When comparing TP-LINK Archer C7 V2 vs TP-LINK Archer C5, the Slant community recommends TP-LINK Archer C7 V2 for most people. In the question“What are the best simultaneous dual band router for around $100?” TP-LINK Archer C7 V2 is ranked 2nd while TP-LINK Archer C5 is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose TP-LINK Archer C7 V2 is:
The Archer C7 allows you to use one guest network per WiFi band. You can choose when these guest networks are activated and you can also configure the maximum amount of bandwidth that guests can use.
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Pros
Pro Good degree of control over the guest network
The Archer C7 allows you to use one guest network per WiFi band. You can choose when these guest networks are activated and you can also configure the maximum amount of bandwidth that guests can use.
Pro Best performance for the price for both large and small houses
The TP-Link Archer V2 offers great value for the money for most people who are looking to buy a wireless router. It is faster and covers the same area faster than routers that cost twice or three times as much, While it's not the best performant router under all circumstances, the jump in price to get the best router for a certain scenario would not be proportional to the added performance.
At short range (around 11 ft) it provides 200Mbps-160Mbps depending on the line of vision, thickness of walls, etc. While on long range (around 43 ft) it provides 175Mbps-72Mbps depending on the line of vision, thickness of walls, materials the walls are made, etc.
Pro LED status indicators
Blue lights in front of the panel indicate status of power, wired and wireless connections.
Pro Provides a good assortment of basic features
It has four Gigabit ethernet ports, supports USB file sharing and media streaming through two USB 2.0 ports, has parental controls for an increased degree of control, and has support for guest networks.
Pro Great for appartments with lots of WiFi interference from neightbours
The Archer C7 allows you to access both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi bands, which has the benefit of improving performance but also makes it easier to escape any interference from any neighbours' WiFi.
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 Is missing some more advanced features found in other routers
It does not have some advanced features such as Quality of Service controls, iTunes server, jumbo frames or VPN server.
Con Parental controls might be somewhat confusing
For those who are less tech-savvy, setting up parental controls may be tricky, since they use the MAC addresses of the network's computers (both those use by adults and children).
Con Overwhelming UI
C7 has a plain text UI with a plethora of settings that can be confusing and easily overwhelming.