Firmware
published Date: 2023-07-21 Language: Multi-language File Size: 15.49 MB
Modifications and Bug Fixes
1. Add the EasyMesh function;
expiredDigitaldac posted Mar 08, 2024 09:10 PM
Item 1 of 2
Item 1 of 2
expiredDigitaldac posted Mar 08, 2024 09:10 PM
TP-Link Archer AX1450 WiFi 6 Dual-Band Wireless Router
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One of the features of WiFi 6 is that it supports both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands, and one of the benefits of upgrading from WiFi 5 to WiFi 6 is that you're getting a 2-generation upgrade for the 2.4 band. While 2.4 isn't exciting like 5, it is the longer-range band, and WiFi 6 offers improvements to efficiency and congestion management for that band.
The vast majority of WiFi 6 routers will have two WiFi 6 radios, one for 2.4GHz and one for 5GHz. This model, which BTW, is exclusive to Wal-Mart, cheaps out by having just one WiFi 6 radio for the 5GHz band and using a cheap legacy WiFi 4 radio for the 2.4GHz band.
Anyway, "AX1800" is generally the low-end budget spec for a "pure" WiFi 6 system (almost 600 on 2.4GHz, plus 1200 on 5GHz). "AX3000" is a midrange pure WiFi 6 system (almost 600 on 2.4GHz, plus 2400 on 5GHz from the use of wider channels). And you can spot the gimped systems by the "AX1500" or "AX1450") (300 or less on 2.4GHz, plus 1200 on 5GHz).
The real kicker is that "pure" WiFi 6 routers that support WiFi 6 on both bands are not that much more expensive. For example, look at these past SD threads:
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https://slickdeals.net/f/15969214
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank yoFu
Basically, if you have to ask, then this isn't for you and you should stay with Netgear and Asus consumer routers.
Also, I need to clarify - - when I wrote:
Main thing is if your router vendor hasn't provided any updates in the last few months, the router is likely out of support and likely has some security flaw being exploited in the wild. Put a reminder on your calendar to patch your router monthly. Don't trust their "auto-patching" settings, since those have been broken a few times too. Basically, create a bookmark for the vendor's firmware update page and check the exact version is says is current, then check that your router is running that version too. Hopefully, any auto-patch is working, so that will be the end of it.
There are different levels of "security", from the paranoid to the "it needs to work, always" people. Only you can decide how much security is sufficient. For example, I've learned to never trust any wifi or BT networking, so I don't use BT anywhere and I only use wifi with devices outside my few "trusted subnets" - basically, all IoT devices are outside my router on the internet. This is an FBI recommendation.
I have a few wifi-only devices - a 4.5in tablet (you may call your's a phone) and an 8in tablet. When using those and I need to access the more secure parts of my LAN, I require them to connect to a VPN server I run internally. I don't run the VPN server on my router, since I'm a purist - routers need to do the minimal things - routing and fire-walling, but almost nothing else. Since the router is the main thing protecting my different networks, I don't want any unnecessary code running on it. Not a DHCP server, not a DNS server, not a VPN server, not a NTP-server. Those all run on other systems protected by the router.
Also, lots of nerds will say they use a virtual machine to run their router. However, the VM host software is known to have some pretty bad security failures - all of them have - over the decades. The most recent security fail was from VMware ESXi, which lots of nerds were using and had been using the last 15 yrs to host their routers. Turns out that was a really bad idea, since there was a remote attack which could take over every guest OS on the host announced last week.
My desktops, servers and laptops all use wired ethernet, never wifi. Even wifi-only laptops have USB3-to-GigE adapters. Wifi shouldn't be trusted. The implementations have all had problems and there's no reason to believe that will ever change based on 24 yrs of history. With WiFi standards group hasn't learned that closed discussions are the recipe for security problems. The BlueTooth Alliance has similar issues. Never trust their marketing about security from either of these groups, unless security doesn't actually matter.
Anyway, secuirty isn't a checkbox (Y/n). It is a process. If you aren't into networking and OSes, then you are better off picking up a wifi-6 router from Asus as cheaply as possible and using that with expected replacements every 3-7 yrs.
Here's the FTC announcement about the Asus agreement: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/n...ivacy-risk
Here's the FBI recommendations about IoT devices.
- https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fi...things-iot
- https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/...ot-devices
- https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fi...ot-devices
Lastly, be very careful running software from unknown sources and untrusted downloads. That applies to your computers, tablets, phones. Be extremely careful if you decide to run software created by companies from certain authoritarian govts. There's no way to know what data is being slurped up and provided to the govt, then shared within their "friendly" nations. We have enough issues with US-based companies grabbing data without out explicit consent and re-selling it.For example: https://krebsonsecurity
It isn't paranoia if they truly are out to get you, me, us all.
