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ASUS RT-AX3000 vs TP-Link Archer AX21: Comparison
ASUS RT-AX3000 and TP-Link Archer AX21 differ on aggregate wifi speed: ASUS RT-AX3000 at 3,000 Mbps, TP-Link Archer AX21 at 1,800 Mbps, which puts ASUS RT-AX3000 ahead on that measure. They match on 15 other specifications, including wifi standard, router type and band configuration.
Which is better, ASUS RT-AX3000 or TP-Link Archer AX21?
On balance, aSUS RT-AX3000 and TP-Link Archer AX21 differ on aggregate wifi speed: ASUS RT-AX3000 at 3,000 Mbps, TP-Link Archer AX21 at 1,800 Mbps, which puts ASUS RT-AX3000 ahead on that measure.
What is the main difference between ASUS RT-AX3000 and TP-Link Archer AX21?
The ASUS RT-AX3000 is the stronger choice on paper: it has 1.7x the aggregate WiFi speed (3,000 Mbps vs 1,800 Mbps). It also has 1.7x the speed class (AX3000 vs AX1800).
Specs and benchmarks
WiFi Standard
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
Brand
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- ASUS
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- TP-Link
Router Type
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- Standalone Router
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- Standalone Router
Band Configuration
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- Dual-Band
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- Dual-Band
Device Type
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- Standalone Router
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- Standalone Router
Wired Ports
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 4x Gigabit LAN, 1x Gigabit WAN
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 4x Gigabit LAN, 1x Gigabit WAN
WiFi Generation
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- WiFi 6
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- WiFi 6
Supports 6GHz
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- No
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- No
Aggregate WiFi Speed
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 3000 MbpsBest
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 1800 Mbps
Speed Class
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- AX3000Best
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- AX1800
Max Channel Width
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 160MHz
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 80MHz
Spatial Streams Total
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 4
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 4
5GHz Streams
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 2
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 2
WAN Port Speed
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 1GbE
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 1GbE
Max LAN Port Speed
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 1GbE
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 1GbE
LAN Port Count
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 4 ports
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 4 ports
External Antennas
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- 4 antennas
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- 4 antennas
WPA3 Support
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- Yes
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- Yes
VPN Server
- ASUS RT-AX3000
- Yes
- TP-Link Archer AX21
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASUS RT-AX3000 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose TP-Link Archer AX21 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
ASUS RT-AX3000
6.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A perfectly serviceable budget WiFi 6 router, but there's little here that distinguishes it from ASUS's own cheaper AX55.
TP-Link Archer AX21
7 / 10 Expert Rating
Genuine WiFi 6 basics at a price that's frequently discounted further.