Thursday 27 May 2021

TP-Link AX50 - all the wrong make it right?


I just purchase the TP-Link AX50 as it seem that it can support higher bandwidth and from the spec it is look to be better than AX20 which is RM50 cheaper. Not after I purchase it and read its review (* I know I should have read it first but thats how I purchase stuff).

It look like this device has very bad review even thought a lot of big site giving it a good rating (* feel so rotten tomatoes).  

At start, I feel regret that had purchase the worst device for almost RM300 when I can get the better router, AX20 at RM259.

Then I do a compare with both of them. Compare to AX20, AX50 lack of WPA3 and OneMesh support, it also seem like easy gone over heat which said will throttle the WIFI speed. The USB 3.0 speed is not better than the USB 2.0 in AX20.

From first glance, I really make a mistake purchase the device.

Then I started to summarize what I need actually aside what people said you need.

I check my current devices, none of them support WPA3 and if I activate WPA3, none of them will able to utilize the benefit and there might be combability issue also according to some reviewer. Upgrade existing devices to new one is not an overnight change. It might took years to do it. TP-Link UK said they might push the update for WPA3 but promise is only a promise, there is no law to force them to keep it.

Then is the OneMesh feature which is promised by TP-Link but kena can by them without any reasonable reason except to con you to upgrade to the newer router, AX73. From where I live, my house is not that big that I need a mesh solution. Good to have but no use case in near future, maybe until the router die out also wouldn't be using this feature. My previous router has this feature but I never use it either.

These two missing feature is one of their selling point during launch, promising to implement it in near future. It is a bit fuck when a company using these low cheap dirty marketing bait. Will never trust their promise anymore.

On the bright side, compare to the AX20, this AX50 does come with built in Antivirus feature, to me, it is a major feature as we never know when we will get into trouble. Currently I am depending on Windows 10 built-in and browser built-in detection. Another layer of protection is always a plus to me.

As for overheat, I think it is due to the case design, if not, AX21 wont be adding bigger heatsink to it. TP-Link might have notice the heat issue is due to the case design. With Intel chipset that notoriously bad in heat make the situation more bad.

From what I learn from the pass months, electronic device is tear and wear, even you able to keep using it for long period of time, but the new technology will obsolete it and you will need to get a new one.

I aim for this router is 3 years as with its router. Given spending RM100 a year for a router seem not bad. After 3 years, will see what the future has for us. 



 

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