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TP-Link seems to try to fill in all the slots of Wi-Fi 6, case in point, the TP-Link Archer AX73. This dual-band AX5400 router is an incremental improvement from the Archer AX50 (AX3000) while a tad below the Archer AX6000.
And it proved to be just that in my testing. It’s somewhat of a mundane option if not for its relatively new look. In all, this is a typical Wi-Fi 6 router, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
And here’s the good: With the current sub-$200 cost, the TP-Link Archer AX73 makes an excellent buy for those needing a Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster for a medium home without digging a hole in their wallet.
Like most of its peers, this router is far from perfect, as you’ll see in the review, but it’s definitely worth the cost.
TP-Link Archer AX73: A sensible dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router
The Archer AX73 is the fifth dual-band router I’ve reviewed from TP-Link, and it manages to be different from the rest, thanks to a relatively new look. It now has a sizeable shiny island—or maybe a peninsula—on top. That’s just a matter of style.
Another new design touch is the USB 3.0 port on the side instead of the back. The router also comes with six external antennas, compared to four of the AX50 and eight of the AX6000.
These little poles are not removable, but you can swivel them half a sphere around.
On the inside, the Archer AX73 sure is an upgrade to the Archer AX50.
Archer AX73 vs. Archer AX50: Hardware specifications
Specifically, the Archer AX73’s 5GHz is a 4×4 band that supports the 160MHz channel width.
As a result, it has double the bandwidth of the AX50. With existing 2×2 clients, you can get up to 2.4Gbps out of it. In reality, though, the router’s speed will cap at Gigabit at most since it has no Multi-Gig port.
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| Full Name | TP-Link Archer AX73 AX5400 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Router | TP-Link Archer AX50 AX3000 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router |
| Model | Archer AX73 | Archer AX50 |
| Dimensions | 10.7 × 5.8 × 1.9 in (272.5 × 147.2 × 49.2 mm) | 10.2 × 5.3 × 1.5 in (260.2 x 135.0 x 38.6 mm) |
| Weight | 1.61 lbs (734 g) | 1.24 lbs (560 g) |
| Processor | 1.5 GHz Triple-Core CPU, 512MB RAM, 16MB Flash | Intel AnyWAN GRX350 SoC, 256MB RAM, 16MB Flash |
| Wi-Fi Technology | Dual-band AX5400 | Dual-band AX3000 |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 4×4 AX: Up to 4804Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 2×2 AX: Up to 2402Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs | 2×2 2.4 GHz: 574Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2×2 2.4 GHz: 574Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi |
| Wireless Security | WPA / WPA2 / WPA3 | 64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK |
| Mobile App | TP-Link Tether | TP-Link Tether |
| Web User Interface | Yes | Yes |
| Bridge Mode | No | No |
| AP Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Mesh-Ready | Yes (OneMesh) | No |
| USB Port | 1x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 3.0 |
| Gigabit Port | 4x LAN, 1x WAN | 4x LAN, 1x WAN |
| Multi-Gig Port | None | None |
| Link Aggregation | Yes (LAN1+LAN2) | No |
| U.S MSRP | $199.99 | $149.99 |
Archer AX73: Detail photos
The Archer AX73 looks like a typical Wi-Fi 6 router, though different from most thanks to its top.
Archer AX73: The familiar general experience
The TP-Link Archer AX73 deliver the same experience as previous TP-Link routers in setup, settings, and feature.
Mobile app and login account required for some features
This router has a standard web user interface. However, if you want to use any of its extra features, including QoS, Parental Controls, and security—all are part of the HomeShield suite—you’ll have to opt for a TP-Link ID account and the Tether mobile app.
(The included version of HomeShield has limited functionality. You’ll need to pay a $6/month subscription fee to unlock all features via HomeShield Pro.)
In other words, it’s part of a new privacy-concerning trend that Linksys and Netgear have been practicing. That’s because associating your router with a vendor’s account means the vendor can generally keep tabs on your Internet traffic and all that implies.
You can opt out of this mobile app altogether, but that all means you’ll not be able to access some of the router’s valuable features.
By the way, I tried this app out briefly for a few days, and it didn’t always work as intended. The router randomly appeared offline within the app, although it was working fine. So maybe it’s a good idea to skip this app and use the web interface instead.
Excellent web interface with commons settings
I always prefer the web interface, and that of the Archer AX73 was consistently excellent in my trial.
You can reach this interface, by default, via the router’s IP address, which is 192.168.0.1 (or tplinkwifi.net). If you have worked with any router’s interface before, everything about this interface is self-explanatory.
