more seamless connection as the router will intelligently steer your devices to the best band best on signal quality without you having to switch between the 2.4Ghz WiFi and 5Ghz WiFi manually.
I am getting pretty good WiFi speed out of the Archer C80 when testing it with my laptop with a Wireless AC1200 WiFi adapter. The speed is close to 600Mbps on a short distance. I am really surprised by how fast and stable is the WiFi network of this affordable wireless router.
When I am on further distance after 2 walls, the 5Ghz WiFi speed dropped to just slightly below 400Mbps. This is still a really good performance that I did not expect from this router. I did not notice any disconnections when using this router.
You will need a device that support Wireless AC in order to enjoy fast WiFI speed. Most devices sold after 2018 should already support Wireless AC technology. If you are using an older computer, you can upgrade the WiFi receiver by buying a new Wireless AC WiFi adapter.
On a wired LAN connection, I can reach a maximum download speed of up to 871Mbps on TP-Link Archer C80.
Firmware and Features
If you use the Archer C80, you will want to download the TP-Link Tether app on your phone as it compliments the experience of owning this wireless router. The app will show you many information and let you to manage your home network easily as it is link to a TP-Link account.
Personally I feel TP-Link router settings interface is the prettiest and most user friendly in the market now. Everything is really easy to understand and things are shown clearly. You can see how many devices and how they are connected in real-time.
The parental control function lets you to perform keyword blocking to block specific content for selected devices. It also lets you to configure daily Internet usage limit and bedtime Internet limit. They are all really easy to configure on the web interface.
TP-Link Archer C80 also comes with a built-in access point mode. I think this is great as the C80 have great WiFi capabilities, it is a great model to consider for access point. TP-Link also included a guest WiFi function on this router.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Archer C80 is a great affordable wireless router that performs beyond expectation. It is a a good upgrade to improve your WiFi coverage and stability especially if you still using the default wireless router provider by your service provider. It is stable and pretty fast which seals the deal for a budget router like this.
TP-Link Archer C80
8.6
Tubi Rating
Good Stuff
- Easy to setup
- Stable WiFi performance
- Good value for money
Bad Stuff
- No USB port
Hello, thank you for your efforts on helping us with these details. I’m planning to upgrade from our old TPLINK C5. Which do think has better signal coverage / wall penetration / multiple device support between C80 and AX10? We only have 2 devices that supports wifi 6 and our internet plan is only 80Mbps. 2 wifi extenders will connect to the router. Our current C5 router gives 2 to 3 signals to the repeaters which is 2 walls behind the router and we want to atleast improve that signal. 11 devices will connect to the router and 2 for… Read more »
Get either the C80 or the AX20. Both of them have similar signal range but the only difference is Wi-Fi 6 or Wireless AC. I think Wireless AC is still a good investment as Wi-Fi 6 do have some compatibility issues with older devices.
Hi, looking for a router for my 3500sft duplex house. Net speed is 100mbps. Please suggest a good router. C80,AX10,AX20 or any other.open to spend abt 150usd.
Get the Archer AX20.
Hey Great review. I am looking for a router as repeater for my 2800 sq ft 2 storey home, as i have ONT router provided by my ISP, connection limit is 150 Mbps. I would appreciate if u could provide best match for my needs in a low budget ( 100-120 USD). will be using around 25 devices(1 tv, 5 pc, rest mobiles) Cheers!
Yup, the C80 will be a great choice for you, you will still need to connect it to the ONT router with the provided Ethernet cable though.
Hello Bro:
my are 100mpbs Unifi plan , if i buy Archer C80 do I need to ask TM for the username and password to do the set up ? or just follow your step with my TM username and password
Yes, you need to get the PPPOE username and password. They are not the same with your Wi-Fi password.
I have 100mpbs internet speed. Will this c80 give wifi signal 100mpbs at distance 50 feet with no brick wall. Thanks
Should be fine if it is 50 feet without any objects blocking it.
hey bro, deciding this C80 or TP-LINK Deco M5 AC1300 single pack.. my house size 750sqt, any advise?
Never buy Deco M5 and use as single router, they should be used as mesh. Get C80 instead.
I’ll need to buy a new router in order to strengthen the wifi signal in my apartment(3 bedrooms), but I’m struggling to decide between Archer C80 and Archer AX10. So, do you know which one has the best Wifi coverage? Archer C80 or Archer AX10?
Thanks in advance!
I would suggest you to consider Archer AX20 insteead.
Thanks, Alvyn! BTW, I’ll accept your recommendation and get an Archer AX20.
Check you facts before making these reviews;
This router has just 64 megabegabytes of RAM ,not 128!
The RAM is integrated in the Mediatek TP1900BN chip which is a customized chip for TP-Link with the RAM and Flash intergrated in the SoC. RAM figure is never publicly announced but our sources told us this model comes with 128MB RAM. I will put a unconfirmed note in the review as there is no way to actually verify this visually.
Hi Alvyn, Thank you so much for doing all these router reviews. I has really helped me in narrowing down my router options for my 150 sqm (1600 sqft) apartment. As my current internet connection is only a measly 24-36 MBps (dedicated) in Indonesia, I am looking for predominantly good router than can go through multiple (2-3) wood/ brick walls and reach all the corner of my house without latency and speed issues. I will be connecting 1-2 dozens of low usage IoT devices (switches, sensors, etc.) as well as 5 – 6 heavy usage devices (laptops, TV, phones, cameras)… Read more »
I think you should consider the C2300 instead as I assume you have close to 30 devices. It is better to get something with higher processing power so it will have more performance headroom. Cheers.
I am trying to decide on a new router for my small (70sqm) 1 story house. Don’t want to spend too much so options are TP-LINK C80, AX10 or buy a C6 as a temporary solution (half the price of the other two) and wait for WIFI 6 to mature and come down on price. I do have 3-4 laptops, 2 Ipads, smart TV and 2 smart speakers + some wifi bulbs etc. connected all the time but use max 3 devices (other than the bulbs) at the same time. What would you recommend?
Just get the Archer AX10, it is a great product.
Can you please suggest which is better choice between TP-link Archer a10 and TP-link Archer c80.
I am looking for longer WiFi coverage with good and stable signal strength in my 1500sqft home.
I currently have 200mbps Internet connection.
Since your Internet is just 200Mbps, the Archer C80 is sufficient.
TP-Link Archer C80 or TP-Link Archer A6Which one is better?
Archer C80 is better