If you're a competitive online gamer, you need to pair a blazingly fast gaming system with a wireless router that will let you optimize your bandwidth to reduce or eliminate network lag. Enter the TP-Link Archer C5400X ($399.99), a massive 802.11ac device equipped with numerous LAN ports, built-in malware protection powered by Trend Micro, parental controls, and user-friendly QoS settings. The C5400X turned in very fast scores on our throughput tests, but our Editors' Choice, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, is faster and offers more gamer-friendly management options.
Big Gaming
At 2.2 by 9.5 by 9.5 inches (HWD), the C5400X is roughly the same size as the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 , which is to say, it's huge. It sports eight oversized red and black external antennas that are removable, but not adjustable. It's equipped with eight gigabit LAN ports, two of which can be configured for link aggregation to provide up to 2GBbps speeds for compatible NAS devices that are connected to the router.
A status LED on the top of the router is solid white when the router is functioning normally, red when it has lost its internet connection, orange when Wi-Fi is turned off, and pulsing white when the firmware is being updated. The front of the router contains WPS, Wi-Fi On/Off, and LED On/Off buttons, and there are two USB 3.0 ports on the right side. In addition to the LAN ports, the back of the router holds a WAN port, a power button, a power jack, and a reset button.
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The C5400X is a 4x4 router powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, three co-processors, and 1GB of RAM. It has three radio bands and uses 1024QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) technology to reach maximum data rates of up to 1,000Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 2,167Mbps on each of the 5GHz bands. It supports all of the latest 802.11ac technologies including MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming, direct-to-client signal transmissions (beamforming), and Smart Connect, which allows the router to pick the optimal radio band based on network traffic (you can turn this off to allow for three separate radio bands).
The router can be managed using the TP-Link Tether app for iOS and Android mobile devices, or via the more traditional web-based console. The console opens to a Status screen that shows wired and wireless connected clients and wireless and Ethernet settings.
There's also a Speed Test button for measuring upload and download speeds, and there's a menu off to the left with Basic and Advanced settings tabs for Internet, Wireless, USB Sharing, Home Care, Guest Network, and TP-Link Cloud. Internet settings allow you to configure how the router will connect to the internet (Dynamic or Static IP, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP) and has advanced DHCP Server, Static Routing, Dynamic DNS, and Link Aggregation settings. In the Wireless settings screen, you can change SSIDs and Passwords, adjust Channel Width, set up Wi-Fi scheduling, and enable/disable Smart Connect.
In the Home Care settings, you can configure Parental Controls using the Child, Pre-Teen, Teen, and Adult presets to prevent or allow access to social media, gambling, sex education, and other adult-oriented content, and apply them to specific connected devices. Here you can assign QoS (Quality of Service) settings that let you give network priority to specific clients and applications using Standard, Gaming, Surfing, Streaming, Chatting, and Custom presets. Also in Home Care are Trend Micro's Malicious Content Filter, Intrusion Prevention System, and Infected Device Quarantine anti-malware utilities. The TP-Link Cloud lets you manage the router from anywhere via the internet.
For all of the C5400X's settings, it lacks the gamer-centric options that you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 such as Game Boost, which analyzes your network and gives priority to gaming traffic on Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Xbox One gaming consoles, and Game Radar, which lets you see the worldwide servers for specific games, their country location, and their ping status.
It also lacks native support for the Gamer's Private Network (GPN), which provides a private and secure connection to gaming servers and offers low latency and optimized performance for more than 1,000 compatible gaming titles. However, like its mesh-based sibling, the Deco M9 Plus Mesh Wi-Fi System, the C5400X supports Alexa voice commands for things like enabling the guest network and turning off the LED light at night. It also supports IFTTT applets that will alert you when a device connects to your network or prioritize a device when triggered.
Respectable Performance
You can install the C5400X using the Tether mobile app or by typing http://tplinkwifi.net in the URL bar of a connected PC. I connected the router to my desktop PC and to my modem and used the web console to configure the time zone and IP type. I made sure to disable Smart Connect, made note of the SSID and password for each band, and was ready to test the router's throughput prowess.
See How We Test Wireless Routers
The C5400X delivered impressive scores on our throughput performance tests. Its score of 113Mbps on the 2.4GHz close-proximity (same-room) test was faster than both the Netgear R9000 and the D-Link DIR-895L/R ($320.00 at Amazon) but not quite as speedy as the Asus GT-AC5300 Rapture. On the 2.4GHz 30-foot test, the C5400X's score of 76Mbps was faster than the competition, but only slightly so.
The C5400X's score of 586Mbps on our 5GHz close-proximity test was among the highest we've seen, but couldn't top our all-time leader, the Asus GT-AC5300. However, its score of 306Mbps at a distance of 30 feet was a bit slower than the rest, with the Netgear R9000 ($342.95 at Newegg) taking top honors.
On our MU-MIMO tests, in which we use three identical Acer Aspire R13 laptops equipped with Qualcomm's QCA61x4A MU-MIMO circuitry, the C5400X managed 220Mbps on the close-proximity test, outlasting the Netgear R9000, but not the Asus GT-AC5300 and the D-Link DIR-895L/R ($320.00 at Amazon) . On the 30-foot MU-MIMO test, the C5400X's score of 106Mbps trailed the pack, but not by much.
To test file transfer performance, we use a 1.5GB folder containing a mix of photo, video, music, and document files on a connected USB drive to measure read and write speeds. Here, the TP-Link C5400X's scores fell short of our top performers, as you can see in the chart.
Good for Gamers
Speedy throughput performance and numerous ports make the TP-Link Archer C5400X a solid, albeit pricey, choice for gaming enthusiasts and anyone who has multiple wired and wireless clients connecting at the same time. Its 5GHz close-range throughput performance was among the highest we've seen, as was its 2.4GHz close-range performance. Management settings are plentiful and include anti-malware tools, robust parental controls, and user-friendly QoS settings. That said, it doesn't have the game-specific settings that you get with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, nor can it match the GT-AC5300's speed. As such, the GT-AC5300 remains our Editors' Choice for gaming routers.
A router designed for gaming enthusiasts, the TP-Link Archer C5400X offers solid throughput speeds, built-in malware protection, and support for Alexa voice commands and IFTTT applets.
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