In a prior article, we have ever examined TP-Link Archer C7 and TP-Link Archer C8. This time, we are about to discuss the comparisons between TP-Link Archer C7 and TP-Link Archer C9. In many ways, the C9 may appear to be very similar to the C8. However, the two may not be marketed under different names if the two are completely identical. So, what are the differences between TP-Link Archer C7 and TP-Link Archer C9? Why is TP-Link Archer C9 more expensive? Should you pick the cheaper TP-Link Archer C7 instead? Let’s see!
Design
If you have ever seen a C8, then you may mistake a C9 as one. TP-Link Archer C8 and TP-Link Archer C9 are designed very similarly. The C9 is also colored in white, with blue indicator lights. There are also three detachable external antennas and a foot-stand. Because of such design, you may prefer to put TP-Link Archer C9 on a flat surface, like on a table or bookshelf. You can’t detach the foot-stand, so you can’t mount the router on the wall. Meanwhile, quite at the contrast, TP-Link Archer C7 is covered in a black hue. The indicator lights are colored green. It has no built-in stand, which means you actually have more latitude in placement options. You can put it on a table, a bookshelf, or mount it on a wall.
Performance
Perhaps the most significant difference, TP-Link Archer C7 and 9 have different amounts of bandwidth available. However, unlike many other models on the market that solely focus on increasing the bandwidth on the 5 GHz signal channel, TP-Link Archer C9 literally has more bandwidth for the 2.4 GHz frequency than TP-Link Archer C7. Getting into the details: the C9 has 1300 Mbps for the 5 GHz and 450 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz, while the C7 has 1300 Mbps and 300 Mbps for the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz signal channels, respectively. As the effect, the C9 indeed offers a higher maximum speed than the C7, but only for devices that rely on 2.4 GHz. This advantage can be crucial if you have several devices that solely use the lower frequency for wireless connectivity.
Another upgrade is that the C9 now comes with one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 ports. The C7 still uses two USB 2.0 ports. The addition of USB 3.0 is a huge improvement, as USB 3.0 is a lot faster than USB 2.0. They still have one WAN and four LAN Ethernet ports each.
TP-Link Archer C7 vs. C9
In general, between the two, TP-Link Archer C9 is the best pick. The larger bandwidth on the 2.4 GHz channel can be very useful, especially if you have many devices that can’t use the 5 GHz frequency. The USB 3.0 port is also another reason to choose the model.
