The TP-Link Archer C9 AC1900 router is light on the purse in a certain sense of the word. A lot of similar devices might necessitate you to upgrade other hardware as well, but this is not the case here. The TP-Link AC1900 is friendly towards past types of devices as well, as it has full support not only to Wireless-AC, but Wireless-G types as well. Meanwhile, flashing it also hosts it with a DD-WRT firmware upgrade, making it capable for work with VPN services. Next to elaborating on the details of this router, this is the other topic of this article.
The presence of a USB 3.0 port on a router is on the rise. The TP-Link AC1900 is no exception to this trend; quick data transfer always comes in handy, especially when you enable a VPN network with the help of the router.
VPN Compatibility
Speaking of which, the DD-WRT Firmware upgrade enables this router to have PPTP or OpenVPN-based VPN connections. We do not recommend the former, though; while it might be faster, it is also less safe. The TP-Link AC1900 fares worse in terms of memory compared to devices with similar preferences. You have 128MBs of RAM here, while elsewhere you can even meet with half a Gigabyte, four times as much. Frequency bands are all right, with Dual Band (2.4/ 5 GHz) available. While this machine is in the lower price range and has full VPN support, the lack of memory might not make it suitable for operations that are more taxing on your resources.
Setting up this router for VPN action is not a difficult feat. Things might get just a little bit complicated if you wish to run a VPN on the device. This is true for every router, because most VPN organizations have their own parameters for setting up their respective networks. The good news is that these are almost always accessible via the basic setup of the router. It is also worth noting that VPN companies barely ever use IPv6 connections and thus you will probably be required to disable it. There are other specifics of OpenVPN, for example, such as the tunneling protocol and the algorithm used. Such information is not disclosed too often, except in the actual setup guides for routers. We recommend you thoroughly inform yourself before choosing a VPN company, or go for a router that is pre-flashed and comes with the VPN service setup for use with the device.
Bottom Line
On a final note then, the only reason why the TP-Links AC1900 could not be your router to go is the shortage of memory. Otherwise, it is a suitable choice with and without VPN connections.
Dennis says
Been using my E-3000 Cisco as my “main” router behind my mofi 4700 modem on AT & T Wireless.
Using Archer C 9 as a secondary router for wired Dish Network, Samsung SmartV, Viseo SmartV, X-Box connection. My E-3000 supplies wireless for 2 Smart phones, in addition to ethernet service for Windows 10 PC.
mofi is connected to Dual WARENG MIMO Antenna’s based on a 25 foot Pole with a 35 foot ethernet run.
In stages of tweaking I have speedtested at 68 / 82 download. We are 8.2 miles from AT&T Tower.
ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT BUT CURRENTLY HAPPY BUT EXPLORING!