Networking Gear by stefan @ 2014-07-14
The latest D7 ADSL2+ Modem Router from TP-LINK sports simultaneous 2.4GHz 450Mbps and 5GHz 1300Mbps dual band, features a LAN/WAN combo port and comes with two USB 2.0 interfaces for connecting printers and/or storage devices. The web GUI is still based on the old design but most of the settings can be saved and modified right away, without the need of a software reboot.
At first I would like to thank TP-LINK for offering me a sample of their Archer D7 ADSL2+ Modem Router for testing and reviewing.
"TP-LINK is a global provider of SOHO networking products and No.1 market share holder in China, with products available in over 100 countries to tens of millions customers. Committed to powerful R&D, effective production and strict quality management, TP-LINK continues to provide awards-winning networking products in Wireless, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters for Global end-users.
Based on the confidence of tens of millions of customers, TP-LINK is now growing to become one of the most competitive providers of networking products with aspirations of becoming one of the top 3 networking brands and striving for a larger global market share, while further advancing in the world of networking to better serve our most valued customers with a product that makes their lives easier."
Wireless and Wired Performance
Supports 802.11ac - The next generation of Wi-Fi, compatible with 802.11n
Simultaneous 2.4GHz 450Mbps and 5GHz 1300Mbps connections for 1.75Gbps of total available bandwidth
3 dual band detachable external antennas and high power amplifiers provide stable signals and optimal wireless coverage
Share a printer locally and files & media with networked devices or remotely via FTP server.
Full gigabit ports ensure ultrafast data transfer speeds
Ethernet WAN (EWAN) offers another broadband connectivity option for connecting VDSL, cable or fiber modems
Control and Security
Guest Network Access provides secure Wi-Fi access for guests sharing your home or office network
Parental Controls allow parents or administrators to establish restricted access policies for children or staff
IP-based Bandwidth Control makes it easier for you to manage the bandwidth of devices connected to the router
SPI and NAT firewall protects end-user devices from potential attacks from the Internet
WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK encryptions provide user networks with active defense against security threats
Ease of Use
Easy one-touch WPA wireless security encryption with the WPS button
Wi-Fi On/Off Button allows users to turn their wireless radio on or off
Easy Setup Assistant with multi-language support provides a quick & hassle free installation process
Built-in intelligent auto-detection automatically figures out which connection type to use in a flash
Others
IPv6 supported, meeting the demands for the next generation of the Internet
This time we will take a look at one of the latest AC1750 routers from TP-LINK, which comes with the Archer D7 code name, updated from C7 since it also features ADSL+ Modem hardware. The external packaging of the product has arrived a little bit beat up, thanks to the private courier:
On one of the box sides, we will get to see some of the product highlights like Gigabit Wireless Speed, Maximum Range or Dual USB Ports:
The opposite is populated with a list featuring Package Contents, System Requirements, Physical Specifications, Supported Standards but also Security Features:
On the back side of the packaging we will get to see the product features in more details, a network solution but also a chart which shows the difference between several TP-LINK wireless routers:
The router is housed inside a molded cardboard enclosure, along with the rest of the documents:
Besides the installation disk, we will get one Quick Installation Guide, the Declaration of Conformity leaflet, but also some words regarding warranty:
Besides the power adapter and the three detachable antennas, we will also receive one RJ45 cable, an ADSL splitter for the telephone line and two RJ11 (phone) cables:
The dual-band antennas are built for a 2dBi gain on 2.4GHz and 3dBi on the 5GHz frequency:
The supplied power adapter is rated on the output as 12V, 2500mA:
This time we are dealing with another chassis redesign, which is quite compact; the top cover is made of shiny black plastic, a magnet for dust and fingerprints and is initially protected by a transparent plastic film. In the middle, along the chromed plastic line we have some non-intrusive LEDs representing current system status:
The chassis is filled with ventilation holes in order to assure proper cooling:
On the back side of the router we have the three antenna ports, one ADSL port, two USB 2.0, the WPS button, one Wi-Fi On/Off button, the Reset button hole, 4 LAN ports from which one is a combo LAN/WAN port, the Power On/Off button and also the DC-IN connector:
The bottom side of the router doubles as a ventilation grill and on the back it also has a large sticker with additional details:
Here is a view of the ADSL+ Router/Modem with the antennas attached and the top protective film removed:
One of the USB 3.0 Wireless Dual Band adapters we will use in the Archer D7 tests is the Archer T4U, which is rated AC1200 (867Mbps over 5GHz or 300Mbps over the 2.4GHz band). The small cardboard enclosure contains on the top side a photo of the main product along with pictograms of main highlights:
Same icons can be found on the right side of the packaging:
The left side is populated with a list of Package Contents, Supported Standards, Interface, Operating Systems and Dimensions:
Besides a comparison chart on the back side, we will also see a proposed network solution, along with an extended enumeration of the Features and Benefits:
After removing the top packaging layer, we will end up with a plain white cardboard box of the same size:
Besides the product, we will also get some bundle:
Two installation guides are accompanied by a Resource CD and a Declaration of Conformity leaflet:
The AC adapter sits in the middle, surrounded by protective foam, but also covered by a transparent plastic protective film:
A very useful USB 3.0 cable extension is also bundled with the product:
As the router itself, the shiny finishing is a dust and fingerprint magnet; on the top side we will be able to see the company logo:
The adapter has a clean design and its chassis resembles a high-capacity USB 3.0 Flash Drive:
On the back side we will be able to spot a small sticker with the product serial number:
A tiny WPS button can be spotted on the side:
Here is also a view of the adapter with the top plastic cover removed, in order to uncover the USB connector:
