TP-Link introduced the Archer 8, its first Wi-Fi 8 router, before the standard was finalized. The company explains that Wi-Fi 8 promises a smaller, stronger connection and a stronger installation, even with multiple devices connected to it even when moving around your home. However, the standard is not expected to be completed until March 2028, years after Archer 8’s intended release date of October 2026.
The company says the Archer 8 is designed to address “common frustrations,” such as inconsistent speeds, congestion when multiple devices are connected and lags during gaming, video calls and streaming. “… what users really care about is consistency,” said TP-Link president Jeff Barney. “Archer 8 is designed to deliver just that: lower latency, better performance under interference, and more stable connectivity in real-world environments.”
TP-Link compared early Wi-Fi 8 implementations versus Wi-Fi 7 in simulated real-world scenarios during its testing. It says Wi-Fi 8 is 33 percent better at maintaining fast and stable speeds over long distances. Wi-Fi 8 also offers a 30 percent improvement in single-device connectivity on multiple floors, and a 10 to 20 percent improvement in multi-device environments.
The Archer 8 router is scheduled to be released in October this year, but “regional availability and final product specifications will vary by market and will be announced closer to launch.” It is not clear, however, if and when the company will be able to sell the router in the United States. If you’ll recall, the Federal Communications Commission has labeled all consumer routers manufactured outside the US a security risk. While retailers can still sell pre-approved foreign-made router models, new ones will now be listed under the agency’s Consolidated List, which is a set of telecommunications equipment and services “considered to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
TP-Link was founded in Shenzhen, China, but the TP-Link company that serves the US market is based in Irvine, California. Although the American company has different ownership, management and operations than the Chinese company serving the mainland China, it still produces products for the US market in Vietnam.
It is also worth noting that the US government is still concerned that TP-Link has maintained its relationship with China despite the split from TP-Link’s Chinese subsidiary in 2022. In 2024, the Departments of Commerce, Justice and Defense each opened investigations into TP-Link routers after linking them to a wave of Chinese cyberattack agencies and US non-governmental organizations. That’s what pushed the government to implement the ban on foreign-made routers in the first place. And earlier this year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TP-Link, accusing it of allowing Chinese hacking groups to access Americans’ devices.
While the ban covers all foreign-made routers, the FCC said companies can apply for conditional approval of new products. However, they will have to move some of their production to the US. Netgear was the first router maker to receive conditional approval from the FCC. When we asked TP-Link for a statement about the US ban, a spokesperson told us: “TP-Link Systems Inc. is pioneering Wi-Fi 8 technology for users around the world, with regional availability to be announced closer to the launch. In the US market, TP-Link Systems Inc. will follow the same process that the FCC has imposed on all companies. We remain committed to providing reliable, trustworthy and secure American connectors to new companies’ connections.”
In addition to Archer 8, the company also plans to release a Wi-Fi 8 Mesh System called Deco 8 in the first half of 2027, and a Wi-Fi 8 router called Roam 8 and a bunch of Wi-Fi 8 range extenders in the second half of next year. TP-Link has yet to reveal pricing for its upcoming plan.
