TP-Link Archer BE220 Review | BE3600 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router

The modern household should have a ton of devices connected to your Wi-Fi nowadays. This translates to a reliance on faster connections since traditional routers just won’t cut it these days with heavier workloads.

Internet-related activities nowadays include 4K streaming, online gaming, and management of IoT devices running 24/7. In other words, improving your home network should be on your to-do-list.

This is where the TP-Link Archer BE220 comes in. It offers the latest Wi-Fi standard at under PHP 2,500. Let’s unpack why this device is worth your time.

Device and Hardware

The TP-Link Archer BE220 has a traditional router design with a flat body. There’s also four foldable antennas, which help users find an optimal signal.

Users will find its branding dead center and an array of LED lights at the bottom right.

You’ll also find ventilation holes around the lights and on the top left of the router. These help with thermals, since routers run continuously throughout the day and generate a decent amount of heat.

There’s nothing too eye-catching about the router aside from its sleek black color. It’s light, compact, and doesn’t take up too much space.

Apart from this tall table, we also found it alright to position it on a shelf. Either way, users are likely to place it near an internet service provider’s (ISP) modem for convenience.

For ports, it has four 1Gbps LAN ports and a single 1Gbps WAN port at the back. This is also where the on/off button, power plug, reset button, and WPS button are found.

Interface and Features

Similar to most TP-Link routers, users can opt for two ways to set up the device. This is either via the Tether mobile app or a web browser. The box will include a quick installation guide that comes with a QR code for users to easily download the app.

I’ve tried both methods and they’ve been pretty straightforward. However, I recommend users to opt for the browser instead. To get started, just type in 192.168.0.1 on your device browser.

I felt like it was better for users who aren’t familiar with the technical side of setting up an internet connection. For instance, the setup process will ask for information on what the connection type your internet service provider (ISP) offers.

In the browser, it explains that a user can opt for Dynamic IP by default if they aren’t sure. This is the same for MAC Address setup, noting that a preset is available unless your ISP says otherwise.

Alternatively, downloading the app is also fine but will probably have you looking up what some terms mean if you’re unfamiliar. I recommend opting into it after setup.

Aside from giving users more control over your router remotely, the Tether App also offers a handful of extra features. This includes EasyMesh support, which provides flexible mesh coverage for your home.

There’s also TP-Link HomeShield, which protects your home network from threats using advanced means of security and privacy. Another is Private IoT Network, which protects your smart home devices with a separate WPA3-encrypted network.

Private IoT Network also makes sure your devices can effectively communicate with each other to provide users with the best connections possible. It’ll make additional bandwidth on your main wireless network as well.

Plus, these work with all ISPs, Wi-Fi standards, and even Google Assistant.

Performance

For performance, we compared how the router performed with a device that supports Wi-Fi 7 versus one that supports Wi-Fi 6E.

We used a POCO F7 Pro and an iPhone 15 Pro Max. For this test, the Archer BE220 was placed in our home studio.

We initially found that while it does improve, it’s not too much of a jump. Judging from speed alone, the difference was roughly 15Mbps.

However, what we found interesting was the numbers on responsiveness. The jump in ping is about 100ms, while the difference in upload was double.

During the day this was taken, the office was full as well. We had about 9-10 people with personal devices and review units connected. People were downloading and uploading huge files, streaming on YouTube, and more.

While it doesn’t come off with the best numbers, I can attest that the connection on the F7 Pro was stable. We inferred that the device was able to leverage a key Wi-Fi 7 feature to make this work. With Multi-Link Operation (MLO), the phone was able to make use of a ‘smarter’ Wi-Fi connection.

To explain it in simpler terms, devices usually connect to just one band at a time. This includes 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and so on. With MLO, Wi-Fi 7 devices can use more than one.

It’s similar to being able to work on a full-time job and a part-time job simultaneously to get more rewards. Basically, it gets you more earnings for working more, or in this case, faster connectivity.

For those curious, you can still enjoy the router without having Wi-Fi 7 support. There’s a very clear difference between what it can do versus what a stock router offers.

Starting from the left are a couple of tests I took on my iPhone at home. This was done when I first got the router before picking up the F7 Pro. The last screenshot on the right is a test I took today with a stock router from Converge.

While this is an entry-level router, I’m sure that users will come to appreciate what it offers. Wi-Fi 7 is moving to become the new standard. The only thing holding it back is the lack of device support, which is coming sooner than later.

Pricing and Conclusion

Last year, the TP-Link Archer BE230 was launched in the Philippines as one of the first routers that supported Wi-Fi 7. For reference, this was priced at under PHP 6,000.

Now, we have the TP-Link Archer BE220. This iteration of the device offers a lot of the same at an even more attainable price of PHP 2,399. It’s easy to install and, and gives users access to Wi-Fi 7’s MLO, which should be a staple in households in the future.

It’s just unfortunate that Wi-Fi 7 supported devices aren’t widely available yet. Still, we think readers should definitely check it out. The router alone makes Wi-Fi 7 more accessible than ever, all without compromising on speed, stability, and responsiveness.

Users can check it out via TP-Link’s Official Stores on Shopee, Lazada, and select retail outlets in the Philippines. The brand has a concept store in SM North Edsa for those interested.

What we liked about it:
EasyMesh
MLO
Price
Seamless installation

What we did not like:
Availability of Wi-Fi 7 supported devices (limited)

TP-Link Archer BE220 | BE3600 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 7 Router specs:
5GHz: 2882 Mbps (802.11be)
2.4GHz: 688 Mbps (802.11ax)
Quad-core CPU (2.0GHz)
512MB RAM
Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
4K-QAM
EasyMesh support
Alexa and Google Assistant support
IoT Network
1x 1 Gbps WAN
4x 1 Gbps LAN
4x Antennas (with Beamforming)