Within it, you’ll find a standard set of network settings, including Dynamic DNS (with the option to use TP-Link’s free server), port forwarding, IP reservation, and so on.
The router can also work as a VPN server (either OpenVPN or PPTP). Its USB 3.0 can host an external drive for network-attached-storage-related features, including file sharing and the ability to work as a Time Capsule alternative.
Flexible Wi-Fi setting, mesh-ready
The Archer AX73, like most TP-Link routers, has a lot to offer in Wi-Fi settings.
You can customize the two bands to the max, including making them work in a certain Wi-Fi standard, channel, and channel width. You can also use them as a single network (SmartConnect) or two separate ones.
The router comes with a Guest network for each band, and for these, you can customize their password and network isolation.
Finally, like a handful of other TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 routers, the Archer AX73 supports OneMesh, where it’ll work with a supported extender to scale up the Wi-Fi coverage.
OneMesh is a bit underwhelming, in my opinion, and generally doesn’t have good performance. But it sure is a convenient option for those needing to cover a dead zone.
TP-Link Archer AX73’s Performance: Fast but with a lot of fluctuations
Overall, the TP-Link Archer AX73 did well in my testing.
However, note that its 5GHz band’s performance fluctuated a lot when working in the 160MHz channel. It was more stable when I changed this setting to Auto or 80MHz.
Interestingly, the router delivered the same performance in either setting (80MHz or 160MHz.) That was likely because the router doesn’t have a Multi-Gig LAN port—in my testing, its Gigabit port was the ceiling speed.
Good Wi-Fi throughputs
Considering the Archer AX73’s hardware specs, I didn’t expect to be blown away, but the router did decently well. My 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 client registered almost 900Mbps at a close range of 10 feet (3m). At 40 feet (12m) away, it now averaged almost 800Mbps.
My 4×4 Wi-Fi 5 client also did quite well at the close range, registering a sustained speed of some 715Mbps. However, at 40 feet away, my 3×3 device averaged just over 250Mbps. That was a considerable reduction, and I repeated this test many times.
On the 2.4GHz band, the Archer AX73 performed similarly. It did pretty well at close range, but farther away, you’d have to take quite a bit of discount in sustained Wi-Fi rates.
So, in all, for the cost, I’d say the Archer AX73 performed as expected. And it had a good range, similar to that of the Archer AX3200.
It’s hard to determine the range because that depends on the environment. However, the router, placed at the center, could handle a home of about 2000 ft² (186 m²) in my trial.
I tested the router for over a week, and at first, it passed my 3-day stress test with no disconnection. I experienced a disconnection during the extended testing on the 4th day, which I resolved via a manual restart.
It’s worth noting that the router has a function where you can make it restart by itself every day, week, or month. If you set that up, chances are you won’t experience the unexpected disconnection.
Decent NAS performance
The Archer AX73 wasn’t the fastest among Gigabit routers with a network-attached-storage (NAS) feature I’ve tested, but, interestingly, it was faster than the Archer AX90, which has a Multi-Gig LAN port.
When hosting a My Passport SSD via a wired Gigabit connection, it had sustained copy speeds of over 90MB/s for reading and almost 60MB/s for writing.
At these speeds, you can expect a decent experience in network data sharing. For Time Machine backup, though, the write speed might be a bit too slow, especially if you have more than one Mac.
TP-Link Archer AX73's Rating
Pros
Fast Wi-Fi with an excellent range
160MHz Channel width support
Comparatively affordable
Standard web interface with lots of useful settings
Wall-mountable
Cons
Fluctuating Wi-Fi speeds
Mobile app and login account required for advanced features
Mobile app not reliable
Write performance for network storage when hosting a portable drive could be better
Conclusion
The TP-Link Archer AX73 AX5400 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router is another viable option for those needing a relatively affordable broadcaster for a small or medium home.
As long as you don’t need the feature that requires the login account and mobile app to work, this router will serve you well. Get it.
Hi Dong,
Thanks so much for this review!
If my ISP is providing a TP-Link AX72 vs a Asus RT-AX3000P (a lower-tier model of the AX3000), which of these would be a better choice for performance/longevity? (Considering AX72 has similar performance to AX73)
I haven’t tested either, Ben, but my take is they are very similar. The Asus might give you more options, though — more here.
Performance-wise, would it make a huge difference if the AX72 is an AX5400 router with 4×4 MU-MIMO on the 5Ghz band whereas the AX-3000P is only AX3000 and supports 2×2 MU-MIMO?
