Qualcomm vs Broadcom in a home network

[iFrogMac]

Hey guys,
It's been a while since I've posted anything of any detail here. I've moved from Asus to TP-Link for my router, and in doing some research I've found that the TP-Link router I have has a Qualcomm chipset vs Broadcom. One of the networking Pro series.
I also saw that one of the main benefits is open source support for projects like OpenWRT. I checked and my router (BE11000 Pro) is not currently supported, nor is the mesh Satellite (BE9300). I meshed the two because I needed more Ethernet ports in the bedroom, and Best Buy had the BE11000 Pro on sale for $199.00, it's usually $299.00, or more. I had some rewards ready to expire so I took $10 off the sale price and and paid the rest with money from Christmas. So the two are in an EasyMesh now with a wired Backhaul, and I can manage both from one interface now. Anyway, after doing my research and seeing the open source benefit, is there anything else Qualcomm would offer me over Broadcom? It seems like the two are pretty similar. I got rid of the Airport Extreme as it was no longer support, and too old to keep up with modern wireless speeds. So Now I have the TP-Link Mesh, and my (RT-AX86U as a fail safe if needed.)
One other thing, I've found having the 6 Ghz available for my phone helps reduce congestion when the 5Ghz band acts up due to congestion interference.

 

[degrub]

What else instead of TUF-AX6000?

I'm getting rid of my Asus Gaming TUF-6000 due to these bugs in the latest firmware. What can you recommend from this manufacturer. With good range (no worse than this TUF) and maybe WiFi6e...? I don't need WiFi7. (I have RT-AX58U V2 as a node /Wifi.... :( ).

www.snbforums.com

Recommendations and question on the states of current mesh systems

I've been having a hell of a time getting stable wifi and am looking for some advice on systems. I'll try to summarize this as short as I can but with details. ISP Plan; 2gbps coming in house through coaxial into Xfinity xb8 modem bridged Asus rt-be96u as single unit for old house; worked...

www.snbforums.com

 

[iFrogMac]

What else instead of TUF-AX6000?

I'm getting rid of my Asus Gaming TUF-6000 due to these bugs in the latest firmware. What can you recommend from this manufacturer. With good range (no worse than this TUF) and maybe WiFi6e...? I don't need WiFi7. (I have RT-AX58U V2 as a node /Wifi.... :( ).

www.snbforums.com

Recommendations and question on the states of current mesh systems

I've been having a hell of a time getting stable wifi and am looking for some advice on systems. I'll try to summarize this as short as I can but with details. ISP Plan; 2gbps coming in house through coaxial into Xfinity xb8 modem bridged Asus rt-be96u as single unit for old house; worked...

www.snbforums.com

Thanks for the feedback, my experience has been much the same with the Archer units, they just work without a lot of tinkering needed. The mesh works well too, although for a 1 bedroom apartment, I really didn't need the mesh for wireless, it just makes it easy to manage both units from one interface. It does help a bit when things get a bit congested due to the density of hotspots, while I don't do it a lot it will help keep signal balanced if I decide to close the bedroom door with the main router in the living room, and the signal having to go through walls and the door.

The open source info interested me because if TP Link ever gets banned officially, I might have the option to keep the hardware going with third party firmware. Also, I'm not 100% sure on this, but it seems like Deco is more the simpler consumer line while Archer is more the prosumer line.

 

[Tech9]

it seems like Deco is more the simpler consumer line while Archer is more the prosumer line.

Archer is AIO consumer routers, Deco is consumer mesh sets. Prosumer products are called Festa, small business are Omada, enterprise are Omada Pro, ISP equipment is Aginet, security products are Tapo, various home automation IoTs are Casa, long range wireless is Pharos. TP-Link have broad range of product lines.

 

[iFrogMac]

Archer is AIO consumer routers, Deco is consumer mesh sets. Prosumer products are called Festa, small business are Omada, enterprise are Omada Pro, ISP equipment is Aginet, security products are Tapo, various home automation IoTs are Casa, long range wireless is Pharos. TP-Link have broad range of product lines.

Thanks for the feedback, I wasn't aware of some of the product names mentioned. I was mainly familiar with Deco, Archer, and Omada. I also think I misunderstood the comment I heard regarding Deco vs Archer. The comment in fact was, The archer models have more options available in the UI vs Deco, so I took that to mean one was more prosumer over the other.
Edit, and Kasa, for smart home devices. I don't currently own any of the Kasa line.

