TP-Link says it has Wi-Fi 7 routers ready
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TP-Link has announced that it is marketing several Wi-Fi 7 products, claiming it is the “first” supplier in the world to do so.
Company revealed (opens in new tab)the new product line at a product launch in November 2022. The refresh includes the flagship Archer line of routersand the Archer GE800, which the company has specified for gaming networking but admits it could be useful for networked storage (NAS) configurations due to the low latency enabled by the Wi-Fi 7 specification.
However, the new access point products in the Omada line will be of most interest to small business and enterprise customers, as they offer “higher throughput, lower latency, and less interference” in a variety of business environments.
Wi-Fi 7 capabilities
While cost and availability for the Omada products are currently unknown, prices for the consumer grade Archer router and Deco are mesh wifi products, available for pre-order on December 31, 2022, give an idea of how much companies can expect to pay.
The Archer BE900 router costs $699.99, while the DecoBE85 Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 system costs $999.99 and the Deco BE95 Quad-band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 system costs $1199.99.
TP-Link may want to bring Wi-Fi 7 to as many devices as possible, covering use cases of multi-gig Ethernet, fiber, DSL and mobile access, but it’s unlikely to revolutionize the way we use the Internet .
Promises of reduced latency and faster speeds were also delivered with Wi-Fi 6, however, and with these prices in the middle of a recession, businesses may wonder if the upgrade is absolutely necessary.
While Wi-Fi 7 would make gigabit speeds more accessible, some businesses may already have access to it, while consumers are limited by infrastructure and plans offered by ISPs.
Companies already using TP-Link products will benefit from the Omada software platform, which integrates access points, switches and routers to provide centralized cloud management for IT administrators.