TP-Link has unveiled Archer 8, its first Wi-Fi 8 router, way before the standard has been finalized. The company explains that Wi-Fi 8 promises a less laggy, steadier connection and stronger coverage, even with more devices connected to it and even while you’re moving around your home. However, the standard isn’t expected to be finalized until March 2028, years after Archer 8’s October 2026 target release date.
The company says Archer 8 was designed to address users’ “common frustrations,” such as inconsistent speeds, congestion when there’s a lot of connected devices and lags during gaming, video calls and streaming. “…what users actually care about is consistency,” said TP-Link president Jeff Barney. “Archer 8 is designed to deliver exactly that: lower latency, better performance under interference, and more stable connectivity in real world environments.”
TP-Link compared early Wi-Fi 8 implementation against Wi-Fi 7 in simulated real-world home conditions during its tests. It says Wi-Fi 8 is 33 percent better at maintaining faster and more stable speeds at longer range. Wi-Fi 8 also provides a 30 percent improvement for single-device connections across multiple floors, as well as a 10 to 20 percent improvement in multi-device environments.
The Archer 8 router is slated for release in October this year, but “regional availability and final product specifications will vary by market and will be announced closer to launch.” It’s unclear, 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 previously approved foreign-made router models, new ones will now be listed under the agency’s Covered List, which is a set of communications equipment and services that are “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.”
TP-Link was established in Shenzhen, China, but the TP-Link company that serves the US market is based in Irvine, California. While the American company has a different ownership, management and operations than the Chinese company that serves mainland China, it still manufactures products for the US market in Vietnam.
It’s also worth noting that the US government is still concerned that TP-Link has retained its ties to China despite splitting from the Chinese TP-Link corporation in 2022. In 2024, the Commerce, Justice and Defense departments each opened investigations into TP-Link routers after linking them to a wave of Chinese cyberattacks on US government agencies and non-government organizations. That’s what pushed the government to implement a 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 that companies can apply for conditional approval for new products. However, they will be required to move some of their manufacturing to the US. Netgear was the first router maker to receive a 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 launch. For the US market, TP-Link Systems Inc. will follow the same process the FCC has laid out for all companies. We remain committed to providing innovative, reliable and secure connectivity solutions for American consumers.”
In addition to Archer 8, the company also plans to release a Wi-Fi 8 Mesh System called Deco 8 in the first quarter of 2027, as well as a Wi-Fi 8 travel router called Roam 8 and a bunch of Wi-Fi 8 range extenders in the second quarter of next year. TP-Link has yet to reveal the prices for its upcoming lineup.