 

[fruitcornbread]

Just to clarify, did you get the Archer BE11000 Pro from Best Buy? Could you confirm the FCCID on the back of the router? If it is 2BCGWBE700, then there's a possibility it is using Broadcom BCM6765.

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/tp-link-archer-be11000-tri-band-wi-fi-7-router-black/J3GWLQQRP8

FCC ID: 2BH7FBE550V2 - Archer BE9300 (HW V2) should be using Qualcomm IPQ5322

 

[Tech9]

I checked and my router (BE11000 Pro)... mesh Satellite (BE9300)

I meshed the two because I needed more Ethernet ports in the bedroom

So the two are in an EasyMesh now with a wired Backhaul

for a 1 bedroom apartment, I really didn't need the mesh for wireless

Waste of money 101 tutorial.

 

[iFrogMac]

Waste of money 101 tutorial.

Well, it is true that I was focused on wired port expansion since my switch is full. I thought I had made a comment though after having mesh in place for a while that it has helped keep signal in the bedroom slightly more consistent than one router doing everything just because it does have to go through a wall, and if I wanted to close the door at some point, I have signal in there that won't have to deal with that now. I don't have room for a larger switch either. I have an 8 port in there now, and because of these TP-Link vertical form factor it made it a good fit for the remaining space.

I also mentioned buying when I had rewards points, and Christmas money to use, so I didn't have to use any of my own, and between the sale, and $10 off in rewards, I got a good deal on something that would have cost a lot more at full price and solved a problem by being able to use existing hardware. I didn't use the Asus RT-AX86U as it's not EasyMesh compatible, and I prefer to mesh when I can for easy management. Even if the wired ports are still the main resolution, I did get some wireless too. I've already noticed that there is a far enough distance between the routers that if a device in the bedroom connects wireless, it will connect to the one in the bedroom, and not the living room.

@fruitcornbread I'll check the ID, I got the Qualcomm info based on results from Gemini for that model which is the Archer BE11000 Pro. I've had a pretty good experience with getting accurate info from Gemini, and in the one, or two times it's given me info that's a bit off, I've corrected it and it instantly realized the mistake and gave me the right info.

 

[iFrogMac]

Just to clarify, did you get the Archer BE11000 Pro from Best Buy? Could you confirm the FCCID on the back of the router? If it is 2BCGWBE700, then there's a possibility it is using Broadcom BCM6765.

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/tp-link-archer-be11000-tri-band-wi-fi-7-router-black/J3GWLQQRP8

FCC ID: 2BH7FBE550V2 - Archer BE9300 (HW V2) should be using Qualcomm IPQ5322

The FCCID is correct. However, I'm using hardware version 1.0. The pro variant of the the BE11000 (which is what I have) doesn't have a v2 according to TP-Link's support site. I'm using the latest V1.60 firmware from last month. The non pro versions seem to have a v2 option, but I've never been able to get above v1 of any TP-Link router regardless of model, or place of purchase. Anyway, I'm not going to post the picture because it also includes all the other personal info for the router such as MAC, and default passwords, which I have changed, but still.

 

[Tech9]

if TP Link ever gets banned officially, I might have the option to keep the hardware

No such option was ever on the table. When TP-Link gets banned in your country you have to disconnect the equipment immediately and ship it to the Department of Defense including all cables and power supplies for dissection, disinfection and incineration. Follow closely the instructions to avoid hefty fines and eventual jail time.

 

[iFrogMac]

No such option was ever on the table. When TP-Link get banned in your country you have to disconnect the equipment in next 24h and ship it to the Department of Defense (including all cables and power supplies) for dissection, disinfection and incineration. Follow closely the instructions to avoid hefty fines and eventual jail time.

Well I got some really useful info from watching a YouTube channel for CrossTalk solutions and he basically said the whole TP-Link proposed ban is based on a lot of speculation and accusations without any real facts being present. He did a video on this a while back, which was my take on the situation as well, and why I went back to using TP link routers because I've never had stability issues with them, or any reason to think they'd be anymore risk than any other router. So, I'm not really taking the potential ban seriously. I'm just referencing it in terms of people still talking bout it, and it still being a potential.

 

[Tech9]

So, I'm not really taking the potential ban seriously.

