TP-Link Archer AX23 review: Wi-Fi 6 for everybody!

The market is flooded with new Wi-Fi 6 routers at all prices. In recent months, I tested mostly mid-range and premium routers. However, there are plenty of affordable options in shops, and choosing the right one can be challenging. Among the best-sold models is TP-Link Archer AX23, a router that, for a low price, offers all the basics people need. If you want to know what this Wi-Fi 6 router has in store for you and whether it can fulfill your specific requirements, read this review:

TP-Link Archer AX23: Who is it good for?

This wireless router is a suitable choice for:

• Those who want a low-price Wi-Fi 6 router
• Small to medium-sized apartments
• Internet connections of up to 500 Mbps
• People interested in controlling their router remotely, with a mobile app
• Users who want to control their router using the Alexa voice assistant and IFTTT (If This, Then That)

Pros and cons

Here are the things I like about TP-Link Archer AX23:

• Affordable price
• Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 encryption support
• The firmware is easy to use and configure
• You can control it remotely with a mobile app
• Great multilingual support
• Can be mounted on walls
• OneMesh support

As for downsides:

• It’s not a good companion for internet connections faster than 500 Mbps
• Lacking 160 MHz channel bandwidth
• Lacking a USB port

Verdict

TP-Link Archer AX23 is an affordable AX1800 wireless router that aims to deliver the basics without breaking the bank. In terms of features, it checks all the things most people need, setting it up is easy, and so is managing it. However, its performance is representative of its price range: it works well, without breaking any speed records, and it’s a good choice only as long as you’re using it in a small to medium-sized apartment, you don’t connect many devices to the Wi-Fi, and your internet connection is up to 500 Mbps. If the price you pay for your router is the deciding factor, and you’re also OK with the restrictions I’ve just mentioned, TP-Link Archer AX23 is a good choice that is likely to satisfy your Wi-Fi needs.

Unboxing the TP-Link Archer AX23

TP-Link Archer AX23 is an AX1800 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that comes in a cyan cardboard box, like the one in the picture below. On it, you see a picture of the device and a list of its most important features. On the back of the box, you find more information about the router’s features and the benefits of upgrading your network to Wi-Fi 6. The packaging used for TP-Link Archer AX23 When you start to unbox it, you first see several leaflets: the quick installation guide (which I recommend reading), some troubleshooting tips, useful when you have older devices that can’t access Wi-Fi 6 networks, warranty information, and the license for the firmware used on the Archer AX23. Unboxing the TP-Link Archer AX23 Alongside the leaflets I just mentioned, you find the router nicely packaged in protective plastic, its power adapter, and a short CAT5e network cable. Everything you find inside the box The unboxing experience is similar to that of all TP-Link Archer routers, and inside the box, you find everything you need to start setting up your network.

Hardware specifications and design

TP-Link Archer AX23 looks a lot like the Archer AX20, another affordable router I greatly appreciated. Like its brother, it is a thin router made of plastic material with a classic look. I like the X on the top, inspired by its support for the 802.11ax standard, also known as Wi-Fi 6. The size of this router is identical to Archer AX20: 10.2 × 5.3 ×1.5 inches or 260.2 × 135.0 × 38.6 mm in width, depth, and height. It also weighs just 404 grams or 0.89 pounds. TP-Link Archer AX23 looks like Archer AX20 On the back of the Archer AX23, you find four LAN Ethernet ports and the WAN port, all working at 1 Gbps, the Power button, the Power jack, the Reset jack, and a button for turning the Wi-Fi On and Off and controlling the WPS feature. The ports on the back of the router On the bottom of the router, you find a sticker that tells you the specific model you own and gives details about its default Wi-Fi configuration. There are also holes for mounting it on walls, which can be useful to some users. The sticker told me that I was testing the v1.0 hardware version. However, in some markets and shops, you may also find a v1.20 hardware version with a slightly different configuration than mine. TP-Link Archer AX23 can be mounted on walls Unlike the Archer AX20, which has a Broadcom processor, TP-Link Archer AX23 has a dual-core MediaTek MT7621DA System on a Chip (SoC) running at 880 MHz, 128 MB of RAM, and 16 MB of storage space for its firmware. Spec-wise, it looks like a slightly underpowered version of its somewhat more expensive brother, as it is designed for networks with fewer devices, set in smaller living spaces. TP-Link Archer AX23 doesn't have many LEDs The four external antennas are non-detachable, and the theoretical maximum bandwidth offered by this router is split as follows: 1201 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band when using the Wi-Fi 6 standard. There’s also support for WPA3 password encryption, which is great. One downside of this router is that it doesn’t offer a 160 MHz channel bandwidth on the 5 GHz band, only a maximum of 80 MHz. However, TP-Link Archer AX23 has OneMesh support, meaning you can easily add a TP-Link range extender to build your own mesh network. For more information about this product and its specifications, go to this page: TP-Link Archer AX23 AX1800 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router.

