When comparing AmpliFi HD vs TP-LINK Archer C5, the Slant community recommends AmpliFi HD for most people. In the question“What are the best wireless routers?” AmpliFi HD is ranked 4th while TP-LINK Archer C5 is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose AmpliFi HD is:
The Amplifi HD provides industry leading wireless connectivity coverage of up to 20,000 square feet. The included router and two extenders are best suited for large homes.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Excellent coverage
The Amplifi HD provides industry leading wireless connectivity coverage of up to 20,000 square feet. The included router and two extenders are best suited for large homes.
Pro Great throughput
The Amplifi HD averages around 705 Mbps of throughput at a close distance of 5 feet. At 140 feet, that throughput drops to 177.5 Mbps — more than enough to share a 100 Mbps broadband connection, which is the top speed that majority of computers, phones or tablets can handle.
Pro Better performance through walls than any other mesh network solution
AmpliFi HD uses 3x3 MIMO which allows it to perform better and more consistently in houses with lots of thick/plaster walls than any other mesh network solution.
Pro A snap to set up
To set up the router you just need to download the app and follow the step-by-step guide. The whole process takes a few minutes.
Pro Looks cool
The AmpliFi HD router has a unique design. It is a small white cube, with a round 1.6-inch touchscreen, that can show date, time or your upload and download speeds.
Pro App is intuitive to use
Pro Easy network management through a companion app
It has an intuitive companion app that enables instant setup, includes powerful reporting metrics, and provides easy guest access. If there’s a network problem, you can resolve it via your app. There’s also constant reporting on network security.
Pro A small or midsize home can be covered with just the router
AmpliFi router on its own has a range of 90 feet, which should be more than enough for a small or midsize home.
Pro Good performance
This dual-band router has a combined throughput of up to 1.2 Gbps over its both bands. Realistically, its average throughput at short distance is 315 Mbps. So you’ll have enough throughput to stream HD movies, as well as play online games and browse websites without any problems.
Pro Four Gigabit Ethernet ports for faster network
With one Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, you can connect up to four devices with Ethernet cables for the fastest network speed possible.
Pro Two USB 2.0 ports for file sharing and storage
The two USB 2.0 ports makes it easier for you to share printers, files, and media with other devices trough your home network or via the ftp server while away from home.
Pro Intuitive mobile interface via its Tether app
Cons
Con Mesh access points don't look as appealing as the router itself
The two mesh access points looks like antennas that you would put on the roof of your home. They are 9.6 inches tall and can take up much space on your outlets.
Con Mesh networks can be overkill in many instances
Mesh networks are a very good choice for bigger homes but they can be overkill in many instances. If you're living in an apartment or smaller home, the Amplifi HD system won't be the best solution.
Con Lacks ability to place device in DMZ
Users may need the ability to specify an IP that needs zero port restrictions and needs to be placed in the DMZ. This isn't an available option on the router; therefore, as a work around you must use port forwarding to open ports 1-65535 for a specific IP address. Hopefully this becomes an option in the future...
Con Currently lacks MU-MIMO for efficient network management
In situations where two people would try to start video streams at the same exact time on different devices, one of them would be prioritized over the other and it would have to wait until the first had buffered a few bits of data for itself. But usually, you won’t notice a slowdown. This technology will be implemented with AmpliFi HD in the nearest future.