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TP-Link BE10000 One Minute Review
Wi-Fi 8 may be looming on the horizon, but routers and range extenders that use Wi-Fi 7 can still be pretty expensive.
One way of keeping prices down is to provide basic dual-band support, which uses the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands while omitting the high-performance 6.0GHz band.
Dual-band routers and range extenders can still perform well, though, as we’ve seen with TP-Link’s BE3200 and BE6300 extenders. But, if you want to pay a little extra in order to get maximum performance then you could step up to its top-of-the-range BE10000 model.
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This is a tri-band range extender that adds support for the 6.0GHz band, boosting the maximum Wi-Fi speed to a blazing 10Gbps. You’ll need computers or mobile devices that have Wi-Fi 7 – or Wi-Fi 6E, which also supports the 6.0GHz band – to get the full benefit of the BE10000, but it could be a great option for boosting the Wi-Fi connection for gaming or streaming video in one or two rooms that suffer from a Wi-Fi ‘deadspot’ within your home.
TP-Link BE10000 review: Price & release date
- Where is it available? US-only
- Available Now
- Price: $199.99
The BE10000 is currently only available in the US, and you can’t buy it directly from TP-Link’s own web site so you’ll need to shop around online or try to find it in a local bricks-and-mortar retailer. Online prices also seem to vary a lot too. TP-Link quotes a price of $199.99, but we’ve seen prices ranging from $149 – $249, so it’s definitely worth comparing prices before buying.
The BE10000 is not available in the UK or Australia, although there is a similar model called the BE11000 available in those regions that – you won’t be surprised to find – runs at 11Gbps.
However, this is priced at a rather hefty £299.99/$449, which is considerably higher than the price of the BE10000 in the US, even if you take into account the slightly faster speed of 11Gbps.
TP-Link BE10000 review: Specs
|
Price |
$199.99 |
|
Wi-Fi |
Wi-Fi 7 (2.4GHz/5.0GHz/6.0GHz) |
|
Wi-Fi Speed |
10.2Gbps |
|
Ports |
1x 2.5Gbps Ethernet |
|
Antennae |
4 |
|
Dimensions (HxWxD) |
161 x 81 x 39mm |
TP-Link BE10000 review: Features
At first glance, the BE10000 looks very similar to the dual-band BE6300, with a bulky rectangular design and four large antennae. However, the BE10000 is even larger, with the body of the range extender measuring 161mm high, although this increases to a full 350mm with the antennae fully extended.
You’ll need a power socket with plenty of free room around it in order to plug in the BE10000, and I found that it was so wide – at 81mm – that it also blocked the adjacent power socket in my office as well. You’ll also need a bit of extra space if you want to plug an Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on the side of the range extender.
It may be big and bulky, but the tri-band BE10000 certainly earns its keep. The name implies a Wi-Fi speed of 10Gbps, although it’s actually 10.2Gbps, which is more than fast enough to handle gaming and streaming video, while the 2.5Gbps Ethernet port provides a high-speed wired connection as well.
As always, TP-Link’s Tether app makes it easy to get started. You do need to initially plug the BE10000 into a power socket close to your main broadband router, but the Tether app can then automatically detect the range extender and guide you through the process of linking it to your existing Wi-Fi network.
The app allows you to connect to the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands separately, perhaps to devote the fastest 6.0GHz band to a gaming PC that needs maximum performance.
The app’s security features allow you to set different network names and passwords for each band, or you can simply carry on using the same name and password as your main Wi-Fi router. Other features include the ability to boost the power supply to the BE10000 in order to increase the range of its Wi-Fi signal, or you can use Eco Mode to save power instead.
TP-Link BE10000 review: Performance
I have an office that suffers from a Wi-Fi deadspot in my building, but I almost feel that I should apologise to the BE10000 for asking it to tolerate my puny office Wi-Fi.
I placed the range extender in a hallway, about halfway between my main broadband router and the office with the deadspot, and the BE10000 seemed to roll its eyes – or, rather, its blinking LEDs – as it picked up my feeble 150Mbps Wi-Fi signal and boosted it into that office.
Unsurprisingly, the BE10000 was able to hit the full 150Mbps on all three frequency bands, when running the Ookla Speed Test and also downloading large game files from Steam.
Ironically, though, that effortless performance is the only real disadvantage of the BE10000. Its 10.2Gbps Wi-Fi 7 is so fast that few homes really need that level of performance. But, if you have a gaming PC with Wi-Fi 7, or that is used for streaming 4K video, then the BE10000 will eliminate any troublesome Wi-Fi deadspots with no trouble at all.
Should you buy the TP-Link BE6300?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
As well as tri-band support, the Tether app provides a useful Eco Mode and security features |
4/5 |
|
Performance |
Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and a top speed of 10.2Gbps make the BE10000 one of the fastest range extenders currently available |
4/5 |
|
Design |
The bulky design could cause problems with some power sockets |
3.5/5 |
|
Value |
It’s expensive, but the BE10000 provides top-of-the-range performance for tackling deadspots |
4/5 |
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