You have to take it very seriously. You may also be asked to provide 5 years of networking equipment history. When it was purchased, from where, on what price, what delivery company was used, the registration plate of the delivery truck, the name of the delivery driver, etc. The full list of information required will be available. You have to provide verifiable information and the contacts for at least two unrelated to you witnesses.

 

[iFrogMac]

Well for anyone interested, here is the video I watched. Usually I just ignore these types of videos, but he seems to be the most level headed out of the majority of others I've watched.

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[Tech9]

Continue watching the same YouTube channel, get yourself familiar with Ubiquiti gear. Headquarters in New York City, safe.... for now. Investing Christmas money in foreign spyware was a mistake. Buy local!

 

[original-birdman]

... he basically said the whole TP-Link proposed ban is based on a lot of speculation and accusations without any real facts being present.

So, very similar to how RF Kennedy Jr is handling vaccines.

 

[thiggins]

So, very similar to how RF Kennedy Jr is handling vaccines.

Please take political commentary elsewhere.

 

[sfx2000]

A couple of things...

Qualcomm/Broadcom aside - they're chipset vendors with SW stacks, and both are comparable in performance/capabilities...

Going thru the thread - some have voiced concern about TP-Link, not sure it's all deserved other than they've been a soft target for some time across multiple US administrations for post-sales support for devices. In the current US climate, it's easy for some to target them specifically, when those very people should be driving better device security across all vendors...

 

[iFrogMac]

A couple of things...

Qualcomm/Broadcom aside - they're chipset vendors with SW stacks, and both are comparable in performance/capabilities...

Going thru the thread - some have voiced concern about TP-Link, not sure it's all deserved other than they've been a soft target for some time across multiple US administrations for post-sales support for devices. In the current US climate, it's easy for some to target them specifically, when those very people should be driving better device security across all vendors...

Well, a quick reminder, before Apple dropped their Airport line, I just stuck with those. It was in the Apple ecosystem, and they just worked, and was a good set it and forget it solution for most. After the Airport products were discontinued, the hunt for a new router was at hand. TP-Link was my initial pick until I tried Asus, which is where the RT-AX86 comes in. It's a good router. I went back to TP-Link as they just work, and having the Asus several years, I just found I didn't need all the extra options, so wanted something more simple. As far as this thread, based on info from Google, it looked like I had a different chipset over Broadcom, so was curious as I never really used anything else, as the Airport had broadcom chips as well. Anyway it looks like my particular router(s) are still broadcom units. With the airport out of date, and no more firmware updates, and it's hardware behind on current wireless standards, it just wasn't a good idea to use it anymore, so I finally got rid of my old Airport. Because I've always been one who has been able to stay in the Apple ecosystem, for the majority of stuff, finding a replacement router that gives me that same sweet spot the airport did, has been a long and tough journey.

Like I mentioned when posting that video above regarding TP-Link from Crosstalk Solutions, my Attitude toward the whole situation has pretty much been "thank you for the info, I'll stop using TP-Link when someone provides facts, and evidence it's not safe over other brands."

 

[RMerlin]

Regardless of whether it's deserved or not, if the US administration end up banning TP-Link products, one major impact on customers will be they will most likely lose any warranty support, as TP-Link would be unable, among other things, to provide replacements in case of a defective device. That's something to keep in mind if considering to buy a TP-Link product and you live in the US.

 

[iFrogMac]

Regardless of whether it's deserved or not, if the US administration end up banning TP-Link products, one major impact on customers will be they will most likely lose any warranty support, as TP-Link would be unable, among other things, to provide replacements in case of a defective device. That's something to keep in mind if considering to buy a TP-Link product and you live in the US.

@RMerlin I was curious, with some of the reasoning behind banning TP-Link, wouldn't Asus also be a candidate? Especially with the botnet issues they've had with their firmware? TP-Link has been accused of being less secure, and as Chris pointed out in the above video (I think his name is Chris, if I remember correctly.) then a similar argument could be made about Asus because hackers were targeting flaws in the firmware, not that either company was deliberately putting stuff into the routers, and the information was being twisted, and taken out of context. I've read forum, and reviews where people also twist that Asus is a Chinese company as well, because they're located in Taiwan. Even with the information, and experiences I've had with both companies, I personally don't have issues with either one. So this is more of a question about how people twist things and try to make something out of nothing, or if there is something, blow it out of proportion.