TP-LINK's Archer C3200 carries all the performance of the larger AC3200 solutions, yet comes packaged in a small form factor for those wanting an elegant solution for the home.

Judging from SNBForums discussions, there's not a lot of love for Broadcom's Smart Connect technology. Many users report constant device disconnects and some devices that won't connect at all with it enabled.

If you have a high-traffic network with multiple clients vying for bandwidth, you may want to consider upgrading to a tri-band router . Whereas dual-band models offer one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz Wi-Fi band, tri-band routers offer one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands.

Lots of management features; Good close-proximity 5GHz throughput and relatively fast file-transfer speeds in testing

Expensive; Middling range performance and 2.4GHz throughput on our tests

If you have a high-traffic network with multiple clients vying for bandwidth, you may want to consider upgrading to a tri-band router. Whereas dual-band models offer one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz Wi-Fi band, tri-band routers offer one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands. The extra 5GHz band goes a long way in easing wireless network congestion and gives you more control over how clients connect wirelessly. With the TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200 ($259.99), you get good 5GHz throughput and a slew of management settings, and it does a solid job of transferring files to and from attached USB storage devices. However, it can't match the overall performance of its triple-band competitors. Design and FeaturesThe C3200 is an AC3200 router; its 2.4GHz band has a maximum data-link speed of 600Mbps and each of the 5GHz bands can reach speeds of up to 1,300Mbps. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and supports the 802.11 b/g/n/ac networking standards. In addition to Be...

The TP-Link AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Router Archer C3200 uses three radio bands to help ease network congestion and offers a wealth of management options, but its overall performance comes up short.

Lots of management features; Good close-proximity 5GHz throughput and relatively fast file-transfer speeds in testing

Expensive; Middling range performance and 2.4GHz throughput on our tests

Since the last time I covered a router the market has seen its fast increase of Tri Band routers hit the scene. This is happening because the need for bandwidth has increased as well as the devices being used alongside it.

This is a nice router. I use as an access point to transmit wifi throughout the house. Wifi signal is good on all three levels of the house. If you plan on using it as an AP like I did there is no dedicated AP mode.

Good Wifi signal; smart connect works nicely; Simple Interface

no open source firmware available to date

I got this router from Overstock for over 100 dollars less than I could find it anywhere else. I bought a good modem, and contacted Brighthouse so that they could get the modem information from me to apply to our account for optimal performance. I'm happy.

I received this router as a free sample to review and it certainly was an upgrade to the dual band router that we had been using. Set-up and installation of this device was very quick and easy, as well as securing the device with a passcode only took minutes.

I bought this product with high expectations, replacing a functioning Linksys E3000. After a disappointing performance I contacted tech support and updated the software. After that there was minimal improvement in speed on my laptops, but streaming went into the buffering, buffering, buffering mode.

This router is so easy to setup. My internet speed was so fast after the c3200 and with the triband, i could hook up so many devices without slowing down the speed. If you need to spend some money, spend it on a powerful router like this one. Very happy with it.

Easy To Set Up; Fast; Fast Connection Speed; Reliable connection