TP-LINK has not changed yet the appearance of the GUI with the new routers and has kept the light design we know well from before; as always, the menus are placed on the left side while the content is located on the right; many times we get explanations regarding the included options and these are placed on a separated column, on the right side:
In order to configure the initial options even faster, we can access the included Setup Wizard:
Thanks to the combo LAN/WAN port, the router can function in two separate modes: as a DSL Modem Router or as a regular Wireless Router:
From the EWAN Settings menu (we have selected Wireless Router functionality), we will be able to configure with the details provided from the ISP:
The next menu shows all current groups of the interfaces:
LAN settings can be configured from the next menu:
Next, we have the IPv6 LAN options menu:
MAC Clone option is also available:
In the next menu we are able to configure the VPN and ALG settings:
Next, we have the menu for specifying IPSec Tunnel Mode Connections:
DHCP Settings menu is self-explanatory:
DHCP Clients list will show details regarding the currently connected devices:
Certain local network IPs can be linked to specified MACs:
A new feature is DHCP Conditional Pool which allows us to set the parameters for our vendor class by clicking the corresponding fields:
The Wireless menus are similar at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. What we liked with this firmware is the fact that we can change most of the settings without the need of restarts, which are usually boring and plenty of time consuming:
Guest Networks can be also created with this router:
USB Mass Storage feature features a separate menu; supported file types are FAT32 and NTFS:
For accessing the Storage Sharing/FTP Server, we can specify different usernames:
The Storage Sharing Server can be enabled or disabled from the next menu:
We can say the same thing about the FTP Server Settings menu:
Inside the Media Server Settings menu we can enable or disable the feature, but also specify the server name or start indexing multimedia content:
The Print Server Settings menu has a single on/off option that can be modified:
The Default Gateway Settings is self-explanatory:
The Static Route table can be modified:
RIP can be activated for the WAN interface:
IPv6 Gateway Settings can be configured from the next menu:
Next, we have the IPv6 Static Route menu:
Virtual Server function for mapping the WAN service port to the LAN server is available in the next menu:
We can also enable Port Triggering:
DMZ can be enabled for a single host:
UPnP status can be found in the next menu:
The router is also equipped with a Parental Control menu for restricting access:
The Firewall Rules are located in a separate menu:
The IPv6 Firewall Rules are next:
IPv6 Tunnel option is also available some menus down:
We can enable bandwidth control based on some rules:
The ARP list can be checked out in a separate menu:
DDNS settings on preset providers can be customized right away:
The integrated diagnostics are available in order for us to find out potential connectivity problems:
System Log tells us what happens behind the hood:
Next we have Time Settings menu which is self-explanatory:
The Manage Control menu allows creating new users and passwords; at the same time we will be able to specify a local and remote host which can access the interface:
A CWMP Settings menu can be also found inside the interface:
Next, we will be able to enable or disable the SNMP Agent:
Backup and Restore menu allows saving the configuration file and settings restoration when needed:
We can also restore the settings to factory defaults:
The Firmware Upgrade menu is self-explanatory:
The Reboot function is also stored in a separate menu:
If enabled, we will be able to take a look at the traffic statistics:
CPU: Intel I5 3570K Retail
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional
RAM: GeIL Black Dragon 2x4GB DDR2133 (@1600)
Video: Sparkle X560 Calibre
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200.10
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
For testing the router on wireless, we have used a Shuttle DS437 mini-PC to which we have connected the TRENDnet TEW-805UB USB 3.0 adapter, but also the recently released TP-LINK T4U. The throughput was measured by using PerformanceTest 8.0, by uploading data to the wired server.
For the wired client tests, both stations were linked to the router via UTP wire.
We have tested the router while switching to different channel widths, on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies:
To test the USB Storage speeds, we have connected one Patriot Memory 32GB Supersonic Rage XT USB 3.0 Flash Drive to the router and performed file transfers both ways.
802.11 20MHz
802.11 40MHz
802.11 20MHz
802.11 40MHz
802.11 80MHz
802.11 20MHz
802.11 40MHz
802.11 20MHz
802.11 40MHz
802.11 80MHz
The latest D7 ADSL2+ Modem Router from TP-LINK sports simultaneous 2.4GHz 450Mbps and 5GHz 1300Mbps dual band; at the same time we get enough coverage for a whole apartment. The first LAN port is combo so it can be converted to WAN from the software interface. The two USB ports from the back support printers, storage devices and the chassis of the new router is redesigned for occupying less space while optimizing airflow.
The web GUI did not seem to change much when compared to the previous releases; we think that a refresh is necessary since all major players in this industry have done this already for ease of use. We do appreciate that most of the changes do not require a full system restart so we can save a lot of precious time.
We have also done some connectivity tests on our Macbook Pro Mid-2012 and with this router we have experienced no interruptions at all and many times we have preferred the 5GHz connection to the 2.4GHz one; this is contrary to our previous experiences with other routers when after some time the 5GHz connection became unresponsive (mostly when downloading torrents) and a connection reset was necessary.
The TP-LINK Archer T4U is the latest USB 3.0 Wi-Fi adapter from the company and sports a solid construction, while offering optimal compatibility with the D7 modem/router. The adapter is also supplied with an application which permits creating different connection profiles or analyzing live statistics. This is also the first USB 3.0 Wi-Fi adapter we are reviewing which is supplied with an USB 3.0 extension cable, which is very handy because with it we have more possibilities when mounting the unit for gaining optimal signal quality.
The TP-LINK Archer D7 can be found online for about 117 Euros, which we think that it is fair for what we are getting. The Archer T4U USB 3.0 Wi-Fi adapter is also available online for about 33 Euros.
We would like to thank again to TP-LINK for making this review possible!