Setting up and using the TP-Link Archer AX23

You can install TP-Link Archer AX23 using a web browser on a computer connected to the router or the Tether app on your smartphone. I chose the web browser route: first, you’re asked to set up the administrator password, select the time zone for your location, and choose the type of internet connection you are using. Creating an admin password You may need to enter certain connection details for some types of internet connections like PPPoE. Then, you get to personalize the wireless settings and choose to configure each wireless band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) separately or have them use the same name and password with the help of Smart Connect. Personalizing the wireless settings Next, Archer AX23 tests whether your internet connection works and tries to use it. If all is good, the quick setup wizard recommends upgrading the firmware to the latest version. You should do that to get access to new features, improved Wi-Fi performance, and stability upgrades. When you’re done with the firmware update, you get a summary of your settings, and you can log into the router and change its advanced settings. You can connect a TP-Link ID to your local administrator account and control your router from anywhere on the internet, using both a web browser and the mobile Tether app. Do you want to connect your TP-Link ID? As always, TP-Link’s interface is easy to use for anyone, and it starts with presenting only the basic settings related to the wireless network. There’s not much to configure in the Internet and Wireless tabs. However, beginners will appreciate that, as they don’t have to fiddle with any complex features and settings. The web admin interface is user-friendly If you want to configure everything that can be changed about the Archer AX23, you should go to the Advanced tab. There, you find all the router’s settings and advanced features. The Advanced tab gives you access to all the settings While no help documentation is available in the web admin interface, all the settings are explained well. Most people should be able to understand what they must do to change one setting or another. In addition, it’s helpful to know Support options are available at the bottom of the interface, and it’s easy to provide feedback to TP-Link and access their Support Center. Another cool feature is that the user interface is available in more than 20 languages, making everyone’s life easier. Support is easily available The Tether mobile app for Android and iOS is free and easy to use. However, it offers access only to the basics you need, including some remote troubleshooting tools that might be useful. You still have to use the web admin interface if you want more advanced configuration options. Tether gives you access to the basic settings you need Leaving its simplicity aside, the Tether app is where you can integrate the router with Alexa and IFTT. It also gives you access to a Wi-Fi Detective, which scans your network, detects, and displays all the connected devices. Alexa and IFTT integration are configured from the Tether app The Wi-Fi works reasonably well on the TP-Link Archer AX23 on both bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. However, because of its less powerful hardware, it can’t manage networks with many connected devices all that well, and the internet speed you get on Wi-Fi stays below 500 Mbps, even when using Wi-Fi 6. Another downside is that when making speed measurements with SpeedTest, I noticed large variations from one test to the next. So it looks like the Archer AX23 doesn’t do a great job sustaining a constant transfer speed from one transfer to the next. If you want to know more about the real-world performance offered by Archer AX23, including a comparison with other routers, go to the next page of this review, where I present detailed measurements.

Wireless network performance

My new test apartment is set up similarly to the diagram below. As you can see, I’ve placed the TP-Link Archer AX23 in a central position to provide good coverage in all the rooms where I spend most of my time. The apartment where I tested TP-Link Archer AX23 I evaluated the quality of the wireless network managed by this router through measurements made in three different places:

• The router’s room - I record the maximum speeds when no walls absorb the wireless signal in the room where the router is placed.
• Room 1 - is separated by one wall from the router, so the wireless signal and the Wi-Fi speed I get should be lower here.
• Room 2 - is separated from the router by two walls absorbing the wireless signal. Also, the wall between Room 1 and Room 2 is twice as thick as the one between The router’s room and Room 1. As a result, Room 2 can be a difficult challenge for many routers.

I’ve made all my measurements on a laptop that can work with Wi-Fi 6 networks, using Windows 11 and the latest drivers and operating system updates. To better understand how TP-Link Archer AX23 performs, I compared it with a Xiaomi Mi Router AX1800 (a competing AX1800 router with a similar price) and a Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 (a more expensive and slightly more powerful router).

How the TP-Link Archer AX23 performs on the 2.4 GHz band

As always, I first measured the signal strength using NetSpot, while connected to the 2.4 GHz band. When using the Wi-Fi 4 standard (802.11n), the signal strength delivered by TP-Link Archer AX23 was weaker than that of its competitors, but only in the room where the router was placed. Signal strength on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz band) Switching to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 2.4 GHz band lowered signal strength in all rooms but without becoming troublesome. Signal strength on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz band) I moved on to the SpeedTest app and used it to measure the maximum speed you get when transferring data to and from the internet on the 2.4 GHz band. When using the Wi-Fi 4 standard, TP-Link Archer AX23 delivered fast downloads. It overtook the competition, especially in Room 2, which is far from the router and where Xiaomi routers had a surprisingly hard time. SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz) The upload speed followed similar trends, and Archer AX23 performed well everywhere in my apartment. SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz) I switched to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 2.4 GHz band and repeated the same measurements with SpeedTest. Unfortunately, I didn’t notice improvements when switching to Wi-Fi 6 from Wi-Fi 4, which is disappointing. SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz) The upload speed was much slower on Wi-Fi 6 and the 2.4 GHz band in Room 2. SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz) For the next set of measurements, I used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network. Again, I was using the 2.4 GHz band with the Wi-Fi 4 standard turned on. TP-Link Archer AX23 performed well this time and delivered faster downloads than the routers I’ve compared it to. Network downloads on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz) When measuring the upload speed, TP-Link Archer AX23 had no issues outmatching Xiaomi Mi Router AX1800. Network uploads on Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz) I switched to the Wi-Fi 6 on the same 2.4 GHz band and repeated the same tests. This time, the download speed improved when switching from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 6, and TP-Link Archer AX23 performed much better than it did when using SpeedTest. Network downloads on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz) Uploads were also faster than when using Wi-Fi 4 on the same 2.4 GHz band. Network uploads on Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz) TP-Link Archer AX23 performs reasonably well on the 2.4 GHz band. However, you get better results using the Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) standard instead of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is a bit disappointing.

