Routers are challenging devices for me to review, and having the TP-Link Archer GE400 BE6500 Gaming Router on my test bench starkly reminds me why that is – more on this later.
The Archer GE400 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router, the middle child of the broader TP-Link Archer Gaming Routers. More accurately though, in the five model range of the Gaming Routers, the Archer GXE75 at the bottom of the range is actually a Wi-Fi 6E unit.
It has taken a while for Wi-Fi 7 to genuinely start making in-roads in the consumer space, without the premium price tag that comes with bleeding edge technology. Mind you, TP-Link has already announced that their Wi-Fi 8 routers are coming later this year!
TP-Link Archer GE400 First Impressions and Specifications
I am showing my age here, but I was part of the team that commissioned in the first education wireless network here in Victoria, with good old 802.11 (no alphabets behind it!). Wireless protocol now has more letters behind it than alphabet pasta. The Archer GE400 offers 802.11be, aka Wi-Fi 7.
The GE400 bucks the trend of modern networking gear that attempts to blend into your home décor. It is a hulking black beast of an unit bristling with six external antennas. There can be absolutely no mistaking it for anything else but a wireless router.
Basic specifications include:
- CPU: Quad-core 2.0 GHz
- WAN Port: 1 × 2.5GbE
- LAN Ports: 1 × 2.5GbE Gaming Port + 3 × 1GbE
- USB: 1 × USB 3.0
- Mesh Support: EasyMesh
- Bands: Dual-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz)
- Security: WPA3, HomeShield
- VPN: WireGuard, OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP server & client
Yes, the GE400 is dual-band and not a tri-band router – supporting 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, but not the 6GHz spectrum that is commonly associated as the clean spectrum of Wi-Fi 7.
Is it an oversight? No, because the GE400 is an affordable entry into Wi-Fi 7 so some compromises have to be made.
TP-Link Archer GE400 Setup and Gaming Performance
The basic configuration of the GE400 is straightforward. My ISP does not require any special configuration, but your mileage may vary.
Like all modern routers, the GE400 comes preconfigured with a unique SSID and password. These are printed on the device and will get you hooked up quickly. For the average user, this is the sum of the work required to be running with the GE400.
For gamers, best practice is to use Ethernet – wired cable, at least CAT 5E, directly connected to the 2.5GbE port. This is assuming that your network card is 2.5 GbE capable. It would also be prudent to turn on Game Acceleration and add your gaming device as a priority device.
What happens if you have multiple gaming devices? There is only one 2.5GbE port, so you will have to decide which device gets that. The other device(s) will have to fall back onto the Gigabit port, or their fastest supported WiFi speed.
Wireless Networks, IoT Segmentation and SSID Management
I was excited to see that the Archer GE400 supports more than just a main and a guest SSID. This one also specifically has an IoT SSID that can be enabled.
I have been saying for years that manufacturers need to offer precisely this – a dedicated IoT SSID, separate from the main SSID and guest network.
IoT devices are notoriously insecure, and my network is designed with this in mind. I have full separation between my three wireless networks – different subnets, routes and firewall rules to ensure the safety of my core network. The foundations of my design is more akin for an enterprise network, but the implementation is relatively straightforward.
However, my excitement faded when I dug deeper into the way TP-Link has implemented the solution. TP-Link has implemented separate SSIDs, however, in the background, all the devices are on the same subnet.
Going a little more technical here, if you use the default subnet here – Class C 192.168.1.0/24, there is an maximum available pool of 254 devices that can be on the network, including the GE400.
All devices connected to the router are assigned addresses from the same IP subnet. By default this is typically 192.168.1.0/24, providing up to 254 usable addresses. While this is more than sufficient for most homes, users with a very large number of IoT devices may choose to expand the subnet size to increase the available address pool.
An important point to know, is that there is only a basic isolation between devices on the different wireless networks.
| Traffic | Default Behavior |
|---|---|
| IoT → Internet | Allowed |
| Main → IoT | Allowed (for device control) |
| IoT → Main | Restricted |
| Guest → Main | Blocked |
| Guest → IoT | Generally Blocked |
My understanding is that this may vary between firmware version and models.