Before "wifi mess" was a marketing term, we did it with wifi-APs or wifi-routers that had their routing disabled (hint: just don't use the uplink port on the router). Good mesh devices work as a team to make handoff between the different APs optimized, but if you are just walking between rooms and have set the wifi power correctly so one AP in your house is always much stronger than the other for each room, you don't need this either. There are F/LOSS smartphone apps that will show signal strength of a wifi AP as you walk around. Set it once and forget it, unless you live in an apartment (why would an apartment need a mesh?) - or have a 3500+ sqft apartment in some big city. Most homes in the US are 3000 sqft or smaller. No mesh needed. The average home size is just under 2000 sqft.
Sorry, didn't mean to write a book.
I'd never trust google with anything related to privacy. Google is the largest internet marketing company in the world. Providing them direct access to your data seems completely crazy to me. That's all I'll say about that here. All the largest digital marketing lists neglect google for some reason. The largest on those lists has revenue under $10B/yr, but Alphabet had $307B last year vastly more revenue than any of the others. You might think of google as the middle-man ... but not if you want to use their data.
I'd never trust google with anything related to privacy. Google is the largest internet marketing company in the world. Providing them direct access to your data seems completely crazy to me. That's all I'll say about that here. All the largest digital marketing lists neglect google for some reason. The largest on those lists has revenue under $10B/yr, but Alphabet had $307B last year vastly more revenue than any of the others. You might think of google as the middle-man ... but not if you want to use their data.
I really can't see how having Google physically in the house is that different or worse than having an android phone (powered on) in the house. Wyze (with microphones and cameras is Amazon. Amazon voice remotes are Amazon. I have two iPads with sim cards removed (wifi only), and I get comparable traffic from Apple as Google (or Amazon or Netflix) and slightly less traffic from Roku. Most of us have some kind of devices which can spy on our networks and ultimately us. Who owns Ring?
After getting Pi.Hole installed on the new Router, I'm going to go about setting up VLANS to isolate categories of devices from each other.
Yeah, I get your concerns about Google but, unless you have nothing in the house which answers to "Hey Google," "Hey Siri," "Alexa" or the like, I don't see that I'm any worse off than most. Once I'm behind the Pi.Hole and a VPN, I think I'll soon be better off than most.
I do thank you for the concern.
so 2,000 square feet is not what it seems. Mesh systems are nice if you can't run cables everywhere
the signal drops off at 1/r^2. Twice the distance from the router, 1/4 the signal
for security: upgrade the firmware and change the default password. most routers force this now.
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Several of TP-Links range extenders do call out the Ethernet port and being able to use it to connect wired devices so should work as a wireless bridge so you just need one of them to go with your AXE7800.
Archer a6 v3 works as a wireless and wireless to wired bridge with default firmware. 40$ on amazon. Im getting about 180-230mbps using it as wireless to wired bridge for my wired devices, but its far away from main router, this is using 5ghz for "backhaul"
I have mostly used D-Link or Asus in past so not sure about TP-Link capabilities.
Lots of devices listening and talking.
I am a very basic user and just basically did plug and play. I did the same for my spectrum router. Here are the results between the 2. I used openspeedtest and also used spectrum's speed test on their website after logging in.
SPECTRUM ROUTER - WIRED
TEST1: 401.04 DOWN, 1.00MS JITTER, 12.0 PING, 23.36 UP (all numbers will be in this order going forward)
TEST2: 428.24 1.5 11.0 22.15
TEST3: 598.96 0 13.0 23.2
SPECTRU ROUTER - WIRELESS
TEST1: 597.71 0 13.0 23.85
TEST2: 597.12 1.5 13.0 23.83
TEST3: 591.19 0.5 14.0 23.71
SPECTRUM.NET TEST: 578 DOWN, 21.8 UP, 573 DOWN, 21 UP
TPLINK ROUTER: WIRED
TEST1: 542.01 3.0 7.0 23.36
TEST2: 405.65 0.5 8.0 23.09
TEST3: 380.98 1.0 13.0 21.51
TPLINK ROUTER: WIRELESS
TEST1: 408.0 1.5 13.0 19.38
TEST2: 480.09 0.5 16.0 23.69
TEST3: 402.91 2.0 19.0 22.81
SPECTRUM.NET WIRELESS 422/15
SPECTRUM.NET WIRED: 570/19
For fun, I also tested the routers on FAST.COM. I didn't save the speeds for the spectrum router, but this TP Link router did 660 DOWN twice. I think the Spectrum router on Fast.com also did something similar, near 600 down.
The TPLink router seems to perform lower than the Spectrum router, but for the very basic user who only watches shows, does normal web browsing, or games very casually, this is probably worth it because you don't need to pay the rental fee every month, and it'll end up being worth it in something like 6-7 months. If you do work or play games competitively that require very low latency, this probably isn't good for you.
I'll try to update after a few days of use, but the only uses I have are playing League of Legends, youtube, etc. Take my experience with a grain of salt.
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