AC750 vs N750

[josysclei]

So, I want to get a better router, and I'm stuck between two options for the same price. The TP-Link Archer C2 and the TP-Link WDR4300. Both are dualband, gigabit routers. The Archer is newer, with AC750 wifi and 2 antennas. The WDR is older, with N750 wifi, but 3 antennas and one more USB port. Since both are 300Mbps+450Mbps, is there any other difference between AC and N?

 

[joex444]

Technically the WDR4300 is a 450Mbps 802.11n router at 5GHz, while the C2 is a 433Mbps 802.11ac router at 5GHz. Neither one can give you 750Mbps to one device.

IMO, the important part is 5GHz capability. More and more devices will have 802.11ac, so if you have that it's good but this particular one doesn't do any better than 802.11n. I'd probably go with the cheaper one, but I'd also take a look at the Archer C7. That has 1300Mbps on 802.11ac (necessarily 5GHz), and 450Mbps at 2.4GHz (802.11n). For $30 more, it seems like something you'll be able to use for several years.

 

[josysclei]

Where I live, the C7 is double the price ):

 

[bill001g]

You need to verify that your end equipment can use any feature you buy in a router. If your end equipment can not do 802.11ac then it will ignore the feature on the router and connect 802.11n.

Also watch out for the big number trap. Things like 450 speeds need 3 antenna both on the router and the end device. This is not common. It is even less common for the speed that need 4 antenna. The optimum inexpensive router tends to be a 802.11ac router that claims 1200. This is 300 using a dual feed on 802.11n or 900 using a dual feed on 802.11ac.