The GE400 does not provide ability for:
- Custom firewall rules
- VLAN-to-SSID mapping
- Layer-3 ACLs
- Per-network routing policies
- Multiple isolated trusted networks
To be fair, at the price point and market of this unit, consumers would not be looking for these features.
For me personally, it is a dealbreaker. With my IoT network and Home Assistant configuration, putting the GE400 in broke pretty much everything in my smart home configuration.
I do applaud that at least TP-Link is offering this option than many manufacturers in this tier.
Wi-Fi 7 Features and Advanced Wireless Technologies
Wi-Fi 7 Wireless Features Explained
Digging into the wireless configuration a bit more. There are some settings that is worth pausing and thinking about.
TWT (Target Wake Time)
Lets compatible devices schedule when they wake up to send/receive Wi-Fi traffic. Saves battery on phones, tablets, IoT devices.
You want to enable this as there is no downside. Essentially instead of your phone or other mobile devices constantly asking for data, the GE400 can say, come back every 200ms. This allows the phone to go to sleep for 200ms before waking up to poll.
OFDMA
Router divides a channel into smaller chunks so multiple devices can transmit simultaneously. Great for busy networks.
This works better than a single device hogging one channel while other devices have to queue and wait.
MU-MIMO
Router talks to multiple devices at the same time instead of sequentially.
What it says. It gives much better throughput of data and less waiting by devices.
Smart Connect
Uses one SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Router automatically steers devices to the best band.
This is useful, however some IoT devices does not work well with combined SSIDs in this fashion.
MLO (Multi-Link Operation)
Wi-Fi 7 feature allowing devices to use multiple bands simultaneously. You can only take advantage of this with a Wi-Fi 7 client.
TP-Link Archer GE400 Parental Controls
The GE400, like many modern routers, offer parent control options.
Like most routers, it works off profiles, time scheduling, content or website filtering. And like most routers, it is based on MAC filtering. That means the profile you create lists the device you bind to that profile, via the MAC address.
The challenge with any MAC-based parental control system is that modern operating systems increasingly support MAC randomisation. A technically savvy user (read: children) can potentially bypass controls by altering how their device identifies itself on the network.
- Windows – Random Hardware Address
- macOS / iOS – Private Wi-Fi Address
- Android – Randomised MAC
And if they don’t, half a dozen of their mates do.
I would have liked to see it flipped the other way around – like a firewall – everything blocked by default unless it is whitelisted. Yes it is more work to configure, but ultimately works much better.
TP-Link HomeShield Security Features
TP-Link offers an optional HomeShield subscription that unlocks additional security and parental control features. This provides:
Real-Time Protection
- Real-time security for IoT devices
- Identifies and blocks network intruders
- Block malicious content
- Protect from DDoS attacks
TP-Link Archer GE400 Parental Controls
- Flexible time controls based on daily online time allowances (vis-a-vis schedules)
- Additional content filtering
- Online usage analysis
- Usage Analysis that includes overall network security and online behaviour of connected devices, real time analysis and browser history analysis.
TP-Link Archer GE400 Review Verdict
With RRP set at A$399, the TP-Link Archer GE400 is about mid-range in price. And for that price, you are getting:
- Wi-Fi 7 features (MLO, 4K-QAM)
- Gaming QoS
- Dual 2.5GbE ports
- Good CPU
- Pretty UI
- RGB gamer styling
The key thing missing is the 6 GHz band.
Is it a deal breaker? It’s a little tough to argue.
If the price point is $50 higher, then absolutely it is.
And alternately, if the price point is $50 lower, it makes it pretty much a no-brainer given the in-build feature set.
There is an optional subscription for HomeShield, and whilst it does have a purpose, is probably unnecessary for many users.
Given some of its networking limitations, the GE400 is unlikely to appeal to networking enthusiasts who want extensive segmentation, VLAN support or advanced firewall controls. For mainstream gamers and families, however, it strikes a sensible balance between performance, features and price.
If your requirements are straightforward: gaming, streaming, a growing number of smart home devices and a desire to move to Wi-Fi 7 without spending flagship money, the GE400 deserves a place on your shortlist.
DRN would like to thank TP-Link for providing the review unit.
