Update 3/8/2023 9:50 am PT: TP-Link representatives responded to our queries, stating that this is not a TP-Link product. As such, it appears that the "TP-Link ASIC" router is a scam. We're investigating further.
A company named "TP-Link ASIC" has announced an NX31 ASIC mining router that sports Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. According to the specs, this $1,440 router has a built-in ASIC that mines crypto faster than the RTX 4090 and pulls 1,200 Watts during full load. However, the well-known router maker TP-Link tells us that this is not their product and that they are working to get the press release removed. At best, "TP-Link ASIC" is an unaffiliated company, but it's more likely that this device is a scam — much like other crypto hardware scams we've seen in the past. We're working to dig up more information.
The NX31 (NX31-B2MR) listing claims the device doubles as a Wi-Fi 7 router and ASIC miner. However, the product page lacks some technical details, and the image of the NX31 device corresponds to TP-Link's Archer BE900 Wi-Fi 7 router — even the filename confirms it. That doesn't make sense, though. Unless it was significantly larger, the company wouldn't be able to cram this much horsepower into a pirated design that mimics the router.
According to the company's claims, the NX31 delivers a hash rate of up to 31.2 TH/s, much faster than a GeForce RTX 4090. Except that appears to be for an ASIC-friendly mining algorithm (Kadena / Blake2S), and no one in their right mind — who has to pay for electricity — would be running those on a GPU these days. But there's still the question of efficiency.
The manufacturer labeled the NX31 for Kadena (KDA), so support for other cryptocurrencies is unknown and unlikely. It claims to outperform cheaper ASIC miners, such as the Canaan Avalon A9 miner (20 TH/s), but it lags behind Intel's Bonanza Mine ASICs (34.5 - 47.7 TH/s). The problem is we're looking at apples (SHA256 mining) and oranges (Kadena mining). The selling point for the NX31 is the device's dual functionality as both a router and ASIC-based crypto miner.
TP-Link ASIC didn't share the dimensions of the NX31, but says it weighs 3.9kg (8.58 lbs). The vanilla Archer BE900 has an LED screen, which you can personalize with the weather, time, or other graphics. On the NX31, the vendor claims to have added the functionality to display the hash rate and temperature. In addition, the machine features a metallic body and two fans to improve cooling and draws 1,200W. You can't just blindly plug the NX31 into your home's outlet, though, as the ASIC miner requires a 240V outlet.
On the router side, the NX31's other attributes concur with the Archer BE900. For example, it claims to support quad-band technology and 12 internal antennas to improve coverage over large areas. In addition, the NX31 claims a generous amount of Ethernet ports of different standards. The list includes one 10 Gbps WAN/LAN port, one 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 port, four 2.5 Gbps LAN ports, and a 1 Gbps LAN port. For USB connectivity, the NX31 provides one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port.
The NX31 isn't the only ASIC miner in TP-Link ASIC's ranks. The company also sells the D11 (D11-B1FB) Doge and Litecoin miner for $570. The machine reportedly pumps out 610 Mh/s while pulling 400W. This model is more versatile as it can come in both 100V and 240V variants. TP-Link ASIC will ship the first batch on March 24.
TP-Link ASIC says it has already sold the first batch of NX31; therefore, the ASIC mining router is on backorder for an April release. It appears that the vendor has adjusted the pricing to $1,370, 5% lower than the launch price. Purchase orders are limited to three devices per customer, but you absolutely should not plunk down your money for this likely scam. TP-Link ASIC claims that the standard ROI (return on investment) time for the NX31 is between five to seven months, which seems highly ambitious.
Based on the claimed mining performance of 31.2 TH/s for Kadena, it would appear that if the NX31 were even real it could only mine about $4 per day worth of cryptocurrency at present rates. With a power draw of 1200W and assuming $0.10 per kWh, that would bring the actual net profits down to about $1.40 per day, which means you're looking at more like 1,000 days to break even — and that's assuming nothing bad happens to the Kadena cryptocoin or the NX31 in the intervening time.
