Archer C7: specifications and reviews

As practice shows, choosing a decent router for home use in the domestic market is not a problem. The main thing is to determine the budget and choose a device in appearance, because most of the network equipment in the budget segment is identical. Even regardless of the manufacturer.

However, many potential buyers are attracted by an expensive segment of routers. The equipment worth 6-8 thousand rubles has great functionality, it works more stable and has only positive feedback. In the focus of this article, one of such remarkable devices is Archer C7. The router is positioned as equipment for small businesses, but many users believe that this technique is always available at home.

First meeting

Do not waste time describing the configuration. This is the product of the world-famous TP-Link company, here with accessories full order. In addition to the device itself and the power supply to it, there are all cables, instructions, software. It is better to begin the review with the appearance of network equipment.

The TP-Link Archer C7 router is the result of the work of the best designers and technologists. In their responses, many owners write that they fell in love with the router at first sight. The body of the device is made of glossy black plastic. The upper part has two grooves along the entire width, which gives the appearance of the router an exclusivity.

Three removable antennas are far from the decor elements. It is to these amplifiers that network equipment is required to power the signal and to increase the range of action. The future owners will appreciate the approach to the correct creation of a cooling system - the manufacturer not only made the bottom of the device ribbed, but also equipped it with many small holes.

Connectors and interfaces

The appearance of the TP-Link Archer C7 in storefronts attracts the buyers' eyes, and the interface panel does not allow the future owner to refuse to purchase. And it's not even in the three gold-plated contacts for mounting amplification antennas. Two built-in USB 2.0 ports with connection indicators are the argument that the user decides to purchase. It's funny that many owners do not fully understand why they need 2 USB ports and how they will use the router.

As for the LAN and WAN ports, TP-Link's technologies did not reinvent the wheel, but involved the already established scheme. The interface for connecting to the Internet is rendered separately and is colored in blue, and the network hub on the 4 LAN ports has a yellow color.

The manufacturer also equipped the device with separate buttons for turning on the device and the ability to turn off Wi-Fi in hardware. The only negative that concerns management is the WPS button. It was assigned the reset function of the router to the factory settings for a long hold.

Attractive characteristic

Perhaps, potential buyers have already noticed that modern Wi-Fi equipment that provides access to the Internet does not always allow users to connect. The problem often manifests itself when trying to connect old mobile equipment and electronics to a new router. The thing is that such a phone, communicator or TV does not support the IEEE 802.11 bgn standard used by a modern router. You need old 802.11 ac technology.

The router TP-Link ac1750 Archer C7 will be the same rescue for all users, because on the basis of one device there are two independent wireless access points that operate in all required ranges. Yes, it's true - the network equipment works at 2.4 and 5 GHz.

Hardware and its characteristics

It is worth repealing that in the media it is not easy to find technical characteristics of network equipment, which is positioned in the budget class. After all, most manufacturers try to hide the hardware from the buyer, so as not to upset him. The router Archer C7, as a representative of a more expensive segment, on the contrary, exposes its parameters parade.

The heart of the network equipment is a chip Qualcomm Atheros QCA9558, operating at a frequency of 700 MHz. It is he who is responsible for high-quality data transfer and support of communication with all connected devices. As for RAM, the manufacturer tried to make it work without problems - 128 megabytes is enough for any tasks. Do not forget about the built-in memory, which stores all the settings of network equipment. The company's technologists installed a non-volatile memory chip with 8 megabytes.

Basic parameters of the router

And if everything is clear with data transmission standards (works in two bands and supports all wireless technologies), then the issue of encryption for many potential buyers remains open. The Archer C7 router supports WEP, WPA, WPA2 and their variants, allowing the user to select the desired type.

However, many IT professionals, judging by their feedback, are embarrassed by encryption, which can only be performed by a 64- or 128-bit key. In fact, the selection of the password can take not one day. On the other hand, all self-respecting manufacturers have long switched to 256-bit encoding. And these people are positioning their product in the business segment?

Networking capabilities

It's better to start with technologies that are more interesting for the home user. At the hardware level, the device supports the operation of the DLNA server. This means that all home devices, including TV, tablets and telephones, can communicate freely with each other, transferring multimedia content (music, video, photos). More advanced in the field of IT users will certainly appreciate the support of the print server, FTP and SMB. Here we are talking about a full exchange of all kinds of information, including its output on paper.