The quick answer is no. Here’s the long answer.
My PC is connected via Ethernet to the router (I have Gigabit internet connection) and sometimes the gigabit port limits itself to 100Mbit while Wi-Fi stays full speed 800-950Mbit. Only Solution I have found is to change the gigabit port on the router when it happens (Firmware and drivers are up-to-date). Any idea what causes it? also tried different cables and full resets
I’d say get a new router or a new PC or both.
Hello Dong, I’m interested in this router’s USB file transfer speed. I plan to attach my external HDD or SSD and use it as Media Server, to play my movie library on different devices at home.
My question is will it be able to handle 4K movies seamlessly? And I’m playing movie on one device at the time.
If not, is there any other bellow 200$ router that could help me with this? To mention, I don’t need WiFi 6, as I have 250/60 Mbps Internet speed and bellow 50m2 apartment.
That depends on how you play the movie, Marko. If it’s straight SMB — like when you play on a computer via a shared folder — then this one or any router is fine especially when you don’t use its storage for anything else, like Time Machine backup. But if you expect it to host a DLNA server, chances are that’s hit or miss. But I don’t know for sure — I didn’t test that function and there are many variables.
Thanks for the reply. I would use it as SMB, as shared folder. But I had Archer AC1750 before and it was great for FHD movies but 4k 10bit hdr would stuter from time to time…I guess it’s because usb doesn’ t have steady 25mbps reading speed
If you stream via Wi-Fi, Marko, it’s likely the old router’s AC or 2.4GHz bandwidth that’s the culprit for the hiccups. SMB-based streaming does require more than 25Mbps but still no more than 100Mbps. Also, use the VLC player. It’s the best for local streaming. I’d say give the AX router a try, now that you’re aware of what’s involved. Good luck!
Hmm, could be that as well!!! I’ll give it a go! Thanks!
I just got this one to play around for only $95 in Thailand (3400 Baht) I think for that price it’s a bargain!
I will do some tests to see how it handles against my current Asus TUF-AX5400. I’m sure it won’t be as good as the Asus, but probably good enough to upgrade some of my relatives wifi as a gift!
I have already purchased 6 of the TUF-AX5400 based on a review here, and I put on all places I manage. This is Asus is my gold standard under $200.
It’s behind the Asus in features and settings alone, Fred. But yes, it’ll work great for most homes. Thanks for the input.
Is this better than archer ax55?
I’d guess so, John. I haven’t tested the AX55.
I’m moving to a larger house and already own an AX73. Do you think joining up two more AX73’s as access points will do the trick for coverage (wifi + eth) or is it better to look at two Omada wall AP + poe switch + controller?
Just scared of overkill here, but I need reliability especially since home office.
from the text it seems you prefer the ax73 (and i’m with you :D) but looks like the cheaper ax50 preforms better on the 2.4ghz and the longer distance test? am i right?
i mainly care for a good range and coverage so my choice should be the ax50 over the ax73?
i can get it for almost half the price but am willing to go for the ax73 as well if its better.
The 2.4Ghz is very finicky, Aviv. It changes all the time. But if your needs are simple, either will do.
Hi Dong, my family has been using a bundled router from our ISP that was rebranded to fit in their company logo, it is a Technicolor TG389AC (AC1600) router and we’ve been getting rather stable wifi. Both my wifi 6 clients are consistently getting 300-500Mbps for both download and upload speeds on Speedtest.net (1Gbps fiber-optic plan). After reading about the benefits of wifi6, we have decided to get a wifi 6 router, preferably one that has at least a 160MHz bandwidth and the most value.
I managed to find a new AX73 for USD88 but have some reservations after reading your reviews as the speeds I stated above for my current router are from about 35ft.
We live in a small apartment about 700-750sq ft.
Considering the price I found it at and the apartment size, would you recommend it?
Considering your Internet speed, you need a top-tier router, Johnny. So get the Asus RT-AX86U or Archer GX90. Or a high-end one in this post.
A couple of things to note:
1. This is how you should do the testing.
2. Don’t get hung up too much on 160MHz.
3. Make sure your client support Wi-Fi 6, you can upgrade many computers to one, if you want to see improved speed.
Thanks, Dong for your prompt input!
I’d love to get a hold of those routers but unfortunately, they are rather out of my budget at the moment. The cheapest RT-AX86U and GX90 I could get in my area are USD256 and USD200 respectively. Hopefully, I could snap up some deals over the BFCM weekend!
I’ve read (and just browsed through) the articles that you linked those are great insights! I’ll use them while searching for deals, hopefully some pops up near my budget.
