Compatibility of a TP-Link Archer AX20 AX1800 Router

Ozcelt on 30/03/2022 - 19:53
Last edited 30/03/2022 - 20:39 by 1 other user

Hi,

I'm tragically ignorant of under-the-hood stuff in IT. So, I need a little advice.

My current NBN modem/router is a Netcomm AC1600 NF18ACV Dual Band. It works very well on my Mate (Optus) NBN plan. But, all my stuff is wireless WiFi, and my new Dell PC is telling me I could improve performance considerably by moving to a WiFi 6 setup. Admittedly, things are getting a bit congested (2x smart TVs, 2x Fetch boxes, PC, printer, tablet, two phones, various Kindles, aircon controller etc etc - all wireless). I'm definitely getting occasional wobbles on the more geographically "remote" devices, and even find some slow-downs on loading near the router/modem.

So, I did some research: looks like the TP-Link Archer AX1800 is a good, not too expensive router, to a decent performance upgrade. Assuming this is indeed at least an adequate router, I have some questions to ease my mind.

  1. Are the two (Netcomm and TP-Link) devices easily compatible? Looks like I should use an Ethernet cable to connect them (which I have).
  2. Will the proposed new WiFi schema actually work and improve my present, less-than-stellar, WiFi performance (range, signal strength, etc)?
  3. Is it correct to assume that the current (Netcomm) WiFi passwords will remain intact on all my devices if I connect in a fancy router to the Netcomm device? I'm dreading having to deploy new passwords across every single device in our home!
  4. Any other advice that would help me in the right direction?

BTW, our home is a single-level, compact (but not too pokey) downsizer special. Even now, WiFi is actually operational in every room throughout - so, I'm not really convinced range extenders/meshes are justified. I just want a cost-effective performance boost.

Your words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Computing TP-Link Wireless Router

Comments

  • Elegant Giant on 30/03/2022 - 20:45
    +1

    Are you trying to use the second device in a separate location to the first to act as a second broadcast point? It all depends on how "simple" you want things to be; the simplest way to improve signal is using a mesh network, as they'll all talk to eachother and pass the connected devices over between mesh devices depending on which is closest / best signal, the best advantage of the mesh devices.

    If you want to set up two static broadcast points, you'll need to set the TP-Link device up in "AP mode" / "dumb mode" - this ensures the original / current device maintains the DNS and DHCP services, which will avoid setting up separate DHCP scopes (ip address ranges) so devices can still easily talk to eachother. (If there were separate DHCP servers, you'd end up with two address ranges, such as "192.168.0.1-254" and "192.168.100.1-254". It doesn't stop stuff talking, but slightly complicates things a bit, which you'd be better off avoiding).

    To directly answer the questions:

    1. They should be compatible, depending on how they're set up they're all more reliant on services running on the devices than the brand names.
    2. WiFi 6 will only assist with devices that support WiFi 6. Sounds like your new Dell supports it, but other devices may not, at which point you'll be using the same standards as before.
    3. Passwords are tied to the SSID, the network's name. So long as you give the WiFi networks on the TP-Link the same name and passwords, it'll try to connect.
    4. Placing the router centrally is always the best way to get good reception. Ensuring that it's not placed directly next to other devices, especially other broadcasting devices, is important. Things like Microwaves will 100% kill your WiFi signal.

    words of wisdom are appreciated

    Wear sunscreen

    • WiFi congestion will happen with many devices; the more WiFi bands you have, the better. If you have the second device placed further away via a cable, you can have different WiFi channels broadcasting (e.g. for 2.4GHZ, have channel 3 on one, and channel 11 on another).
    • You can also use a WiFi scanner to see nearby WiFi networks to pick a new channel, in case all your neighbour's devices are broadcasting on the same channel as you.
    • You can also ensure devices are connected to different broadcasting channels on your device. Your router will support 2.4GHz and 5GHz broadcasting channels. By spreading your devices across each, you can have more devices connected overall.
    • Ensure appropriate devices are connected to appropriate channels. 2.4GHz is good for range, but the bandwidth is less optimal. 5GHz is great for bandwidth, but has less range. For close, static devices (like a TV) connect it to a 5GHz network. For a mobile phone, kindle etc, the 2.4GHz network may be better.
    • Ozcelt on 30/03/2022 - 21:48

      Look, that's just excellent advice. Thanks.
      I do try to spread devices across the two bands, but I should actually check if my "nearer" devices are indeed preferably on the 5GHz band etc. The current modem/router is VERY centrally located in the house, and I had it in mind to collocate the proposed new router adjacent to it (running an Ethernet cable anywhere other than close is not a convenient option). The advice re putting the TP-Link into dumb mode is exactly the sort of thing I need to know. I should check if anything, other than the Dell, is actually WiFi6 compatible - didn't realise this was a "thing". Thanks. Also, yes, never thought to check what band the neighbours are predominantly using…
      "Wear sunscreen"…hmm, I'm married to an Irishwoman, and sunscreen in our WA home is a near religious obligation!
      Thanks so much.

  • autonomate on 30/03/2022 - 20:46

    If you run a speedtest on fast.com from your Dell PC - what does it say?

    If you can run a speedtest on fast.com from a wired device, or from the router directly - what does it say?

    It's unlikely most of the devices you mentioned will support WiFi 6. It's a bit of a gimmick at this stage, like 5G.

    • Ozcelt on 30/03/2022 - 21:50

      That's really helpful. I'll run the tests as you suggest. Yeah, maybe I am getting a little caught up in the WiFi6 fever! I'll check out our various devices to see if it's really worthwhile.

  • Twix on 30/03/2022 - 21:41

    1. NetComm and TP-Link are compatible with each other. There is a chance that you don't need the NetComm NF18ACV modem in the setup. Do you have nbn FTTN, FTTB, FTTC, FTTP, HFC, Fixed Wireless? If you are unsure check here.

    2. TP-Link Archer AX20 Wi-Fi 6 router has a faster 1.5Ghz quad core processor and is a good step up in Wi-Fi performance and range.

  • Ozcelt on 30/03/2022 - 21:52

    Cool! I just checked my address on your link, and I'm FTTN.
    I'll check out the AX20 - and work out if it's affordable.
    Thanks!

    • Twix on 30/03/2022 - 22:08

      For FTTN both the NetComm NF18ACV modem and TP-Link Archer AX20 Wi-Fi 6 router is needed. Do you know how to bridge a modem?

      A TP-Link Archer VR2800 modem is a good Wi-Fi 5 all-in-one solution for FTTN.

  • Ozcelt on 31/03/2022 - 15:11

    Thanks for that. Appreciated.

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