TP-Link’s first WiFi 8 router is $1,499 (but it comes with a free robovac)

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TP-Link has started taking pre-orders for its first WiFi 8 router, and it isn't cheap. Early adopters will need to part with $1,499 to get their hands on the Archer 8 Ultra, but TP-Link is throwing in a free robot vacuum to sweeten the deal. Customers who pre-order the Archer 8 Ultra ahead the November 1 release date will get a Tapo RV30 Max Plus Gen 2 from TP-Link's smart home sub-brand, valued at $499. 

Eligible retailers include Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, and Harvey Norman. 

When it comes to the router itself, the Archer 8 is a standalone router capable of 19Gbps combined wireless speeds and 10Gbps wired speeds. It features 18 internal antennas.

TP-Link says WiFi 8 is less about "incremental speed gains" and more about addressing "connectivity problems people actually notice", citing issues like weak coverage at range, congestion, and interference. Of course, the WiFi 8 standard has yet to be finalised, and there aren't any phones or laptops that support WiFi 8 yet. While WiFi 8 is backward compatible with WiFi 7 and WiFi 6 devices (and older), they won't take advantage of new features.

TP-Link says it will provide software updates for the Archer 8 Ultra as the WiFi 8 standard evolves. TP-Link plans to follow the launch of the Archer 8 Ultra with a mesh WiFi 8 system in the first quarter of 2027. 

$1,499 may be a high asking price for a router, but the Archer 8 Ultra isn't the most expensive WiFi 8 router we've seen so far. ASUS' ROG Rapture GT-BN98 currently takes that honour, with an asking price of $1,999. The ROG Rapture GT-BN98 is set to launch this month. 

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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