Thanks again Dong, you’re doing great work!
Sure, Johnny! Good luck!
Hi, this router is performing worst then my old router. after 1 hour +/- the wifi speed is dropping 50%, the only fix is to restart it, and many times is not working. super disappointed
The wifi speed is shared between devices, Laurentiu. More in this post about router. https://dongknows.com/how-to-pick-the-best-wi-fi-router-for-your-home/
Hi Dong! I do not understand the very low results over long distances (blue bar). Does this mean the router has a bad range? I am trying to decide between AX73 vs AX58U vs AX68U – I am looking for fast but also stable and reliable hardware. What would you choose? Take care!
That means the router either has a short range, or low bandwidth for the Wi-Fi standard being used at that range. Most often it’s the latter. I’d go with the AX68U, Kam. I’ve used a few as standalone routers, as well as a mesh nodes, since the review and it’s been excellent.
Hi, Jeff here.
My family and I are interested in buying the AX73 but we’re wondering if there are any better alternatives out there that we could buy for around the same price? If you could list 1 or 2 that’d be a really big help. Thank you Dong.
I don’t keep tabs on or is prices, Jeff. Check out this list. https://dongknows.com/best-wi-fi-6-routers/
Noted, if you were to choose between the AX73 and the Asus AX3000 which would you choose? We’re also looking at the AX3000 but we’re unsure because the AiMesh system works off of another Asus router (as I understand it) and we’re unable to afford buying another asus router at the moment. Is it ok to supplement the Asus Ax3000 with decos? Or is there anything we can do to compensate for not having another Asus router for the AiMesh
Read the posts and the related ones, Jeff. I don’t think I understand your questions, maybe you don’t even know what you’re asking yourself. 🙂
Will do Dong
Hi there, thank you for the reviews. Wouldn’t TP-Link AX55 knock out AX50 now for the same price? Not sure if your list updates or not.
What list? I don’t review all and every router, Jonas, and will not test the AX55.
This site is amazing, direct and pratical, i wonder why did it took me so
long to find this site since i’m always after router reviews of all kinds. and i have to applaud you for not going after the same copy and paste/reading basic specs kinda of review but a complete review that requires much more effort. with that being said, i saw some interesting numbers there, the AX73 has some good numbers on NAS with 92 MB/s on read but only 58 on write. so here it is my first question, did you connected the ssd/HD directly on the usb port right? so can you get better speeds with a NAS station connected in the usb port? for example a (Synology DiskStation DS420+) which is a pretty top-notch nas station.
if yes the USB 3.2 gen 1 theoretically can reach a 1,2 Gigabytes/s of bandwith so get at least half of this with a nas station should be totally possible or the cpu/ram of the router AX73 bootlnecks it? by the way in other review you
mentioned how VR is very demanding and showed some numbers that scared me a little bit, does a VR connected to the pc uses video streaming the same way apps like steam link does? can you use multiple steam link (the smartphone app) clients or VRs to stress the router? since this is a more real-case scenario for me than trying to use the 1Gbit/s on every
LAN port at the same time to stress the cpu but this test would be good to see too. Last but no least, bandwith doesn’t seem to tell the whole story, since in steam link i can get up to 100 Mbit/s on 60 FPS, but i can’t get 90 fps or 120 fps without horrible stutters even if lower the bandwith to 5 Mbit/s (and i tested every scenario possible). with me having a wifi 5 router and client, maybe a Wifi 6 can help me with that since lower latency and stability seems to be a improvement here aswell. English is not my first language so pardon me so if there is anything wrong let me know.
Best Regards from Brasil.
Hi Bruno, here’s how I test the NAS feature of a router. The server’s speed is limited by its 1Gbps port, so some routers with a Multi-Gig port can deliver faster router-based NAS copy speed but that doesn’t mean they are better than a real (Synology) NAS server. And no, you don’t want to connect your computer to a NAS server using its USB port.
Happy to have you. Stay around, and you’ll find answers to all of your questions. By the way, your English is excellent! 🙂
Thank you for responding and having the patience to go through my immense comment lol. there’s two things i was not very clear about because i didn’t know. so the nas is connect in the rj45 port not the usb 3.0 ? if yes, why is that? doesn’t the usb 3.0 have more speed than the rj45 port? and finally i would like to see stress tests with multiple clients if you think that’s not useful i would like to know why. if you just don’t to, thats okay too.