The owners of the Archer C7 ac1750 will like the features and software of the device: port forwarding, demilitarized zone, protection from Dos attacks and full access control. To advantages of the given network equipment it is possible to carry the control of a bandwidth for each network connection. So-called "shaping" is very popular in everyday life, because it allows you to fully control the speed of incoming and outgoing connections.

Authorization and first login to the control panel

Again, using the manufacturer's prompt, the user needs to open the browser and enter the data that is indicated on the branded sticker located on the bottom of the router. In general, for all TP-Link products, the address, login and password are the same for the last ten years (192.168.0.1/admin/admin). With the authorization of problems, no one will arise, unless the user's personal computer is able to receive the network address automatically, and does not have its own settings.

As for the first login to the control panel, the manufacturer strongly recommends that you update the software. The Archer C7 firmware is available on the official website, downloading it will not be a problem. In addition, the instructions describe in detail the update procedure, so the user will not have problems. Also at the first stage of acquaintance with the router, the program prompts the user to change the password for the "admin" account. To refuse it is not necessary, as the security of the entire network depends on it.

Network Management

Setting up the Archer C7 starts with connecting to the Internet. If the provider provides direct DHCP access, then the user does not need to do anything. Otherwise, you'll have to get acquainted with the type of connection and find out the data for authorization. In most cases, this setting is made by administrators, who can be called at home. Not an exception is the installation of a ready firmware with all the necessary data, which is created by the provider.

The second step of the user is to configure a wireless Wi-Fi network. Everything is simple - the manufacturer created two separate menus on the control panel for greater convenience. The owner only needs to select the desired network (2.4 or 5 GHz) and prescribe for it the parameters: the name visible by the wireless networks, the type of encryption and the password. All the rest is configured automatically. If desired, the user can play with the signal strength, the visibility of the network and the time for authorization.

Firewalls and Security

After setting up the Internet and running wireless networks, you do not need to immediately start fine-tuning the Archer C7 router. Reviews of owners in the media assure that this decision may end badly for many users. After all, one inefficient action simply disrupts the operation of all network equipment. Here we need a slightly different approach. You need to go to the administration menu and create a backup copy of the previous settings. After saving the configuration file to the computer, you can safely change the settings of the network equipment.

It is better to start from the demilitarized zone. Selecting a not-attractive range of addresses, compare them with all the equipment that will be connected to the router at home. The main thing here is to not forget to set a ban on access to the created network from unmarked IP-addresses.

Also, experts recommend setting a password in the WPS settings. After all, a passwordless connection using a physically-pressed button on the device's casing can put an attacker into the network that can take advantage of the situation in the absence of the owner.

Additional Functionality

With the transfer of ports and work with virtual servers, there will be no problems, because in the instruction this topic is given almost the whole section. But regarding the two USB ports, the situation is not entirely clear. Without the help of a network administrator here is indispensable. First, if a printer is connected to the port, you need to specify it in the settings and be sure to set the font loading in the printer in the settings.

A bit easier is the situation in the router Archer C7 with the connection of 3G-modem or external hard drive. Almost all known equipment is determined at the hardware level, and the control panel provides full functionality for setting up and managing devices.

Feedback

By the hardware of the router, it is unlikely that any potential buyers will be able to find at least one negative in the media. Yes, some users complain that the printer settings can spoil the mood, but in the end the ac1750 Archer C7 router still works without problems.

But the software part of network equipment can disappoint the future owner, especially if he, apart from Russian, is not familiar with other languages. Regardless of the firmware of the device, the control panel is equipped with only an English interface. This is especially noticeable during the fine tuning of the router - you need to read the instruction (which does not have images), find the right item in the control panel and, at your own peril and risk, change the data. Without an administrator many owners simply can not do.

Finally

In general, the router Archer C7 leaves a positive impression. He is handsome, efficient, convenient and functional. Nothing more is needed, in fact, in fact, this is the usual network equipment that provides access to the Internet and unites all network devices together. By the way, the router does not overheat and does not hang during operation. The router can be safely hidden behind the cabinet and forget about its existence until the next repair in the room.