How the TP-Link Archer AX23 performs on the 5 GHz band

I switched to the 5 GHz band and started by measuring the signal strength with NetSpot. When using the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) standard, TP-Link Archer AX23 delivered good signal strength everywhere in my apartment. Signal strength on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz band) As you can see below, the signal strength lowered slightly when switching to Wi-Fi 6 on the 5 GHz band, but without becoming problematic. Signal strength on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz band) I switched to the SpeedTest app. When using the Wi-Fi 5 standard, download speeds were on the slower side, and TP-Link Archer AX23 was generally outmatched by the routers in my comparison. SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz) Uploads were much faster than downloads, which I found a bit strange. SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz) Download speeds improved when moving to the Wi-Fi 6 standard on the 5 GHz band, but TP-Link Archer AX23 remained slower than its competitors. SpeedTest - The download speed on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz) Upload speeds were OK, but they did not impress. SpeedTest - The upload speed on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz) For the next set of measurements, I used the PassMark Performance test to transfer data between two computers connected to the network. In this test, TP-Link Archer AX23 delivered faster download speeds. Below are the results I’ve got when using the Wi-Fi 5 standard. Network downloads on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz) Uploads were pretty fast too, as shown by the chart below. Network uploads on Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz) Switching to the Wi-Fi 6 standard meant I registered faster downloads, but only in the room where the router was placed. Network downloads on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz) Uploads were slightly faster when using Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 5. Network uploads on Wi-Fi 6 (5 GHz) You get reasonably good performance when using the TP-Link Archer AX23 on the 5 GHz band. However, my testing has shown that it has difficulty delivering speeds faster than 500 Mbps. Therefore, you should not use it in tandem with internet connections that are faster than 500 Mbps.

Wired network performance

After evaluating Wi-Fi performance, let’s assess the performance you get when using Ethernet network connections. My internet connection offers a maximum of 1 Gbps for the download speed and 800 Mbps for the upload. When using SpeedTest, TP-Link Archer AX23 got close to the maximum potential of my internet connection. SpeedTest on Ethernet connections As expected, when using devices connected to TP-Link Archer AX23 via Ethernet cables, you can enjoy internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

Extra features

TP-Link Archer AX23 has a couple of advanced features you may appreciate: TP-Link Archer AX23 can work as a VPN server too

• VPN server – you can set the router to work as a VPN server using OpenVPN and PPTP.
• QoS – a basic Quality of Service feature that helps you control how the total bandwidth is split between devices.
• Parental Controls - a manual set of parental controls that you can use to set time limits for your children or block access to some sites.
• Wireless schedule - you can set when the wireless network is automatically turned off. For example, you may not want it broadcasted while you sleep.
• Guest Network – you can enable guest Wi-Fi networks with individual security and access settings, one on each band.
• DDNS – allows you to connect to the router from the internet, even if your internet provider assigns you a dynamic public IP address. For example, this router can work with the following service providers: TP-Link, NO-IP, and DynDNS.
• IPv6 – support for IPv6 addresses that are replacing IPv4.
• Integration with Amazon’s Alexa and IFTTT – with the help of the Tether mobile app, you can integrate the router with Amazon Alexa and control it using voice commands. You can do the same with the If This Then That (IFTTT) service, which allows you to automate tasks that might otherwise be repetitive or unable to “talk to each other.”
• OneMesh - you can add a TP-Link range extender like the TP-Link RE500X to create a mesh Wi-Fi network with your router for extended coverage and easy setup.

Setting up the Guest Wi-Fi is easy The TP-Link Archer AX23 has a reasonably-long list of features. However, because it’s an entry-level router with little RAM and a less powerful SoC than the more expensive models, turning on the more resource-intensive features like the VPN Server is not a good idea. Your home network’s performance is going to suffer because of that.

What is your opinion about the TP-Link Archer AX23 router?

I hope you enjoyed my review of TP-Link Archer AX23. Now you should have a good idea about this AX1800 wireless router, its strengths, and weaknesses. Before closing this page, don’t hesitate to comment using the options below and share your view on the TP-Link Archer AX23. Do you like what it has to offer? Is it a good fit for your needs? Comment below and let’s discuss.