USB has a different protocol from networking, Bruno — we’re talking apples and oranges. USB is for direct-attached storage (DAS). This post will explain more. As for the bandwidth, this depends on your setup, but if you connect a NAS server to a network using a single 1Gbps connection, then 1000Mbps (at best) is the ceiling bandwidth.
i was actually talking about in connecting the Synology NAS in the usb port of the router, if the router can deliver over 1gbps through link aggregation, is there a reason it wouldn’t do the same with single usb port?
Read the post I linked in the earlier reply, Bruno. Please don’t keep asking if you don’t read. And no, you can’t use a NAS server like that. It’s a NAS server for a reason.
Hi Dong ,
For reliabity and stability of wifi network performance, better choose tp link ax73 or asus ax3000 for long term investment?
Thanks before,
Octa
I’d go with the Asus, Octa.
Hi dong ,My home has 10 mobile devices , 2 laptops and a TV. and raspberry pi for home automation. Because based on your review archer ax 50 score higher than the latest archer ax 73
Which one you recommend archer ax 73 or archer ax 50,
I can’t make that decision for you, V. Check out this post for more.
I am in a dilemma at choosing between Asus ax56u and TPLink ax73. i have seen mixed reviews about both however there is no certain winner as far as i know. I am looking to use in a medium sized home with good wall penetration and stable wifi connection. Which one would you recommend?
The two are similar on the front you mentioned. But I’d go with the TP-Link considering it’s higher specs.
Hi Dong,
Currently in my 3 floor house I am using an older Netgear R7000 with some Niveo NWA300 wired access points. I have a lot of smart home devices (40+ Lutron Caseta switches, Ring doorbells & cameras, Sonos speakers etc).
The access points occasionally lose internet connection despite being wired, so I assume it’s due to the R7000.
I’ll still probably use the wired APs but with a new wifi router.
I can get the Archer AX73 for $180 (CDN) on sale vs your other recommendation Asus AX86U for $330.
Technically cost doesn’t matter so much but reliability is important.
Better to pay more for the AX86U?
Yes, Calvin. I’d get the Asus!
Hi Dong, great site. I have a very simple question – AX92u or AX86u? I’m looking for a scalable (future mesh capable), reliable, solid performing router.
Appreciate your help.
That depends on if you have wired your home or not, Aaron. If you have, then the former, else the latter. More in this post.
I’m thinking of grabbing two of these to run wired meshed in my house. Thoughts on that?
That’s a no-go, Daniel. Check out this post for better options.
Hmm, yeah it does seem silly that TP-Link won’t let you run two or more routers in OneMesh, but ASUS will in AiMesh. TP-Link is leaving money on the table there for sure.
How about running two RT-AX82U in a wired AiMesh? Those are in a good price point for me currently.
Two 82u units will work out great, Daniel. The linked post in my previous reply has more options.
I appreciate your reviews and your guidance! Thank you very much!
I went with the two 82U units and they will arrive tomorrow; then the setup “fun” begins XD
Sure, Daniel. Have fun! 🙂
I’m thinking of getting a new router for my two storey household (about 3000-4000 sq ft coverage) which will be supplemented by decos, but I’m unaware of whether I should be getting the Archer AX50 or the Archer AX73. For comparison I am also looking at the RT-AX56U, Archer AX20, Archer AX50, Archer A10 and Archer AX73, but have singled it down to the Archer AX73 and AX50. What are your thoughts?
All my thoughts are in this post, Ibrahim: https://dongknows.com/how-to-pick-the-best-wi-fi-router-for-your-home/
Thanks Dong! But if you’d pick between the AX50 and the AX73, which would it be? Thanks again for your help
I have both, Ibrahim. But I’d go with the AX73.
Hi Dong,
Would you choose the TP-Link Archer AX73 over the ASUS RT-AX58U if they priced the same?
Thank you very much
I’d go with the Asus, David.
Thank you for the review. Given the price is about the same, would you recommend this router or the TP-Link AX3200? (Working from home in a 1BR apartment so range is less of a concern over speed/reliability)
I’d go with the AX3200, Liany. But the two are very similar.
Thank you!
Hi Dong. I just recently upgraded my old router to this AX73. I have finished setting it up at my home, however I encountered a problem. All my phones in my household cannot detect the router’s 5 Ghz band. However my PCs (with TPLink T2U plus adapter) can find the 5 ghz band. Can you help me shed some light about what settings that I can try to change in the router? My phone is a modern one pixel 4, although it does not support wifi 6. Is it because of that?
Use auto setting for the bands, Biondi. More in this post. https://dongknows.com/how-to-fix-wi-fi-dropping-and-disconnection-issues/