TP-Link Announces Amazon-Exclusive AC Router

[thiggins]

TP-Link just announced its Archer A7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router.

The main thrust of the router is lower cost, given its $80 price tag. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard Qualcomm-based 3x3 AC1750 class router with a USB 2.0 port supporting storage sharing.

It's up for order now on Amazon.

 

[Internet Man]

The Archer A7 is covered by the same FCC entry as the Archer C7 v5.x according to WikiDevi. The Archer C7 is currently $65 on Amazon and it seems likely to be v4.x which has two USB 2.0 ports compared to the single USB 2.0 port on the C7 v5.x and the A7. Both have the same Qualcomm Chips and specs otherwise.

If the goal of the Archer A7 is to give Amazon a price advantage then the price will need to drop.

 

[umarmung]

So a more expensive C7, which is hardly a good router these days (other than its range), plus you get Amazon spyware.

 

[thiggins]

So a more expensive C7, which is hardly a good router these days (other than its range), plus you get Amazon spyware.

There is nothing to indicate that the firmware is a special load that contains any Amazon code.

TP-Link is not the first, nor will they be the last, company to create retailer-specific models. ASUS and NETGEAR have both done it.

 

[Easy Rhino]

It is weird that Amazon is selling it for more than they're selling the C7 themselves.

maybe one pricing algorithm should talk to the other pricing algorithm.

 

[Internet Man]

The unannounced Archer A10 is likely also an Amazon-exclusive product then. It would be TP-LINK's first four-stream MediaTek-based router so it should come in at a lower price than the Qualcomm-based C2600 or the Broadcom-based C3150 models..

 

[Internet Man]

The A7 is down to $60 for today. Another difference between the C7 v5.x and the A7 is that you can control some of the A7 router's features through Alexa.

Compatible with Alexa and IFTTT
Turn on the guest WiFi using your voice and use IFTTT to trigger actions when devices are connecting, disconnecting or being added to your network.